Nationally hay meadows are in decline, according to a survey carried out in the 1980s, over 97 per cent of flower rich grasslands have been lost since 1930 and those that remain are decreasing in wildlife value. Northern England was once covered in species rich upland flower meadows and even here it is estimated that only a 1000 ha remain. When a meadow is lost it is not just the flowers that disappear but the hundreds of insects including many species of butterfly and bee that rely on them and even the bats that feed on the insects. Fortunately in this area we have several beautiful meadows that have been protected including the meadows at Yockenthwaite, Colt Park (Ingleborough) and the former Grassington Hospital.
The main reason for decline is changes in farming practice, seeding fields with rye grass, adding fertiliser and producing silage means that grassland becomes more productive and less reliant on the weather allowing farmers to remain profitable. Meadows although beautiful cannot sustain a modern herd. However, the value of meadows in terms of tourism, heritage and as supporters of pollinators and sources of biodiversity has been recognised.
Source: Craven Herald, 22 July 2016
http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/daleslife/14635143.Hay_meadows_are_home_t…
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