At Marston Hamm, on the banks of the River Cherwell, we own five fields with a long agricultural history. In the early 1600s arable crops were grown on the higher land here, edged with floodplain meadows on the riverside. After the disruption of the Civil War in the 1640s, the arable system broke down and the fields were used for hay for over 400 years.

We’re working to restore these meadows, home to plants like Great Burnet, Birdsfoot Trefoil and Meadow Foxtail. Using traditional methods of management, including summer hay cuts and aftermath grazing, we’ll encourage them to flourish.

We visited recently with ecologist Dr Judy Webb, who has walked and surveyed these fields for decades. Huge thanks to Judy for sharing her knowledge and insight with us, our Trustees and members of our Green Spaces Committee. It’s exciting to know that we can work with her and other experts to safeguard the future of these beautiful – and rare - habitats.