Sweetings Meadow Map Ref; TL632285
Public transport; none available
Dogs allowed if under effective control. Please clean up after your dog.
Access; Accessible at all times
Directions; Take the lane to Lindsell from the B184 just south of Thaxted. The entrance is on the west side of the lane at Holders Green. Park carefully on the opposite road verge.
Description;
This is a small 1.6 acre wildflower meadow with fruit trees, with a wide variety of meadow flowers and a collection of traditional Apple varieties.
What to see;
In Spring look for Cowslip and Early Purple Orchid. In summer the meadow has a large display of Pyramidal Orchid, with Common Spotted Orchid, Bee Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid and Twayblade orchid.
The roadside hedge provides nesting places for Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and Garden Warbler as well as many other species. Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Turtle Dove, Fieldfare and Redwing have also been recorded here.
Twenty one species of butterflies and moths have been recorded including Essex Skipper and Poplar Hawk Moth. Harvest Mice breed on the reserve and Great Crested Newts are in the pond along with damselflies and dragonflies.
Spring brings the Apple blossom, and eventually a good year brings the fruit, with a collection of traditional varieties of fruit trees, which are shown in the diagram.
Below is a collection of photos to show the changes in the reserve through the seasons from different viewpoints
Click on the first photo in each group to open the series
1 – the view across the meadow
2 – Another view over the meadow
3 – A view towards the fruit trees
4 – the Meadow and Trees
5 – the view towards the entrance
6 – The Pond
