Sunday 11 July was our last day. We went first to Snailbeach at SJ373023. It is a disused lead mine with slag heaps that has, eventually, been successfully capped. The derelict area has been made reasonably safe and seeded with a wild flower mix. Ecologically it's a nonesense, but rather nice with lots of families, geneses and species to identify, which is what I did rather than take photos of them.
Splendid general views from Snailbeach, prolly looking at Wales. Not sure if we're in Wales at this point.
Then we drove on, higher and higher to Pennerley Meadows at SO366999 - a triple SI so special that Sue Townsend herself, great boss of Preston Montford said 'keep to the path on pain of my wrath'. Top geezers from Natural England are to visit this site presently. These meadows were used between the world wars by retired and/or redundant miners from the Welsh coalfields. Brenda Harold did not go into the story of them. As it's rather elevated we are looking for moorland flora.
We approach in single file.
And were just overwhelmed. I've never seen a meadow managed in the ancient way before. No one has ever planted this, just cut it once in late summer and then still later put the cattle out to pasture. It's the colours that strike one first - like burnished copper bejeweled. What a privilege we thought to be allowed to walk through such a meadow. As we were in single file, the field lesson was rather limited and botanizing prohibited by space and access with even a group of 8.
Greater butterfly and spotted orchids are identified.
The meadow below the triple SI is not designated. Brenda Harold can see no difference between the two, on botanical grounds.
We leave with full hearts.
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