British meadows

Britain's meadows are at their most beautiful in spring and summer when they brim with wildflowers, pollinating insects and birdlife. We take a look at some of the best wildflower meadow walks and days out in the UK.

Visit a Welsh meadow, where wild orchids and golden buttercups grow amid graceful quaking grass on centuries-old farmland, high above the River Wye

Did you know there is a rare species of orchid that looks like a tiny person? Explores a characterful Cambridgeshire reserve in search of this floral spring delight – and many more

Take a twilight walk through a little-known meadow in Wales, where orchids rise and bloom alongside great burnet, star sedge and swathes of yellow rattle

Scotland’s Western Isles are a hotspot for the rare grassland habitat called machair, and one of the best examples can be found on the island of South Uist

Delve into the complex, magical and deeply fragile world of meadows with a visit to one of Britain’s most impressive examples, hidden away in a quiet corner of the Dorset countryside

An abundant, wildlife-rich nature reserve larger than the Lake District – this could be the future for Britain’s roadside verges. As our handy guide to road verges explains, all we need to do is mow them at the right time.

A splash of colour can always be found in the British countryside thanks to the wildflowers growing across meadows, coastal cliffs and wet habitats. Our expert guide on how to identify, when to see and where to find them

Rare hay meadow species, including field voles, painted lady butterflies, barn and tawny owls, are thriving once again on land previously owned by Beatrix Potter in the Lake District.