Hannah's Meadow

About the Site

This site is a species rich grassland, with a wide range of flora and breeding birds. The fields were once farmed by Hannah Hauxwell, using only traditional farming methods without use of artificial fertilisers or re-seeding. These farming practices promote the development of meadows with high wildlife value, and have been continued by Durham Wildlife Trust. An un-manned visitor’s centre describes Hannah’s life as well as the importance of the meadows and of Durham Wildlife Trust’s work.

Hannah's Meadow

Hannah’s Meadows are thought to be the least improved field systems in upland Durham and are consequently of considerable scientific interest. The 7.1 hectares of grassland communities are representative of the traditional northern hay meadow and include several uncommon plants. When Hannah retired, the Trust purchased the fields to ensure that this management continued.

Ragged Robin

The meadows have a species rich sward dominated by common bent, meadow fox-tail, downy oat grass, Yorkshire-fog, quaking grass, crested dog’s-tail, red fescue and sweet vernal grass. They also contain an abundance of wild flowers characteristic of upland meadows including wood cranesbill, globeflower, pignut, bugle, marsh marigold, wood anemone, ragged robin, water avens, frog orchid, adder’s tongue fern and moonwort. Adder’s tongue fern is a particularly interesting grassland species, as it is found only in meadows that have never been treated with artificial fertilisers, and is therefore an indicator of high quality grassland.

In wetter areas of the site, sharp-flowered rush, cuckooflower, brooklime and floating sweet-grass can be found. Cuckooflower is also known as lady’s smock because the pale lilac flowers were thought to resemble little smocks hanging out to dry.

Skylark

Hannah’s Meadow provides nesting sites for a variety of farmland birds include lapwing, redshank, skylark and meadow pipit. Populations of farmland birds in Britain have declined by 40% since the 1970s, and some individual species such as the skylark have declined by much more. This is due to loss of traditional farming methods, and destruction of tussocky grassland sites where the skylark likes to nest. Hannah’s Meadow is an important site for the conservation of this species in County Durham.

Sheep lamb during April/May in the hay meadows, followed by 'muck spreading'. Once the haycrop is cut, the grass is allowed to grow and cows and calves then graze the fog (late grass) in September/October. Sheep are brought back into the meadows to 'run with the tup' in November before the winter rest period. The cycle begins again in the spring.

Hannah’s Meadow

Location

From Barnard Castle follow the B6277 via Lartington and Cotherstone to Romaldkirk, then follow the Balderhead road via Hunderthwaite. The reserve is adjacent to the public road, a quarter of a mile east of the Balderhead reservoir car park.

Parking is restricted to the roadside at the entrance to the reserve.

The Pennine Way footpath runs through the reserve from the public road. Please keep to the footpath as the reserve is actively farmed and very fragile, and keep dogs on a lead to avoid trampling the hay crop.

Grid reference: NY 935185

Facilities

The old barn in the north-west corner of the top meadow has been converted into an un-manned visitor centre containing displays describing the life of Hannah Hauxwell, the importance of the meadows in Teesdale and the work of Durham Wildlife Trust.

The site is at its most beautiful from mid June to July, when the wildflowers are in bloom. After this time the meadows are cut.

Enquiries

Durham Wildlife Trust
Rainton Meadows
Chilton Moor
Houghton-le-Spring
Tyne and Wear
DH4 6PU
Tel: 0191 5843112