Leyburn Old Glebe facts for kids
Leyburn Old Glebe Nature Reserve is a special place for nature. It is a nature reserve and also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it is protected by law because of its important plants and animals. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust looks after this amazing area.
The reserve is found about 440 yards (400 m) east of Wensley village. It is also about 0.6 miles (1 km) southwest of Leyburn. This beautiful spot is a 3-hectare hay meadow. It sits on a sunny, south-facing hill and looks out over the River Ure.
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What Makes Leyburn Old Glebe Special?
Leyburn Old Glebe is one of the best "unimproved" meadows left in the Yorkshire Dales. An unimproved meadow is one that has not been changed by modern farming. This means it has not had chemical fertilizers added. It also has not been ploughed or reseeded. This allows many different kinds of wild flowers to grow naturally.
Why Meadows Are Important
Meadows like this are very rare now. Over the last 100 years, Britain has lost most of its meadows. It is thought that 97% of them have disappeared since the 1930s. This happened mostly because of intense farming methods. Places like Leyburn Old Glebe are vital for many plant species to survive. They provide a safe home for rare and unusual flowers.
How the Meadow is Cared For
To keep the meadow healthy, it needs special care each year. After the flowers have made their seeds, the grass is cut for hay in autumn. A small number of sheep also graze there. This helps stop the area from becoming overgrown. It also helps new plants grow the next spring.
Protecting Rare Plants
Many unusual and delicate flowers grow at Leyburn Old Glebe. To help protect these plants, visitors are asked to stay on the edges of the meadow. This stops rare or fragile plants from being accidentally damaged.
Animals You Might See
Leyburn Old Glebe is also home to various animals. If you visit quietly, you might spot some of these creatures:
- Small skipper butterfly
- Yellowhammer (a type of bird)
- Stoat (a small mammal)
What Does 'Glebe' Mean?
The word "glebe" has an interesting history. It means land that was given to a local priest. This land helped the priest earn money. The word comes from the Latin word "gleba." This Latin word means "clod," "soil," or "land." Leyburn Old Glebe was owned by a local church until 1983.
