Lockdown Wildflower Meadow

John Harker, Area Officer Sheffield

This article is from Signpost 65, Autumn 2020

This photograph is of a wildflower meadow adjacent to the allotment that my partner and I have, not far from home in Sheffield. It shows a view across the city centre to distant hills on the edge of the Peak District NP. The site is part of what was, until the 1920s, Manor Oaks Farm when most of its land was taken to build "homes fit for heroes". Further back than that it was part of the Lord of the Manor's deer park. Mary Queen of Scots was kept at Manor Lodge about 5 minutes walk up the road from the site.

During the lockdown, we have spent much time here toiling and watching the swifts flying overhead. It's thought that the wildflower meadow has never been ploughed or fertilised chemically. A permissive trail around the meadow is planned, a bit like a maze. Nearby, one of the ex farm buildings is an award winning cafe, "The Rhubarb Shed". It was voted number one cafe in Sheffield on TripAdvisor where its current opening hours can be found. A great place to retire to after a morning shift on the allotment.

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