butterfly id for beginner please?

[spadge]

Would you be kind enough to try to id this lovely creature for me? I only have my faulty memory to rely on, so don't get excited if I seem to be describing something incredibly rare!

Seen on a playing field, ie mostly cut grass with some short flowers like clovers and daisies, in suburban Canterbury. It looked almost black from a distance. Close up had flashes of dark reds/ orange. Medium to large-ish. It settled and I was able to get a good look at the open wings. As I recall, it had a sort of marbly orange/red pattern on the lower half. At the top corners of the wings it had very distinctive spots with one colour inside the other. But the only one I saw in the Gallery with eye spots is the peacock, and this one didn't have a second pair of eyes on the lower half as the peacock does, and I don't think it had the white in the spots.

Any ideas?

[RobinP]

Meadow Brown possibly?

[spadge]

Thank you for the suggestion Robin.

I felt it was more colourful than the pictures suggest. but it's close. I'll look out for it again.

[Jenny W]

Gatekeeper?

[spadge]

Yes!! I do think that was it. Thank you very much.