Meadow

Swallowtail Hill, Beckley

Peoples Meadow

a passion that is constantly rewarding

- Sarah Broadbent, Owner

Swallowtail Hill is a family run farm in the Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 40 acres of wildflower meadow and woodland are managed purely for conservation and this has become a beacon site for biodiversity, managed under Higher Level Environmental Stewardship.

The owners offer unique glamping holidays where guests can enjoy the landscape they have created. A Forest School is run regularly on the farm and they frequently host school trips and special interest groups who want to learn about conservation and wildflower meadows. The meadows are accessible to the public by invitation / booking only.

Owned by

Mrs and Mrs Broadbent - Swallowtail Hill

Species to spot



  • Common spotted-orchid

    Best time to see: June - July

    Our most common orchid enlivens many places, particularly chalk and limestone downs. Its flowers can vary from deep to light pink and the leaves are marked with spots. 

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  • Oxeye daisy

    Best time to see: June - Aug.

    Large and daisy-like, the oxeye tends to bloom around midsummer and in fact is called the Sunnwendbleaml - or 'solstice flower' - in Austria. Before the 16th century it was known as the 'Moon Daisy' or 'Dog Daisy'.
     

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  • Dyer’s greenweed

    Best time to see: June - August

    A low-lying member of the pea family. As its name suggests, this flower has been used to make yellow dye since ancent times and combined with woad produces a superb green hue.

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  • Barn owl

    Best time to see: All year.

    Its silent flight and piercing screech have earnt it names like 'ghost owl' and 'death owl'. Able to hunt both night and day its heart-shaped face directs high-frequency sounds, helping it to find its prey. Image © Les Binns.

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  • Small blue butterfly

    Best time to see: May - June

    Our smallest native butterfly isn't actually especialy blue, despite its name with its upper wings being mainly dark brown. Its caterpillars feed on kidney vetch. Image © Harald Süpfle/CC BY-SA

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