Mid Suffolk District Council manage three small countryside
sites around Stowmarket.
Church Meadow
Church Meadow is a small Local Nature Reserve lying close to St
Mary’s Church, Combs. Once, part of the grounds of a large manor
house Church Meadow now supports a variety of wildlife.
The hedgerows are full
of small birds in Spring with whitethroat and yellowhammer
commonly heard. The meadows support many wild flowers and
recently southern marsh orchids have made a welcome
reappearance. The upper meadow is bright with buttercups in
early summer. In the lower meadow the restored
pond supports many dragonflies whilst grass snakes can
sometimes be seen around its edges.
Visitors are welcome to enter the meadows but must keep dogs on
a lead as there are often grazing animals present. A small
information board is present on site and a leaflet about the site
can be downloaded from the following link:
Church Meadow site leaflet (PDF, 520Kb)
Pike’s Meadow
Pike's Meadow is an area of mown grassland alongside the River
Rattlesden close to the centre of Stowmarket. The area is used by
local people for informal picnics and games whilst young visitors
can make use of the new play area for the Under 5s, football goals
and basketball area. There are a number of old riverside willows on
site and a variety of other trees throughout the area.
The annual Duck Race in June always attracts a large crowd.
Green’s Meadow

Lying either side of the A14 flyover between the football ground
and the recycling site, this site is not high on anyone’s list
for a quiet day out! However, the small wet meadow has a surprising
wealth of plant life with both adder’s tongue fern and brown
sedge present. The area of willow scrub is largely undisturbed from
where warblers sing in the Summer months. The area has recently
been designated a County Wildlife Site due to its rich variety of
wildlife.
Grassy paths allow visitors access throughout the site though
in winter the area may be
flooded.