Upwood Meadows National Nature Reserve
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Overview
Upwood Meadows NNR consists of three flower-filled fields lying on poorly drained clay on the edge of the Huntingdonshire fens. The largest field, Bentley Meadow, has never been fertilised or sprayed and is therefore the richest in plant and insect life. Designated an NNR for its floral diversity, Upwood’s greatest display is in Bentley Meadow, where medieval ridge-and-furrow and the many anthills provide microhabitats for plants and insects. Plants including cowslip, green-winged orchid, saw-wort, dropwort, sulphur clover and Dyer’s greenweed provide summer-long colour and sources of nectar for the numerous bees and butterflies. The surrounding mature hedgerows and veteran trees provide nesting habitats for birds including turtle dove, blackcap and whitethroat, and food for winter visitors such as fieldfare and redwing. Dew ponds dug in each field originally for watering livestock are now breeding grounds for great crested newts, dragonflies and damselflies.
About the area
To the west of East Anglia is Cambridgeshire, a county best known as the home to the university that makes up the second half of ‘Oxbridge’ (the other half is Oxford). As well as its globally renowned educational credentials, it also has a rich natural history; much of its area is made up of reclaimed or untouched fens.
Nearby places to stay
View all (8)
Caravan & Camping
Huntingdon Boathaven & Caravan Park
- Ice pack facility
- Picnic Area
- Wifi available
- Calor Gas
Nearby places to stay
The Falcons Nest
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The Bell Inn
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The Blue Cow
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