New nature reserve opens in Herefordshire

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust has opened a new nature reserve which is home to rare wetland wildflowers.

Ail Meadow nature reserve is just over 14 acres and lies within the wonderful, wildlife-rich landscape of the Woolhope Dome. It is home to a number of rare county species including bog pimpernel, southern marsh orchid, flixweed and fen bedstraw.

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust ran a successful fundraising campaign to purchase the meadow with almost £65,000 donated by supporters and £75,000 donated by Severn Waste Services, long-term supporters and funders of the Trust, as well as several other smaller grants contributing to the purchase. Contributions were also made in memory of David Hailes who loved to walk in the area and who sadly passed away in 2021. A bench in his memory has been installed at the reserve.

This month the reserve was officially opened to the public with a celebratory event on 22^nd June when donors, staff and volunteers met together at the site.

Ail Meadow will be now managed as a traditional hay meadow, with seasonal grazing, to further enhance the diversity of grasses and wildflowers and attract a wealth of wildlife.

Esther Clarke Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s Nature Reserves Team Manager said: “It’s fantastic to now have five wonderful nature reserves within the Woolhope Dome landscape, each with their own character and highlights. Ail Meadow is particularly special as this type of wet grassland, and its associated wildlife, is becoming increasingly rare as land is drained for agriculture or development.”