Hollow Meadow
Guardians of Hollow Meadow CIC is a Community Interest Company founded in September 2023 to protect a Local Wildlife Site called Hollow Meadow, nestled on the borders of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Our aims are to manage the meadow for biodiversity, to secure its long-term future, and to host small courses connected to nature, crafts, and well-being.
The site
Hollow Meadow has been managed for biodiversity since 1990. The three-acre site comprises roughly one acre of floodplain and a steep, south-facing bank making up the rest. The bank transitions from alkaline soil conditions in the east to acidic conditions in the west. The shift is abrupt and gives rise to a wonderfully varied plant community. Rock roses favour the eastern end, while harebells thrive on the west.
The less steep western end of the site is home to a mobile open field shelter, storage shed, and eco-loo, funded by a Lottery Grant.
Grazing management has evolved over the years — from goats, to Soay sheep, to the current mix of two Soay sheep and two Cotswold x Teeswater sheep.
Our Story
The first two years of the CIC were busy ones — establishing health and safety procedures, setting up privacy arrangements for our email contacts, planning small group workshops, and putting in place a reliable maintenance and coordination system for the site.
Our steering group is currently four strong: John C (finance), Andrew Y (farmer and builder), Diane A (project manager), and Maggie K (previous owner and on-site manager), supported by a wonderful team of volunteers. (Motto: There’s always cake!)
We’ve been fortunate in securing several grants, including combined funding from Natural Networks and the Severn Rivers Trust for biodiversity enhancement work, a Lottery Grant for the shelter and eco-loo, and a Coronation Orchards Grant.
Now in our third year, we host small group day courses monthly between April and September — see News & Events for details.
Guardians of Hollow Meadow 