Balmer Lawn

• Ponies and other commoners' livestock grazing freely across the grass, often close to the paths and road edges.
• A distinctly hummocky surface: the close-spaced mounds are the dried bases of purple moor-grass tussocks, so the ground is rarely level underfoot.
• Small bridges and drainage channels crossing the lawn, and a shallow, tree-shaded river edge with grass on both banks.
• On the drier mounds in summer, low wild flowers such as devil's-bit scabious, tormentil and lesser hawkbit.
• Cricket has been played here since the early twentieth century, so in season you may find a match on the grass.

There are no toilets and no facilities on the lawn itself, so bring water, food and a bag for your rubbish. Parking nearby is limited and fills quickly on fine days. Wear shoes you do not mind getting damp or muddy, and pack a rug or mat rather than expecting benches or tables. If you plan to paddle, note that river depth varies along the channel and through the year, with shallow stretches and deeper pools, so check the water before letting children in and keep them supervised. Do not feed or approach the ponies; watch them from a comfortable distance and keep dogs under control around livestock.

• After heavy rain, and through much of winter, the lawn can be genuinely wet and boggy, and the uneven tussock mounds make walking awkward.
• The riverside spot is popular and can feel busy on hot days, with cars parked along the approach.
• Everything here is informal: no marked facilities, no shelter and no guarantee of a quiet patch of grass at peak times.
• A road runs alongside part of the open ground, so keep children and dogs close to you as you cross the lawn.