In the wetland areas some of the specialists are aquatic or semi-aquatic plants which used to be common in the marshes around Yatton and Congresbury – for example on Stowey Reserve we have Marsh Marigolds, Yellow Loosestrife and Ragged Robin which up until sixty years ago would have been all over the local pastures. When we bought the field in 2006 there were 13 Marsh Marigold plants. More have been propagated from seed collected from those plants and there are now around 100 growing in the field drains.

Limestone grassland is a Priority Biodiversity Action Plan habitat dwindling because of changes in farming practices. Lime loving plants on the Cadbury Hill grasslands include Rock rose, Creeping thyme, Betony and Lady’s bedstraw. One grassy slope used to have a display of hundreds of common spotted orchids but these have dwindled away over the past decade. It is hoped to see these return with increased management of the bracken that has overwhelmed them. The lower part of the slope does, however, support a good range of wild flowers including cowslips, red campion, self-heal, bugle, betony and knapweed.