Muston Meadows NNR
The meadows are remarkably rich in plant life, which includes 33 types of grass and over 100 other species of flowering plant.
County: Leicestershire
Main habitats: Lowland Grassland
Area: 41 Ha
Site map: Nature on the Map.
Muston Meadows NNR is Leicestershire's only NNR, and is one of the finest lowland meadows in England.
The reserve is notable for its colony of over 10,000 green-winged orchids.
The meadows contain a wealth of wildlife, including invertebrates, amphibians and birds. The site supports a variety of insects, including many butterflies and moths. Ponds - originally dug to provide water for grazing animals - are now home to dragonflies, frogs and the rare great-crested newt.
Skylarks and meadow pipits build their nests in the long grass, while yellowhammers, linnets and whitethroats nest in hedgerows.
There are large numbers of small mammals such as bank and field voles, and on summer evenings bats can be seen hunting for insects over the site.
The reserve has recently been extended, and 32ha of former arable land is being reverted back into haymeadow using seed collected from the flower rich meadows of the original reserve.
The best time to visit the site is during May, for the green-winged orchids.
Location and access
The reserve is 1 km south of Muston village, 3 km south east of Bottesford and 10 km west of Grantham. The Grantham Canal passes the southern boundary of the reserve close to Longore Bridge.
By car, access to the reserve is via minor roads from the A52. The minor road from Muston to Stenwith (1 km to the east) passes near the eastern boundary of the reserve.
There is a mainline train station in Grantham and a station in Bottesford.
There are bus services from Grantham to Bottesford, along the A52. There is an infrequent service from Bottesford to Muston. See see Lincolnshire County Council's Bus Travel.
Stenwith is on Route 15 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, and close to the Belvoir Ride Link to Route 15.
Please note that this is a fragile site and access is limited to public rights of way.
Facilities
The nearest toilet and refreshment facilities are in local villages.
