Merry's Meadows

Merry’s Meadows is a 12.4-hectare nature reserve west of Stretton in Rutland. It lies on boulder clay and shows the ridge-and-furrow pattern of old meadows. The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust manages the site, which is also a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest under the name Greetham Meadows. The meadow is the only known spot in the county for the frog orchid. Several ponds dot the grassland, adding to the variety of habitats. The frog orchid is the reserve’s most unusual plant, but the grass layer is equally distinctive. Crested dog’s-tail, sweet vernal-grass, upright brome, downy oat-grass and quaking grass grow here. The meadow’s soil and damp hollows support a range of wildflowers and insects. Visitors can walk the single footpath that leads from the Viking Way to the meadow’s entrance. The path runs for 400 metres along the left side of a hedge before crossing to the right side near the gate. It offers a quiet walk through farmland to the reserve’s edge. From the entrance the open meadow stretches out, framed by hedges and distant views. The ponds lie scattered across the grass, reflecting the sky on still days.