Summer may be nearly behind us, but we can still enjoy the spoils of the season. If you’re looking for picturesque walking routes where you can spy multiple species of gorgeous wildflowers along the way, we’ve narrowed down a selection of the best meadows to meander in North Yorkshire:
Muker Meadows, Swaledale.
These 12 upland meadows boast rich biodiversity and are one of the best-loved sites in the county for ramblers and wildlife enthusiasts. Expect to see an array of rare, colourful wildflowers across a range of walking routes for all abilities.
Look out for: Cat’s-ear, Lady’s Mantles, Melancholy Thistle, Pignut, Rough Hawkbit, Sweet Vernal Grass, Wood Crane’s-bill, Yellow Rattle.
Yockenthwaite Meadows, Langstrothdale.
This scenic location in the Yorkshire Dales is ripe with 11.2 hectares of wildflower meadows – perfect for walkers and nature spotters. Popular routes include the Buckenden to Yockenwaithe Loop and the 5k Yockenwaithe and River Wharfe Loop.
Look out for:Autumn Hawkbit, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Common Knapweed, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Orchids, Pignut, Salad Burnet, Wood Crane’s-bill.
Askrigg Bottoms Meadows
Situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park near the River Ure, this stunning site is one of the best places in the county to see vividly coloured wildflowers, especially in early summertime. The most popular walking route is around 1.7 miles, and can be completed within a couple of hours.
Look out for: Great Burnet, Lady’s Mantle, Melancholy Thistle, Ox-eye Daisy, Wood Crane’s-bill.
Ashes Pasture, Ashes Shaw & Bellfield’s Pasture, Ingleborough.
Considered one of the most important limestone landscapes on earth, Ingleborough is home to a variety of colourful wildflowers like no other, with stunning walking routes including the Ingleborough Nature Trail, which snakes from Clapham to Ingleborough Cave.
Look out for: Bird’s-eye Primrose, Holly Fern, Mountain Everlasting, Mountain Pansy, Orchids, Parrot Waxcap Fungi, Purple Saxifrage, Teesdale Violet, Yorkshire Sandwort.
Grassington Meadows, Wharfedale.
Popular with runners, hikers, nature spotters and wildflower enthusiasts, Grassington Meadows offers a range of easy-to-medium walking routes, including a 5.5km meadow stroll, complete with moderate climbs and world-beating views of Barden Moor.
Look out for: Cat’s-ear, Common Knapweed, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Eyebright, Great Burnet, Lady’s Mantle, Meadowsweet, Melancholy Thistle, Ox-eye Daisy, Rough Hawkbit, Sneezewort, Sweet Vernal-grass, Quaking Grass, Water Avens, Wood Anemone, Wood Crane’s-bill.
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