NATIONAL Trust places across the county will be joining Cumbrian and UK-wide partners to celebrate National Meadows Day on Saturday July 1.

Hay meadows have declined to such an extent that action is needed to stem their complete loss from the UK’s countryside.

The Trust has been working with its tenant farmers to restore hay meadows, visitors have the chance to see them at a number of events to mark the occasion.

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Events include a guided flower walk at Langdale every Wednesday in July, and on the day there will be scything demonstrations at Sticklebarn, guided walks Hill Top, where Beatrix Potter worked in the meadows, and flower meadow workshops at Fell Foot on the banks of Windermere.

Hay meadows are vital habitats for wildlife with an area of five acres typically being home to more than a tonne of insect life. The long grassland also provides valuable cover for nesting birds like the endangered curlew as well as mammals including brown hares.

Graham Jackson-Pitt, Conservation Officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust who has worked in partnership with the National Trust on Cumbria’s Hay meadow project, said: "Cumbria has some of the country’s best meadows and we’re continuing to work with the National Trust and other organisations across the county to restore and promote what is not just a valuable habitat but also part of our farming heritage.

"National Meadows Day is a great way to spread the message of why these meadows are so important and help ensure they maintain their place in our landscape."