Brighten up your day
If you need some colour to brighten up your day, then Springdale Farm is the perfect place to be. The hay meadows here explode into colour in the summer months as an extravaganza of wildflowers burst into bloom. From the yellows of Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Tormentil through to the pinks and purples of Common Spotted Orchid and Common Milkwort, there’s an abundance of species of wildflowers to appreciate.
A circular footpath takes you through the grazing pastures, with their stunning views of the Usk Valley, to wander among the hay meadows and then on into the ancient woodland where birds like Pied Flycatchers and Chiffchaffs will be busy feeding their families.
A blue-eyed beauty
June is the best time to see a rather special plant, Blue-eyed Grass. Not actually a grass but a member of the Iris family, its delicate blue petals only open in bright sunshine. Look out for it in the wetter corners of the meadows.
A flutter with butterflies
It’s not just the wildflowers that put on a colourful display during the summer. Attracted by the nectar-rich flowers, butterflies like Common Blue, Marbled White and Meadow Brown fill the meadows whilst Brown-banded Carder Bees and Red-tailed Bumblebees provide the soundtrack for long lazy summer days.
Working for nature
Springdale Farm was created by Gwent Wildlife Trust when, thanks to our supporters, we were able to buy two separate farms and join them together. We still farm the land but we use traditional methods that protect and enhance the features that make the reserve so special for nature. By cutting the hay meadows late in the summer and using cattle to graze the land we keep the abundance and diversity of wildflowers that are sadly missing from more intensively-farmed land. We coppice the woodland to create a diverse habitat that can support many kinds of birds, animals and plants, and have planted a small orchard with traditional plum and apple varieties.
