More Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves for a great summer day out 3

Martins' Meadows

Why now?

A tiny reserve of just 4ha (10 acres), the best time of year to visit this hidden gem is before the hay is cut in July, when you can enjoy an outstanding display of wildflowers. Return in late summer for the second bloom, when meadow saffron appears.

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Location: Framlingham IP13 7DF.

Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk.

Wildlife to spot: Early purple orchid, green-winged orchid, pyramidal orchid, field maple, hazel, hawthorn, walnut. Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ martins-meadows

Common

Why now?

Summer is the perfect time of year to admire the unforgettable, timeless prettiness of Mellis Common. In summer, rare plants such as green-winged orchid, sulphur clover and adder’s tongue fern flourish.

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Location: Diss IP23 8DW.

Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk.

Wildlife to spot: Tawny owl, little owl, green-winged orchid, oxeye daisy, quaking grass, peacock butterfly and common blue. Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ melliscommon

The lowdown

Mellis Common is a place unchanged over hundreds of years, right down to the farm houses and cottages. When many commons were enclosed and lost to history, Mellis survived. It is still managed the way it has been for hundreds of years, with traditional hay cutting and grazing. As such, the site is still blossoming with flowers and abundant wildlife. The grasslands are home to many small mammals, which are in turn attractive to barn owls. Several ponds and wet depressions were created when the clay soils were extracted for the building industry, adding to the variety of plant and animal life, and we now regularly record great crested newts.

The lowdown

Traditional, dense hedgerows that have grown for over 100 years enclose this precious nature reserve, with field maple, hazel, hawthorn and spindle all present. The three flower-rich meadows have never been fertilised, sprayed or drained, and so the site supports a wide range of wildflowers. The two orchards are rich with local varieties of fruit and nut trees, including pear, plum, quince, medlar and walnut. The cowslips create a carpet of yellow in spring, with their egg-yolk-yellow, nodding blooms.

Info & maps for all reserves suffolkwildlifetrust.org/naturereserves