A MEDIEVAL court near Cricklade is set to embark on a £40,000 interpretation and conservation project.

Cricklade Court Leet and the adjoining North Meadow has successfully won a grant from Wiltshire Council Northern Area Board for £2,880 to go ahead with a project to instal 12 interpretation points to form an audio trail around the site.

The court, one of only 14 remaining across the UK after many were dissolved in 1970, was a form of manorial court which acted as an early form of magistrates court to deal with small offences and the collecting of fines and taxes.

The heritage project will help tell the story of the role of the manorial court and will also run voluntary and conservation training opportunities to spread public awareness and understanding of the traditionally managed meadow.

The funding, which completes the £40,000 needed on top of £33,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be used to purchase the remaining five acres of land adjoining the 110-acre North Meadow.

The High Bailiff of Cricklade, Mr Clive Smith, said: “This is a significant and exciting development that provides for, not only the people of Cricklade but also those who travel from far afield, to see and learn about this important and ancient hay meadow.”

John Harman, the court's traditional ale taster, told the Adver: "We are very grateful for the Area Board's grant, hopefully the interpretation will prove useful and interesting to people.

"The project is trying to broaden people's horizons, it's got a fantastic number of species of flowers the grow in the North Meadow, especially the Snake's head Fritillary, they grow more there then they do anywhere else in the country. In April when the flowers are out we get 5,000 visitors just to see them."

The Manorial Court, which attracts around 10,000 people a year, has been in existence for approximately 800 years, and has been connected to the management of the grazing rights of the meadow since the time of Charles I.

These rights were granted as compensation for the loss of firewood after the deforestation of nearby Braden Forest.

The North Meadow nature reserve is protected as a Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

It is a rare example of a lowland hay meadow and known for its variety of wild flowers, especially the endangered Snake's head Fritillary.

The Court Leet Ale Taster provides the traditional function of making sure the beer in Cricklade is of high enough quality.