Folly Farm is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) owned by Avon Wildlife Trust; it was originally a “hobby farm” so the gentry could play at farming, but is now a 250 acre nature reserve including wildflower meadows, ancient woodland, scrubland and semi-improved grassland. Four hardy Exmoor ponies are there performing “conservation grazing”, although they were sensible enough to hide in the shady woodland near the stream during our walk.

Tim Curley, the Living Landscapes Manager, gave a very informative guided tour of the farm, enabling us to appreciate the wonderful wildflower meadows full of yellow rattle, common spotted orchid, goatsbeard, birds-foot trefoil, meadow geranium, knapweed and ox-eye daisies amongst many other flowers. These memorial meadows were featured in one of David Attenborough's “Wild Isles” episodes. They are cut every July for hay management, when the wildflower seeds are collected to benefit other farms that are starting these meadows. Hedgerows are left to “bleed” into the fields, so blurring the margins and introducing more plants into the mix.

We discussed the impact of Ash Dieback Disease and its effect on many woodland sites; here the dead and dying trees are left standing (unless they are by a path) so that the dead wood becomes home for birds and invertebrates. When they eventually fall, this creates clearings awaiting natural regeneration over time (ie the “see what comes back” policy!).