Across Dartmoor and beyond, hundreds of people are managing many acres of wildflower-rich meadows as a habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna, all helping to create a living landscape across the region.
Meadow makers range from farmers passionate about nature-friendly farming, to private landowners with an acre or two who manage their patch as a nature reserve, to those with simple wild areas in their orchard or garden.
Bas and Rosemary Payne
Clifford Bridge
Bas and Rosemary Payne let the grass grow up in a wild area of their garden and were bountifully rewarded - with many wildflowers, butterflies, slow worms and more.
Charlotte Parton and David Jenkinson
Broadhempston
The creation of a garden wildlife haven - a new wildflower meadow and nature pond, starting from scratch.
Nicky Scott’s green roof
Chagford
A meadow on a roof, inspired by those found on wooden cabins in Norway.
Mary and Charles Staniland
Buckland-in-the-Moor
Four acres of species-rich meadows at Buckland-in-the-Moor that were just waiting for a change in the management in order to reveal their natural treasures.
Geoff Hearnden
Carrapitt Farm, Bridford
A working farm that has evolved over 40 years into a nature reserve, including turning ten acres of agriculturally improved rough grassland into a species-rich wet meadow.
Audrey Compton and John Whetman
Deer Park Farm, Chudleigh
Nearly 40 acres of ancient grassland and hay meadows, supporting over 350 species of wild flowers, winner of the 'England Meadow and Grasslands Award' in 2015.
David and Jackie Crook
Buckfastleigh
David and Jackie have turned five acres of heavily grazed pony paddocks at Buckfastleigh into flower-rich grasslands alive with wildlife.
Nicky Scott
Pound Meadow, Chagford
A four and a half acre community meadow in Chagford, previously grazed by sheep, now managed for its wildflowers and wildlife.
Chris Chapman
Wonson, near Throwleigh
Three acres restored from a sheep-grazed pasture into a haven for wildlife.
Cami and Jamie’s meadow
Dartington Estate
Cami Rose and Jamie Perrelet's stewardship of The Meadow, a wild pollinator and honeybee sanctuary, on the Dartington Estate, Totnes.
Bridford Trust Hay Meadow
Bridford Woodland Park
An area of mixed woodland and grassy open spaces for community use, converted from farmland into a village green, but also including a hay meadow.
Steve Pollard
Beetor Farm, North Bovey
The restoration of a species-rich down, which was cut for silage for many years on a working farm. In the last seven years it has been managed as a hay meadow with an ever-increasing abundance of naturally occurring flora, including three types of orchid.
Charlotte Oliver
South Hams
Charlotte's managing her fields as hay meadows and is rewarded with orchids, sweet hay and a host of insects, moths and butterflies.
Join the Meadow Makers' Gallery
No matter where your meadow is, whether you have rolling acres or a mini-meadow in your garden, we'd love to hear about it. Fill out the form below and we'll be in touch to let you know what you need to provide.