Shropshire Hills Hay Meadow Festival

Celebrating flower-rich hay meadows... join us for a fun filled family day 

have a go activities, competitions, guided nature walks, music, storytelling, family activities, craft demos, talks, face painting, bouncy castle, refreshments, bbq & bar 

Tickets available to buy from the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre:

• In advance: £7.00 adults; £3.00 children; £17.00 family
• On the day: £8.00 adults; £4.00 children; £20.00 family
• Under 5’s free

Programme includes:

Have a go scything & competitions - try your hand at scything or show your strength in the hay bale lobbing or hayrick building competitions

• 11-1pm have a go at scything and competition heats
• 1.30-2pm scythe v brushcutter race
• from 2pm team and individual scything races
• 3.30 - 4pm hay race
• bale tossing (final 5pm)

Demos and childrens activities including willow weaving, peg loom weaving, oak gall ink making, basket weaving, roll your own candle, make a seed bomb, pinch pots, face painting and bouncy castle

Information stalls including Marches Meadow Group, Rare Breeds Society, Buglife, Natural England, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, CPRE Shropshire, Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership, Our Upland Commons, Curlew Country...

Guided nature walks - gentle walks through the meadow to discover more about the plants and animals that call it home

• 11.30am, River Dipping
• 12.30pm, Flower Walk
• 1.30pm, Meadow Grasses
• 2.30pm, Dragonflies
• 3.30pm, Grasshoppers & Crickets

In the Talk Tent - experts are on hand with top tips for making your garden more wildlife friendly, and to advise on restoring and managing larger areas as traditional hay meadows.

• 11.30am, Alison’s Bee Class
• 12.30pm, The importance of meadows for invertebrates
• 1.30pm, Making and Managing a Meadow
• 2.30pm, Mini Meadows for the Wildlife Garden
• 3.30pm, Curlew Country - reversing the decline of our local curlew population

(times may vary)