Yellands Meadow Nature Reserve

Yellands Nature Reserve is a traditional Yorkshire Dales hay meadow. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust purchased the reserve in 1983, with the help of the Countryside Commission, the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Hay meadows like this were once common in areas of upper Swaledale and the reserve is one of twelve meadows forming the internationally important ‘Muker Meadows’. A stream fed by springs on the hillside to the south, cuts across the field diagonally to join the River Swale which the reserve lies alongside. The reserve is fairly flat, but above the level of most floods.

The reserve is set in an area of dry-stone walls, stone field barns and cascading waterfalls. Although it is only small, stretching over an area of 1.2 hectares, the reserve represents a fine example of a Dales hay meadow. The grasses of the meadow are varied and interspersed with more colourful flowers such as wood cranesbill, melancholy thistle, bulbous buttercup and clovers. The river and stream are ideal habitats for mayfly and stonefly. Pied flycatcher, redstart, common sandpiper and dipper may also be spotted along with several birds of prey. Many flowers make their home along the hedgerows and stream banks, species include primrose, giant bellflower, marsh marigold, meadowsweet, willowherbs, speedwells and forget-me-nots.

The Trust looks after the meadow traditionally, with light grazing in autumn and early spring. The hay is cut every year in July. The aims are to maintain the extent and quality of the grassland and to conserve the flora and fauna of the meadow we do not use any fertilisers or herbicides. A field barn situated on the reserve’s western boundary contains an owl nest box!

Directions

The reserve is situated about one mile east of Muker in Swaledale. It lies between the River Swale and the B6270 Richmond to Kirkby Stephen road. There is limited parking for about three cars, in a lay-by near the entrance gate on the B6270.