Festive News 2017 | Page 42

PAGE 42 • FESTIVE NEWS • DECEMBER 2016 HEREFORD’S SPECIAL HAVENS Hereford, a small rural city surrounded by stunning countryside is doubly blessed by having two wildlife havens within its boundaries - the relatively new Drover’s Wood and Lugg Meadows, the largest surviving Lammas Meadow in the country. Named after the path once used by drovers to walk cattle and sheep from Wales to London, the three hectare wood off King’s Acre Road, opposite the Bay Horse Inn was planted by the Woodland Trust in 2001 on land donated by Gillian Bulmer. It has a wide range of native broadleaf species, natural hedgerows and even a few ancient oaks. It is easily accessible via a network of public footpaths. On the other side of town is the Lugg Meadow, a 330 acre flood plain of the River Liugg with a connection dating back to the Bronze Age. Cared for by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, the land is grazed by Commoner’s livestock until Candlemas on February 1 when the land reverts to private owners and between Candlemas and Lammas Day on August 1, the owners can take a cut of hay from their strips and parcels of land, marked by dole stones, a method dating back to the Bronze Age and still practiced on the meadow today. There are 90 of the dole stones still standing. In spring and summer the meadow is filled with a wonderful array of wildflowers, especially the delicate, jewel-like snake’s head fritillaries flowering April to May many of them white which is a rare sight. Lady’s Smock flowers prolifically in early summer before the meadow is smothered in swathes of golden buttercups. Orange tip butterflies are seen from April while banded demoiselle damselflies fly near the river banks, The Curlew is an early Spring visitor and if you are lucky you will spot an otter in the Lugg Units 6 & 7, Beech Business Park, Tillington Road, Hereford HR4 9QJ Tel/Fax: [phone] Mobile: [phone] Email: [email protected] www.christines-catering.co.uk Top: The Lugg meadows and river. Below: A rare snakes head Fritillary on the meadow Right: Rare flora and fauna in Drovers Wood. HEREFORDSHIRE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES LTD Supply, Installation & Service of all types of Fire Extinguishers & Safety Signs S&P Roofing Contractors Hereford Herefordshire FIRE ALARM SERVICES Supply, Installation & Maintenance of Fire Alarm Systems, Emergency Lighting & Nursecall Systems  Herefordshire Fire Alarm systems Ltd FLAT ROOF INSULATION  FLAT ROOFS  LEAD AND COPPER  GREEN ROOFS Unit 12 Mortimer Trading Centre, Mortimer Road Herefordshire HR4 9SP Tel: [phone] (option2) Unit 12 Mortimer Trading Centre Mortimer Road, Hereford. Herefordshire HR4 9SP Fully insured and all work guaranteed Email: [email protected] Telephone: [phone] Tel: [phone] Web: www.herefordshirealarms.co.uk Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.hfpsltd.co.uk www.sp-roofing.co.uk