Bartonsham Meadows

 I used to buy milk from Bartonsham Dairy occasionally, but I haven't seen it in the shops for a while.

Now I know why.

Someone left a copy of The Flycatcher, the magazine for Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, in the launderette, and it's been quite fascinating to read.  One of the articles is about Bartonsham Meadows, in a loop of the River Wye near Hereford.  The tenants of the farm grazed their cattle on the water meadows, but the tenancy came to an end last year, hence no more Bartonsham Dairy.

The owners of the land, the Church Commissioners, decided to plough the pasture to plant crops.  This was a mistake, as the floods washed away a lot of the topsoil.

The Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, along with the recently formed Friends of Bartonsham Meadows, are trying to come to an agreement to manage the site as a floodplain meadow, with additional orchards and withy beds.  This would help with flood mitigation, carbon sequestration, ecological enhancement, improved river water quality, and a green space for the people of Hereford.  The meadows would be mown for hay in the traditional manner.

It sounds to me like a good use of the land, and I hope they come to an agreement with the Church Commissioners.