Meadow and bank at Hollow Meadow. Photo by Finley Reynolds.
Hollow Meadow - A Natural Networks Case Study
Nestled within the rolling hills of the far west of Worcestershire, Hollow Meadow is a gem of a site, now safeguarded as a wildlife oasis for many years to come.
Bought by Maggie Kingston in 1984, the site’s wildlife value was apparent from the beginning. Maggie set about restoring the grasslands to a seasonally wet wildflower meadow and calcareous wildflower bank, grazing the site with sheep and goats. In the late 90s, the site was designated a Local Wildlife Site (LWS) for its rich botanical diversity. In the springtime, the wet meadow is carpeted with common spotted and marsh orchids, giving way to a summer flush of knapweed, lady’s bedstraw and meadowsweet. The pond is a calm, reflective spot, home to all three species of British newt: common, palmate and great crested.
Meadowsweet at Hollow Meadow. Photo by Finley Reynolds.
Ponds, trees and sheep
Recognising that Hollow Meadow is already a distinguished Local Wildlife Site (LWS), the Natural Networks team, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s LWS Officer and colleagues from the Severn Rivers Trust, worked together to delicately create an ecological enhancement plan. The result: two new wetland features, nine local fruit trees, the gapping up of a hedgerow and new fencing to retain the sheep.
Adjacent to the exiting pond, a new pond and scrape (a shallow, temporary pool) were created in October 2024. The new habitat has created greater water holding capacity for the site, as well as new homes for the newts and other wetland species. To the east of the site, a new pond is fed by a swale (a shallow drainage channel), in an area that frequently gets rainwater run-off from a neighbouring field. This new habitat again increases the water storage capacity of the site and provides new homes for wildlife.
A new pond being created in Hollow Meadow. Photo by Finley Reynolds.
In mid-November 2024, volunteers from the community, Natural Networks Officers and Seven Rivers Trust officers, helped to plant 83metres of hedgerow, gapping up existing hedgerows and creating a new native mixed species hedge on site. A mix of blackthorn, hazel, wych elm, crab apple and small-leaved lime (amongst other species) were planted to increase the tree diversity on site, providing a range of flowers and fruits for our native pollinators and other wildlife. Additionally, earlier in the year, nine fruit trees were planted via the Coronation Orchards project and some tree pruning works were done to an ash tree suffering with die back, leaving a safe standing deadwood monolith and brash piles for hibernating wildlife. Monitoring of the ash trees on site will continue.
The future of Hollow Meadow
Wanting to share the space with the local community, Hollow Meadow has hosted workshops for nature, crafts, wellbeing and spiritual refreshment and seen a number of university students carry out ecological and geological surveys across the site. In the post Covid years, Maggie, alongside others, started the transition of the site towards community ownership, creating the Guardians of Hollow Meadow Community Interest Company (GoHMCIC) in late 2023.
As a community site, Maggie and the other guardians had big plans for the meadow. In line with the aforementioned Natural Networks and Severn Rivers Trust advice and projects, the first stage of the plan was to make the site even better for wildlife. This all feeds into the later goal of creating a community education centre, blending Maggie’s love of the environment and art.
With the Guardians of Hollow Meadow set up, the site is in safe hands for the future. Plans for 2025 include the erection of a small shelter, plus a composting loo, so that outdoor and indoor art, craft and wellbeing sessions can be held. The sheep will continue grazing for the benefit of the finer wildflowers, and a few bird and bat boxes are due to be installed.
