A TEAM of volunteers completed the last wildflower planting job of the year, rounding off a two-year period which has seen a £35,000 donation allow restoration work on meadows throughout the Lake District to take place.

In 2017, the National Trust was awarded this sizeable chunk of funding from a trust set up by a man in memory of his wife.

Since then, in partnership with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, the organisation has arranged for surveys of more than 70 meadows on farmland in the Lake District to take place, while work to restore 23 of these has begun.

And volunteers took to the land at Stonethwaite Farm, Troutbeck, and Town Head Farm, Grasmere, to plant 3,500 small potted wildflowers.

According to Chloe Lumsden, wildlife advisor with the National Trust, species such as red clover, meadow vetchling and sneezewort are among those expected to appear next year. It is hoped these plants will attract wildlife.

Ms Lumsden said: “Because of this incredible bequest we have been able to work with our tenants to restore and create more species-rich meadows across the Lake District.

“This means the land we look after together will be beautiful and rich in wildlife for many years to come.

“Once a meadow is identified as being suitable, we give it a helping hand in several ways.

“That could be to reintroduce traditional hay meadow management or improve the soil health through adding lime, making the pH more suitable for wildflowers.

“Flowering plants are encouraged by techniques such as adding brush-harvested seed, green hay spreading or plug planting directly into the meadow. Many hands are needed for this last task.”

She added: “All gardeners know autumn is a great time of year to be putting things into the ground to give them a head start in the spring.”