Money raised to buy wildlife site

The green-winged orchid is found at Chettisham. (Pic: The Wildlife Trust)

An appeal fund to buy and protect a meadow in Cambridgeshire which is home to rare wild flowers and animals has reached its target.

The Wildlife Trust launched the appeal last year to raise £18,000 in order to buy Chettisham Meadow, a rare meadowland site north of Ely centre.

A Site of Special Scientific Interest, the meadow is a haven for declining wild flowers like green-winged orchids.

The trust has now been able to buy the site and secure its long-term future.

A further £2,000 still needs to be raised to establish a water supply and make the meadow safe for grazing with fencing.

A spokesperson for the Wildlife Trust said: "This important management work will safeguard the biodiversity of the meadow and ensure that local people can continue to enjoy the rare and beautiful wild flowers, such as green-winged orchids."

The trust was given the chance to buy the 1.7 acre meadow by the existing landowners after managing the site as a tenant since 1972.