Hallow Fields Nature Reserve
About the nature reserve
Hallow Fields is 18.45ha of land in the floodplain of the River Severn at Grimley. With the help of volunteers from the RSPB Worcester and Malvern Local Group a project has begun to restore Hallow Fields to a nature reserve.
With native broadleaved woodland, orchard, wetland and traditional floodplain meadow being restored on site, there is plenty to see on your visit. Our vision is that Hallow Fields will be a biodiverse mosaic of habitats, supporting rare species, as well as being a place of quiet enjoyment for the local community.
Hallow Fields is managed with the support of the fantastic volunteers from the RSPB Worcester and Malvern Local Group. Please see our volunteering section below to find out more about how to get involved.
How to find it
Hallow Fields, Camp Lane, Grimley, Worcester, WR2 6LX.
Main entrance gate:OS map reference: SO833590
What3words: ///axed.pines.topic
The site is best accessed on foot from Camp Lane, or from Hallow Village on the footpaths from Greenhill Lane or Church Lane, but please note that there is very limited parking available.
What to know before you go
Parking Information
There is no parking at Hallow Fields.
Please note: Camp Lane is a private single-track lane with passing places. Hallow Fields is NOT accessible by car from Greenhill Lane.
Grazing animals
Yes. Cattle and sheep graze here intermittently. Please look out for signs informing you of where grazing animals are and keep your dogs on a lead.
When to visit
Opening times
Open access 24 hours via the public rights of way.
Please be aware that in the winter the nature reserve can flood so please check for flood alerts before you travel.
About the reserve
The History of Hallow Fields
Historically Hallow Fields was a floodplain meadow; with its fertile soils allowing abundant hay production and grazing with animals. Floodplain meadows were once considered very valuable and were the most common use of land on lowland river floodplains. However, they have been disappearing from our landscape and it’s likely that the UK has now lost over 97% of its species-rich grasslands, making them amongst our rarest habitats.
Recognising its value, Hallow Fields was managed as a nature reserve by a previous owner Gerald Coates who called it ‘GGG - God’s Glorious Garden’. Gerald planted 2,000 native and non-native trees and created some long ponds through the middle of the site. After this, Hallow Fields was ploughed and used for crops until 2020 when the council purchased the land.
Restoration of Hallow Fields
From bare soil to wildflower meadow.
Hallow Fields has been re-seeded and is now managed with hay cuts and grazing, to allow floodplain meadow plant communities to establish. There are new scrapes and pools on site to provide habitat for insects and wetland bird species.
An orchard has been planted with local varieties of apples, damsons, plums and gages, which will provide food for birds (and people!) and will be managed to encourage deadwood and features for rare insects that need old orchard habitat. Miles of new native hedgerows have been introduced to reduce the impacts of flooding by acting as natural barriers and slowing surface water runoff, along with rare Black poplar trees along the river bank.
Volunteers are monitoring the different species on site, from birds to bees. In the marshy areas there are cuckoo and snipe, reed and cetti’s warblers sing from the scrub, and sand martins wheel overhead. In the meadows, wildflowers such as lady’s bedstraw, black knapweed, and agrimony have been recorded, and we are encouraging more to spread.
Over 140 different species of butterflies and moths at can be found at Hallow Fields, and as we continue to monitor the wildlife on the nature reserve, we aim to see more.