Orton's Verges

Are rather special. Before we went into the Yorkshire Dales National Park they were protected as SSSI's - and its easy to see why.
I'm so lucky to be able to wander out along the lanes - and in every direction the grass verges are between 10 and 20 foot wide - and brimming with increasingly rare wildflowers - a throwback to the once rich hay meadows - before the arrival of the sheep of biodiversity doom.

This blip was taken in the only lull in the torrential rain - so isn't the best - but stood 100metres from our little stone circle I counted more than 12* species of wildflower in a square meter - apparently over 200 have been recorded in the parish.

*Northern Marsh Orchid, Meadow Buttercup, Water Avens, Yellow Rattle, Twayblade, Eyebright, Cranesbill, Ladies Mantle, Bugle, Equisetum, Red Campion, Cuckoo Flower - I know I missed as many more.