Come and explore the snail labyrinth at Fivehead Meadow

This blog was written by Nick - residential volunteer at RSPB West Sedgemoor, Swell Wood and Greylake.

It looks like we’re in for a weekend of lovely sunny weather and what better way to enjoy it than by exploring our newly created snail labyrinth at Fivehead Meadow. The meadow can be accessed from RSPB Swell Wood, just leave your car in the car park (there is also a bus stop nearby, see our website for details) and follow the signs to Fivehead Meadow. The one mile trail leads you through ancient woodland with species like goldcrest and spotted flycatcher flitting through the trees above you, before opening out at the spectacular and secluded Fivehead Meadow.

The Fivehead Meadow snail labyrinth. Photo by Damon Bridge. 

This is what’s known as ‘unimproved grassland,’ which means it is one of the very rare examples of grassland which has escaped the agricultural intensification of the 20^th century. During this time, as much as 97% of the UK’s wildflower meadows were lost, either through the adding of great quantities of fertiliser, which causes vigorous grass species to out-compete wildflowers. Or ploughed up altogether and reseeded with thick, fast-growing grasses from continental Europe.

Betony in flower. 

The difference this makes to the abundance of life is immediately obvious when you enter a place like this. You’re immediately greeted by a vibrant hum of insect life, with crickets and grasshoppers bouncing to the side as you walk. Keep an eye out for the great green bush cricket, our largest species of cricket, which can grow to a whopping 7cm! Butterflies also abound, with marbled white, meadow brown and silver washed fritillary dancing above the wildflowers.  

Marbled white.

The wildflowers themselves are spectacular, with species like betony and lady's bedstraw being in their prime right now. Also keep an eye out for knapweed, birds foot trefoil and dyer’s greenweed, once prized for its role in producing green dye. And don’t overlook the rattling seed heads of yellow rattle, an important plant in wildflower meadows, as a semi-parasite of grasses, benefitting the biodiversity meadows are known for.

Common knapweed.

This labyrinth will allow visitors to get right amongst it all, without the risk of damaging the precious ecosystem. So why not come down this weekend? I can think of no better way to enjoy the sunshine.

Click this link for details. 

All photos by Nick unless stated otherwise.