Aftermath grazing started on the meadow on Sunday. The sign above is displayed at all North Meadow entrances.
We will be grazing until the Oct/Nov now depending on the amount of grass and meadow conditions (until it floods). The number of animals will increase over the next 2 weeks or so. Court Leet members will be checking the electric fences and pasture pumps daily during grazing.
Aftermath grazing is a vital part of the National Nature Reserve’s management and is, together with the hay crop, the reason why it has such a huge plant diversity of over 250 plant species. The North Meadow grassland habitat is now very rare in the UK which is why it is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the focus of considerable scientific research and conservation effort. North Meadow is one of the best examples in the UK of this habitat (MG4 grassland) and the only one with such a large population of snakes head fritillaries (80% of the UK population).