The water meadow

The limestone water meadow at Kilnsey Park was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its vast array of wild orchids and other wild flowers and grasses.

Orchids you are likely to see are:

Early Marsh; Narrow - Leaved Marsh; Common Spotted; Twayblade; Early Purple and Fragrant.

During the spring and summer you will see other hybrid wild orchids, noticeable by their vigour and size.   Other flowers worthy of note are the Tormentil and Milkwort.  Wewould like to thank the members of Wharfedale Field Society who visit Kilnsey Park on a very frequent basis during the flowering season and identify the various plants for the benefit of all of our visitors.

We are also very privileged to have been selected by England Nature as a location for the reintroduction of the Lady’s -Slipper Orchid, a species that had been thought to be extinct.  Plants were introduced here in 2007 and flowered for the first time in 2009.  Unfortunately the buds were badly damaged by late frosts in mid-May 2010 and so have not flowered this season. However the plants have survived.