You are invited to our White Grit Meadows Celebration day on Saturday 11 July 2026.

See here for more information and how to book your place!

Success for the Middle Marches Community Land Trust White Grit Meadows Appeal!
We’ve done it: White Grit Appeal hits target of £45,000

The Trust would like to thank everyone who generously donated, or helped in fundraising and ask people to sign up to their mailing list on the website so they can keep up to date with White Grit news and future events.

Any excess funds raised by the Appeal will be retained by Middle Marches Community Land Trust and used to support our work.

Richard Keymer, MMCLT Chair, said that ‘It is wonderful news that we can now move to complete the purchase of these lovely little fields and secure them for the future. White Grit at the foot of Corndon is a beautiful place to visit on a summer’s day.”

31st January 2026

White Grit Meadows

Five acres of botanically rich meadow at the foot of Corndon Hill

Watch Iolo Williams endorse the White Grit Meadows Appeal

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Read about the White Grit Meadows Appeal Launch here

In late 2025 we acquired, with the help of generous donations from local people, five acres of botanically rich meadow at the foot of Corndon Hill, where plants such as Heath Spotted Orchid, Dyers Greenweed and Devil’s Bit Scabious abound.

The area consists of four small fields totalling 5 acres, bounded by tall, thick hedgerows, with some small stands of Alder and Goat Willow trees.

Where are White Grit Meadows?

The site is situated at the foot of Corndon Hill just inside Wales at an altitude of 1000 feet (300 metres) in the hamlet of White Grit (see map).

White Grit is a small, quiet, scattered village directly on the border with Shropshire. The nearby village of Priest Weston, despite being in England, actually lies to the west of White Grit. To the east is the A488 road, and the nearest town is Bishop’s Castle.

The mining community which thrived here in the 19th century gave rise to this area of smallholdings and a series of species-rich meadows, some of which remain today. They form the White Grit SSSI which has several owners.

Why are the meadows important?

White Grit Meadows are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI for their rich botanical interest (more information on the designation here).

Amongst many other species, the meadows support a rich variety of wild flowers (full plant list here).

What are the meadows like?

On a summer’s day, the site has a timeless feel about it as you wander from one small room-like field to another, all alive with bees, hoverflies and butterflies. Large, billowing hedgerows edge the fields.

Each year it is grazed in late summer for a few weeks by a small number of cattle.

The site has been looked after by the present owners for 23 years, but they now need to relinquish their ownership, and have kindly offered the meadows to MMCLT to purchase.

Art exhibition in aid of the White Grit Meadows Appeal

In October 20025, the Middle Marches Community Land Trust organised an art exhibition by the Marches Artists for Nature at the Stars, Bishops Castle, proceeds from which helped raise funds for the Appeal. More information here:

(Photos: Ken Dowley, Lucy Gaze, Rob Rowe & Sarah Jameson)