Trench Meadows SSSI

I often walk around it, rarely through the protected Site of Special Scientific Interest known as Trench Meadows. It lies on the far side of the Coach Road, at the bottom of Shipley Glen. It is an ancient lowland pasture, designated as an 'unimproved species-rich neutral grassland', still maintained by allowing cattle to graze periodically. Judging by the worn path through the middle, other people regularly walk here, though in wet weather it can get rather muddy. Lodepit Beck runs through it, on its way from the small mill dam higher up to the River Aire downstream, and there are other rather boggy areas. 

Every time I do walk through it, I wonder why I don't come this way more often, especially in spring and summer when it is full of wildflowers. 

Mostly at this time of year they seem to be either yellow or purple, like the clovers, thistles and birds foot trefoil in the picture above. I was struggling to identify the plant below. At first I thought it was perhaps an orchid, but even with my amateur eyes I didn't think it quite fitted that label. From my book back home I have identified it as betony - a new one for me. There were lots of them, a wonderful deep, rich purple. 

There are a few lovely old trees around the site and quite a number of oak saplings. 

Along the path I noticed a lot of these cheerful little yellow flowers: tormentil, I think (since it has four petals, not five like the rest of the cinquefoil family.). 

The path rises gently and from the top of the site there's a sweeping view back, with the trees of Hirst Woods quite obvious in the middle ground. Saltaire is tucked around to the left, out of sight. What a lovely walk! I'm glad I did that.