Here, you can explore over 30 acres of wildlife habitat. Our riverside water meadows lie behind our Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, overlooked by Norton Camp, our neighbouring hill fort. The Onny Meadows’ surfaced paths provide access to the fields and pools. The hard-packed, generally level, surfaced paths provide a half-mile (700m) circuit around part of the meadows and numerous unsurfaced trails enable further exploration, although in very wet weather the paths can be boggy in places.
A mix of wild flower meadows, orchard, ponds, river and woodland await with a wealth of wildlife to be enjoyed. Along the river, egrets and kingfisher hunt while the ponds abound with damsel and dragonflies. The meadows are a riot of colour in the summer months and buzzing with insects.
The Onny Meadows are home to the Craven Arms Community Gardens. They are located on the N.E. edge of our meadows and there are more than 60 plots for local residents to garden at a nominal fee. If you’re interested in taking on a plot to grow your own fruit and vegetables, you can visit their website.
What's new to see?
Our exciting new shallow scrape and hide, at the end of an all-accessible path will offer a quiet place to observe a variety of wildlife.
An all-accessible platform allows for good views over one of our ponds and at our popular visitor spot, Kingfisher Corner, you can enjoy your lunch next to a slow meander of the River Onny.
With thanks to the Botanical Society, we now have a list that comprises over 150 plant species in our meadows, you can see the list here and for those with an interest in invertebrates more than 400 species have been recorded. A thank you to the Joy of Wildlife Group and other volunteers.
There is a range of wild play equipment spaced around the paths for all the family to enjoy and explore.
Points to note
Please note that whilst we make every effort to ensure that our paths provide suitable access for wheelchair users, we can’t guarantee that the surface will always be smooth enough to allow access for everyone. If you are unsure about access, please call the Centre prior to your visit and we will be happy to advise you.
Well behaved dogs are welcome in the meadows. At this time, only guide dogs are allowed in the Centre.
