Leyburn Old Glebe

Leyburn Old Glebe Nature Reserve lies in North Yorkshire’s rolling countryside, a short walk east of Wensley village and just under a kilometre southwest of Leyburn. The reserve covers three hectares of traditionally managed hay meadow on a gentle south-facing slope. It overlooks the River Ure, adding a quiet riverine soundtrack to the scene. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust looks after the site as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. After summer flowers set seed, an autumn hay cut and light sheep grazing keep the meadow in good order. The meadow is one of the last well-preserved unimproved grasslands in the Yorkshire Dales. Britain has lost most of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s, with an estimated ninety-seven per cent destroyed. Such remaining patches are vital for many rare plants. Visitors are asked to walk only along the edges so delicate species are not trampled. Among the unusual flowers that appear each year are globe flowers, melancholy thistles and adder’s-tongue ferns. Small skipper butterflies drift over the grasses on sunny days. Yellowhammers perch on fence posts and sing their simple song. Stoats hunt along the hedgerows, their sleek shapes flashing between tussocks. The name ‘glebe’ recalls the land once granted to the local priest for his income. The reserve stayed in church hands until 1983, when it passed to wildlife conservation. Today it offers a small but precious glimpse of a vanishing countryside landscape.