North Meadow, Cricklade: An ancient field where half a million wildflowers create a wall of colour
The spectacular North Meadow, in Cricklade, Wiltshire, is a Secret Britain sight we should all enjoy at least once.


If snake’s head fritillaries bring you joy, then North Meadow at Cricklade is a must.
These nodding flowers — also known as dead men’s bells, bloody warriors, drooping tulips, widow wails and solemn bells of Sodom — create a riot of colour in late spring, when half of million of them cover the ancient hay meadow, Britain’s largest hoard.
Located between the rivers Churn and Thames, it’s prone to flooding, which makes it an ideal habitat for hundreds of wildflowers, including marsh marigolds, pastel-pink cuckoo flowers, ox-eye daisies, knapweed, yellow rattle, buttercups, clouds of creamy meadow-sweet and a multitude of orchids.
You might spot green woodpeckers feeding on anthills, too, as well as strange, carved stones marking ancient hay lots.
See more of Secret Britain.
Kingley Vale, West Sussex: The ancient, twisted yews that are the oldest living things in Britain
Today's Secret Britain spot is a mysterious and magical spot in West Sussex.
The grand plan to re-seed the Cotswolds with endless carpets of wildflowers
Wildflower meadows were once abundant in the Cotswolds, making up 40% of its landscape. Today, it's around 1.5% — but an
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Credit: Alamy
The dog who ate a stuffed crocodile, and other incredible stories from last time we tried to find Britain's naughtiest dog
Naughty dogs come in all shapes and sizes — as do their crimes and misdemeanours.
Annunciata is director of contemporary art gallery TIN MAN ART and an award-winning journalist specialising in art, culture and property. Previously, she was Country Life’s News & Property Editor. Before that, she worked at The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, researched for a historical biographer and co-founded a literary, art and music festival in Oxfordshire. Lancashire-born, she lives in Hampshire with a husband, two daughters and a mischievous pug.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Is it ever okay to throw your dog a birthday party?
Sir Lewis Hamilton did it, so why not throw a birthday party for your canine companion, Sophia Money-Coutts asks.
-
A 500-acre estate that spent 11 centuries in the same family, for sale for only the second time in its history
In the beautiful hills of north Wales the Garthewin estate has come up for sale, including a great country house once restored by the architect who created Portmeirion. Penny Churchill takes a closer look.
-
St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, Heysham: The mythical Lancashire ruins with a heavenly view
Annunciata Elwes takes a look at St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, a Morecambe Bay landmark.
-
Suisnish, Isle of Skye: The atmospheric ruins of a Clearance village
Beauty now reigns in a tragic spot where hundreds of villagers suffered during the Clearance
-
Covehithe beach, Suffolk, where the cliffs crumble like cake
The most eroded beach in Britain has a post-apocalyptic feel.
-
Clydach Ironworks, Monmouthshire: Ruins in the gorge that inspired Shakespeare
An oasis of quiet now stands where the steam hammers thudded at this Welsh ironworks, in a river valley that may have moved Shakespeare to write A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
-
Royston Cave, Hertfordshire: A mysterious site full of sacred energy
Our Secret Britain series continues with a Hertofrdshire cave whose true nature remains unknown.
-
John Bunting War Memorial Chapel, Scotch Corner: The painstaking transformation of rubble to War Memorial
Annunciata Elwes celebrates the effort that turned a derelict house into a memorial.
-
The Garden of Cosmic Speculation: The surreal space where Lewis Carroll and Willy Wonka meet Capability Brown
Surrealism, philosophy, nature and gardening come together at the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, as Annunciata Elwes explains.
-
The Airman’s Grave, Ashdown Forest: A touching and little-known memorial to victims of war and fate
A wartime tragedy in East Sussex's Ashdown Forest is among our Secret Britain picks, as chosen by Annunciata Elwes.