Grid Ref: SP 173209 | Area: 66 Hectares | Volunteer Here
Greystones Farm Nature Reserve is tucked away to the east of Bourton-on –the-Water in the North Cotswolds and is a short walk from the town centre.
The Trust has owned the whole of the farm since 2002 setting about a major project managing the important existing grassland habitats and restoring and improving other habitats, landscape features and farming infrastructure.
In partnership with a local farmer, Greystones is a cattle farm managed along organic principals with grazing, silage and hay cutting making up the principle farming system.
The farm is home to the whole of the Salmonsbury Meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest which covers 18ha at the north of the farm and is designated for its species rich unimproved neutral meadows and includes a 1km section of the River Eye.
The meadows are one of the richest and largest examples of this habitat in the Cotswolds with uncommon plants such as southern marsh orchid and early marsh orchid. They are at their best between June and mid-July with a wide range of flowering plants that like these damp meadows such as meadow sweet and great burnet.
The neighbouring fields to the south of the SSSI are currently being restored to species rich grasslands, having been agriculturally improved with fertilizers in the past, creating conditions that the wild flowers get out-competed in. The restoration area and SSSI are locally known as the “Moors”, with the field and hedge layout being the original arrangement when the area was divided up under the Enclosure Acts.
At the south of the farm is Salmonsbury Camp Scheduled Ancient Monument, covering an area of 27ha. The remains of ramparts are still visible, these once formed part of a fortified Iron Age town dating from the late Iron Age and later used by the Romans. However the human use of the site can be traced back to the Neolithic with evidence of a causewayed enclosure taking activity at Greystones back 5000 years.
How to get there
At the traffic lights, approximately 3 miles south of Stow-on-the-Wold on the A429 Fosse Way, turn to Bourton-on-the-Water on Station Road. Follow Station Road for approximately half a mile and go round right hand bend. There is no visitor parking at the farm.Park in the Staion Road public car park (pay + display) on your right behind the garage.
From the car park, Greystones Farm is a 5 minute walk. Cross Station Road and turn left along the pavement. Turn right shortly onto the narrow lane between two houses (marked with a 'no through road' sign). Turn immediately left on to Greystones Lane (signposted private road).
For those with limited mobility, please phone the Trust for information.
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