Mottey Meadows National Nature Reserve comprises a series of alluvial flood meadows which have been manages as hay meadows for many centuries.
Mottey Meadows is one of the best examples in the UK of wildflower rich floodplain meadows. The Reserve is made up of a series of alluvial flood meadows which have been managed as hay meadows for many centuries. The Reserve’s grassland supports over 240 species of flowering plants and grasses. Common meadow rue, yellow flag iris and water mint may be seen in the ditches and in the wetter meadows you will find cuckoo flower and marsh marigold. In 1794, the botanist William Pitt discovered snakes head fritillary at Mottey Meadows. This plant is found in only a handful of sites in the UK. These wildflowers put on a spectacular display color in spring / early summer and the meadows are a haven for insects and breeding birds including Snipe, Curlew and Lapwing.
