National Nature Reserve

I was determined to visit the Natural England NNR near Gilsland today. It's a wonderful site by the River Irthing described as "one of the finest examples of traditionally managed meadow systems found in northern Britain". I thought I might be too late for some of the orchids but the recent inclement weather means that some are late. The small white orchid flowers here - very rare - and I saw one plant today.

This is a frog orchid. Last year I found only a few, but today they were flowering in profusion.

It's a very calm place to visit. You have to walk very slowly and carefully so that you avoid destroying rare plants with your boots. Then you are looking to see an amazing array or wildflowers. Today's list included ragged robin, globe flowers, fragrant orchids, heath spotted orchids, twayblade, yellow rattle, quaking grass, lungwort, eyebright (a particularly large one), meadowsweet, meadow cranesbill, numerous grasses and sedges in flower right now.

There is only one problem: as soon as the rain stops the insects start biting!