Our verdict
A genuinely interesting conservation story if you like that sort of thing — worth timing for June/July when the meadows are at their best. Parking is a roadside verge, not a proper car park, so leave room for farm traffic.
Three hay meadows at Minety, an SSSI for their long history of traditional farming — old anthills in Middle Meadow gave the reserve its name ('emmett' being an old word for ant). Upper Minety Meadows was added in 2020, and is being restored with green hay and scabious planting to help the threatened marsh fritillary butterfly recover.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserve — free to explore on foot; many are dog-free to protect wildlife.