The Meadows of Medieval Summer

Out of the Margins The Meadows of Medieval Summer Chaucer’s meadows are romantic landscapes of leisurely frolicking. But for medieval haymakers July meant a month of hard graft. Eleanor Parker | Published in History Today Volume 76 Issue 7 July 2026 For the past few years the first Saturday in July has been marked by conservation groups across the country as ‘National Meadows Day’. It is intended as an occasion to celebrate wildflower meadows and grasslands, raising awareness of their benefits for wildlife and encouraging the protection of these important but often endangered landscapes. Although this is a relatively new initiative, a special link between meadows and the month of July goes back a long way.

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