About the reserve

The traditional hay meadows at Clarke’s Pool are among the finest in Gloucestershire and in mid-late spring support a population of more than 45,000 green winged orchids (blooming April and May) - a plant that has suffered a dramatic decline elsewhere due to changes in agriculture over the past 60-plus years.

Other wildflowers found here include adder’s-tongue fern, cowslip, bluebell and yellow rattle, while broad hedges and rough margins provide habitats for small mammals like field vole, which in turn attract predators such as barn owls.

The grass is cut for hay in late summer, after which a few later blooming species like meadow saffron appear.

The meadow is named for a small pool along the eastern edge which is hidden by the undergrowth in summer.