I’d nearly reached the ruins of Byland Abbey when the roadside bank brought me to a halt. How could I just cycle past such a beautiful verge? Hopping off my bike, I lay down in the wide swathe of midsummer flowers – my favourite way of appreciating the magnificence of a meadow. It was like bathing in a rainbow. As well as the green grass, 50 yards of bird’s-foot trefoil cloaked the quiet wayside. This arc of yellow was streaked with splashes of orange hawkweed.