Rare southern marsh orchids, greater tussock-sedge, yellow rattle and common centaury all thrive on the site at Bodham, near Holt.

Scientists say the transformation of the five-acre plot, which was last farmed 20 years ago, shows how nature can recover when left to its own devices.

The meadow at Bodham, near Holt (Image: Carl Sayer)

Professor Carl Sayer, from University College London (UCL), has been surveying the former arable field every two or three years with friend Pete Robinson.

They recorded every plant species found while walking systematically through the field, focussing on 24 metre-square blocks.

By 2022, the average number of species in a block had doubled from around 10 in 2011 to almost 20.

Prof Sayer said: "The field belongs to my family, and after an oilseed rape crop in 2005 we stopped farming it as the land was........

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