Hawks Meadow occupies a peaceful corner of Somerset just outside the village of Clandown, which is a short drive from both Bath and Bristol. The meadow has an agricultural history formerly as a part of Bowlditch Farm, where it has been cut for hay and grazed by livestock in recent years. It now offers those interested in woodland creation and conservation work the canvas upon which they can bring their vision to life.

Much of the UK landscape is constituted of pasture land. In fact, there is more land used for grazing cattle and sheep in the UK than there is for any other land use (such as cereals, urban centres, woodland, inland water etc). Whilst livestock farming will always have a place in our food economy, there is no shortage of this type of land and it is ideally suited to diversification and woodland creation. Converting undiversified grasslands into wildflower meadows and young woodland has a transformative effect on the landscape in terms of habitats for wildlife, air quality and visual amenity whilst also sequestering carbon into the ground which is essential in our collective battle against climate change. Since grazing on the land has ceased, poppies and other wildflowers have begun to appear around the perimeter.

The land itself is south facing thanks to a gentle gradient which runs from its northern boundary down to the access track at its southern edge. The most elevated section to the north affords terrific views, most notably to the South and West, with rolling hills framing the horizon. There is a small section of hardstanding at the meadow’s entrance on the southern boundary where a vehicle can be parked. From here, the land stretches upwards in a northerly direction in a broadly rectangular shape.

The boundaries are formed by a combination of stakes and mature hedgerows which are interspersed with mature broadleaved trees. These provide vital habitats for wildlife as well as seeds for natural regeneration. An active badger set in a nearby field, along with the deer and hares which are spotted regularly makes this area a real haven for wildlife. In terms of conservation, either a rewilding or an active tree planting approach could be adopted, or a combination of the two. There is plenty of assistance available through grant schemes for those looking to plant saplings which usually cover the cost of all of the stock. The aspect and ground conditions are ideal for trees which will establish well in this location. There is real potential for a charming new woodland.

The meadow will appeal to those who are looking for an escape from the rhythms of everyday life and the opportunity to develop a project which could be left to the benefit of generations to come.

In terms of finding the meadow, the main gate can be found on the right hand side of Broadway Lane, just north of the junction of Broadway Land and Water Lane where a large for sale sign stands on the verge. Please park on the splay diagonally across from the sign (just up Broadway lane) and carefully climb the gate before heading straight down the access track for around 25m. The entrance to Hawks Meadow will be on your left hand side.