Barcroft Hall, Somerset

This is a large private estate in Somerset which has attracted quite a bit of media coverage lately because the owner has created a 2 acre wild flower meadow out of old derelict farm land over the last two years or so. Abandoned buildings have been removed and the land worked on to make it suitable for planting wildflower seeds. This summer and up to the end of August visitors are invited to walk round the field on pathways kept for the purpose to admire this remarkable collection.

I visited last weekend and was surprised to see so many plants still in flower and more so the range of plants. There are some non native plants.
As a visual spectacle it certainly has the wow factor in big measure.

I recommend you visit before it is all over for this year.

Click here for a link. If that doesn't work use this URL:     http://barcrofthall.co.uk

This is the first year for this project and next year may be different and without in any way detracting from this achievement there may be ways in which it can be made even more interesting and wildlife friendly. I should add the conservationist have a wide rang of views on what they consider good practice so my views may not be the only way to go. I think you have to see it for yourself and then we can comment. Bearing in mind that if it wasn't for the private owner there would not be anything except derelict farm buildings to comment on.

For your interest here is a list of some of the flower growing on the field but not necessarily in flower for your visit in August:

Details taken from the Barcroft web site  ( any errors in transcribing the list especially in spelling will be mine!)




Ammobium alatum    Winged everlasting


Brachyscome iberidifolia   Swan River daisy


Calendula arvensis    Calendula


Chrysanthemum carinatum   Chrysanthemum


Cladanthus arabicus   Palm Springs daisy


Clarkia amoena     Farewell to spring


Collinsia bicolor    Chinese houses


Consolida regalis   Forking larkspur


Convolvulus tricolor  Morning glory


Coreopsis basalis      Golden Mane


Coreopsis tinctoria    Plains Coreopsis


Cosmos bipinnatus      Cosmos


Cosmos sulphureus      Sulphur Cosmos


Cynoglossum amabile    Chinese forgrt-me-not


Daucus carota          Wild carrot


Delphinium ajacis      Wild dephinium


Didiscus caerulea      Silver scabious


Echium vulgare         Viper’s bugloss


Eschscholtzia californica    Californian poppy


Gaillardia aristata     Blanket Flower


Gaillardia pulchella    Indian blanket



Gilia capitata       Blue field gilia


Gilia tricolor       Birds eye gilia


Gypsophila muralis     Baby’s breath


Helichrysum monstrosum    Dwarf everlasting flower


Helipterum roseum       Paper flower


Iberis amara         Dwarf candytuft


Iberis umbellata       Candytuft


Delphinium consolida     Larkspur


Lasthenia Californica     California goldfields


Lavatera Trimestris     Rose mallow


Leontodon hispidus      Rough hawkbit


Linaria maroccana      Spurred snapdragon



Linum grandiflorum     Scarlet flax


Linum usitatissimum     Blue flax


Lomas inodora         Yellow ageratum


Nemophila menziesii    Baby blue eyes


Origanum majorana      Origano


Nolana paradoxa        Wild bird


Papaver rhoeas        Poppy


Phacelia Campanularia   Californian bluebell


Phacelia Tanacetifolia   Lacy phacelia


Ratibida columnifera     Prairie coneflowers


Scabiosa columbaria      Scabious


Silene vulgaris      Catchfly



Tolpis barbata      Umbrella milkwort


Ursinia anethoides     Ursinia


Venidium fastuosum    Cape daisy


Viscaria occulta     Blue angel


Agrostemma githago    Corncockle


Chrysanthemum segetum  Corn marigold


Xeranthemum annuum    Everlasting flower


Zinnia elegans     Zinnia


Anthemis Arvensis    Corn Chamomile


Ammi majus      Queen Anne’s lace


Centaurea cyanus    Cornflower


Clarkia unguiculata    Mountain Garland