Bowber Head Farm

This traditional small-holding is home to one of the rarest and most threatened wildlife habitats in Cumbria: northern upland hay meadows.

Location

Ravenstonedale

Kirkby Stephen

Cumbria

CA17 4NL

OS Map Reference

OS Map Reference: 1:50,000. Sheet no: 91
Grid reference: NY 740 032

Getting here
By car:
From the A683 Kirkby Stephen to Sedbergh road, take the small road (signposted camping) at Crooks Beck, 1km/0.7 miles north of the Fat Lamb pub and 4.3km/2.7 miles south of the A685 junction. Continue for 350m and park on the right-hand verge or in the yard.

By bicycle:
The nature reserve is 8km/5 miles from National Route 70 Walney to Wear (W2W).

By public transport:
There is a limited bus service from Kendal, Sedbergh and Brough to Kirkby Stephen. The nearest railway station is at Kirkby Stephen West on the Settle to Carlisle line.

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Know before you go

Size

35 hectares

Entry fee

All donations gratefully received

Parking information

Parking is on roadside verges (& possibly the farmyard), which will be signed on site during events. There aren’t specific car park spaces for accessible parking.

Bicycle parking

Grazing animals

Cattle grazing at times

Access

Currently, access to the farm and meadows is via the existing public right of way and from surrounding lanes. If using the public right of way, please stick to the defined path to avoid trampling the crop.

There are a number of wall stiles at various points along the public right of way. The terrain is generally level with some slopes and can be uneven.

There are no toilets at this nature reserve, however, during events the adjacent caravan park's toilets are available.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open all year round

Best time to visit

May to July

About the reserve

Wildlife highlights:

In summer - swathes of pink, purple, yellow and white flowers bloom in the meadows.
Also in summer - the meadows are alive with the buzz and flutter of pollinating insects.

What makes Bowber Head Farm so special?

This traditional small-holding lies within the picturesque setting of the Westmorland Dales. It has been farmed in its current layout for over 400 years and is home to a series of internationally important flower-rich hay meadows.

Not only are they beautiful, they are incredibly important as only 900 hectares of these upland hay meadows survive across the counties of northern England today.

The meadows, known locally as ‘herbie’ meadows due to the abundance of flowering herbs such as wood crane’s-bill, greater burnet and lady’s mantles, are scheduled as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Recent history

Bowber Head Farm was owned by the Frankland family for many years. In 2020 it was transferred to Cumbria Wildlife Trust in lieu of Inheritance Tax, as part of the settlement of the estate of Juliet Frankland who died in 2013.