Heavy Horses Return to Dukes Meadows This Week
Will help create new wildflower meadow by Riverside Drive
The Clydesdale horses are supplied by Oakwood, a specialist contractor
June 16, 2026
Heavy horses made a striking return to Dukes Meadows on Monday (15 June) as part of an ambitious project to establish a new wildflower meadow beside Riverside Drive. The initiative, led by Dukes Meadows Trust, marks the latest step in the charity’s long-running effort to restore lost habitats and boost biodiversity in one of west London’s most cherished green spaces.
Wildflower meadows have declined by 97% since the 1930s, taking with them vital habitat for pollinators and other insects. Meadows also play a valuable role in absorbing carbon and improving soil health. For the Trust, re-establishing this type of landscape is both an ecological priority and a continuation of work that has already transformed parts of the park.
In 2012, the Trust repurposed the old paddling pools, filling them with gravel donated by Barratt Homes and sowing wildflower seed. The low-nutrient, free-draining conditions proved ideal, producing one of the park’s most admired features.
This year’s meadow project has taken a more traditional turn. With the help of Oakwood, a specialist contractor that uses Clydesdale horses for land management, the field has now received its first cut. Trust Director Kathleen Healy said the decision to bring in heavy horses was both practical and environmental.
“The key to sustaining a meadow is getting and keeping the soil fertility low to prevent more vigorous grasses and perennials outcompeting the wildflowers,” she explained. “With help from the Council’s contractor Lampton Greenspace, the field was cut and the arisings collected in 2023 and 2024, which reduced the fertility. Lampton was unable to assist last year, so we were looking for another contractor.”
Oakwood, she said, was the perfect fit. “They mow in Bushy Park and Petersham Meadows using Clydesdale horses, which has many benefits. The horses don’t compact the soil the way a heavy tractor would, and it is a more environmentally friendly and quieter way to do the work. Heavy horses, once common, are becoming endangered and Oakwood are keeping the breeds going. It’s great to support that.”
The horses will return in the autumn for a second cut, followed by harrowing and seeding. The Trust plans to use a mix of annual and perennial wildflowers in the hope of establishing a meadow that will begin to bloom next summer.
The meadow in the Old Pools area has thrived. Picture: Dukes Meadows Trust
“Heavy horses are just one part of the process,” Ms Healy said. “Meadows are notoriously difficult to establish and sustain, but we’re going to give it our best shot working with Oakwood. The meadow will need to be cut and the arisings gathered up each year.”
Dukes Meadows Trust receives no council funding for its work. Instead, it raises money through its social enterprises — including the popular Sunday Food Market and the Artists’ Studios — which help maintain areas of the park such as the Splash Pool. Much of the Trust’s work is carried out by volunteers, and new volunteers are always welcome.
More information about the meadow project and volunteering opportunities can be found at www.dukesmeadowstrust.org.
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