Reserves and species

Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Sydlings Copse

Sheer variety

Common lizard. Photo by Andy Fairbairn.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
22.00
Short Description: 
Enjoy this secluded wildlife gem - once described as one of the richest habitats in middle England - throughout the seasons.
Smartphone Description: 
Tucked away to the north-east of Oxford and packed into a steep valley, Sydlings Copse is a treasure trove for wildlife enthusiasts. A place of sheer magic for all the family - yet small enough to ensure that young or old legs don't get tired as you take a circular wildlife walk through all of the different habitats. Its broadleaved woodland, limestone grasslands, reedbed, fen, stream and heathland teems with birds and insect life.
Location
Address: 
3.5 miles north-east of
Town: 
Oxford
County: 
Oxfordshire
Postcode: 
OX3 9TY
Grid ref: 
SP 559 096
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
From Headington roundabout, take Bayswater Road north through Barton; turn left on B4027; after 500 m park opposite Royal Oak Farm; take bridleway for 600 m, passing two small woods; reserve is on right 100 m from bridleway.
Walking information: 
Sloping; flat sections, steep slopes, soft patches; kissing gate, steps. Not suitable for pushchairs.
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01865 775476
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Sydlings Copse
Species: 
Amethyst Deceiver
Fly Agaric
Bee Orchid
Bluebell
Columbine
Rock-rose
Cowslip
Crab Apple
Early Purple Orchid
Gorse
Herb-Paris
Marsh-marigold
Primrose
Ramsons
Spindle
Viper's-bugloss
Wayfaring-tree
Wild Cherry
Wild liquorice
Wood Anemone
Wood Spurge
Woolly Thistle
Yellow Archangel
Bloody-nosed Beetle
Brimstone
Comma
Marbled White
Orange-tip
Purple Hairstreak
Red Admiral
Speckled Wood
Common Lizard
Grass Snake
Slow-worm
Stonechat
Badger
Red Fox
Roe Deer
Weasel
Best time to visit
Start: 
January
End: 
December
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Sole Common Pond

Fascinating variety

A pond rich in wildlife with areas of bog, heath and woodland in the middle of a piece of ancient Berkshire common. This nature reserve certainly offers value in terms of sheer variety of habitats for its size.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
3.00
Short Description: 
A pond rich in wildlife in the middle of a piece of ancient Berkshire common, Sole Common Pond offers exceptional value in terms of sheer variety of habitats for its size.
Smartphone Description: 
Sole Common Pond Nature Reserve encompasses areas of bog, heath and woodland in the middle of an ancient Berkshire Common. The bog is a wildlife gem with beautiful plants such as the insectivorous round-leaved sundew that flowers from June to August. The pond is brimming with wildlife, with 15 species of damsel and dragonfly recorded here.
Location
Address: 
4.5 miles north-west of
Town: 
Newbury
County: 
Berkshire
Postcode: 
RG20 8PT
Grid ref: 
SU 411 706
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
Take the A4 west from Newbury; take B4000 towards Wickham; after 2.75 miles turn right, towards Boxford; after 400 m turn left at track; park before the gate and without blocking access.
Walking information: 
Sloping; no paths, wet in valley
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01628 829574
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Sole Common Pond
Species: 
Chanterelle
Bogbean
Polypody
Cross-leaved Heath
Heather
Round-leaved Sundew
Black darter
Long-winged Conehead
Roesel's Bush-cricket
Woodcock
Wood Warbler
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
November
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Shepperlands Farm

Heathland restoration

The small heathland glade was resurrected from pine plantation, and is developing into a valuable addition to this regionally significant habitat.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
9.50
Short Description: 
A beautiful trio - meadow, heath and wood teeming with wildlife
Smartphone Description: 
A small nature reserve made up of a patch of precious heathland filled with heather, a mature mixed woodland whose abundance of dead wood supports a good number of woodpeckers, and a wet rushy pasture filled with spring flowers, including common spotted orchids.
Location
Address: 
1 mile north-west of Finchampsted
Town: 
Wokingham
County: 
Berkshire
Postcode: 
RG40 4QF
Grid ref: 
SU 778 642
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
Take A327 south from Reading, 1.5 miles after Arborfield Garrison take a left into Park Lane, parking on right in layby north of Shepperlands Farmhouse. Or at extreme western end of Nine Mile Ride, turn south into Park Lane, 0.25 miles to park in layby on the left.
Walking information: 
Bridleway and paths, soft after rain, tree roots, kissing gates, rough ground in heath. No dogs in the fenced heathland.
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01628 829574
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Shepperlands Farm
Species: 
Cross-leaved Heath
Cuckooflower
Heather
Ragged-Robin
Tormentil
Tufted Vetch
Brown Argus
Common Blue
Marbled White
Orange-tip
Purple Hairstreak
Speckled Bush-cricket
White Admiral
Adder
Common Lizard
Grass Snake
Slow-worm
Buzzard
Nightjar
Treecreeper
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
November
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Seven Barrows

Bronze Age beginnings

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
3.50
Short Description: 
Nationally important for its archaeology as well as its wildlife, this ancient and atmospheric site has a wonderful variety of chalk grassland flowers and butterflies.
Smartphone Description: 
A nationally important archaeological site, the burial mounds, or 'barrows', probably helped this area survive, their presence making it difficult to plough. It is home for grassland plants and butterflies, with over 150 plant species recorded, including chalk milkwort and fragrant orchid.
Location
Address: 
5.5 miles south-west of
Town: 
Wantage
County: 
Berkshire
Postcode: 
RG17 8UH
Grid ref: 
SU 330 828
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Guide Dogs only
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
Take the B4001 from Lambourn; after 1.5 miles take left fork; after 1 mile, as road bends to left, take byway on right; park in unsurfaced car park 20 m along byway. The track to the reserve is often uneven and muddy in winter.
Walking information: 
Flat; firm, uneven in places
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01628 829574
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Seven Barrows
Species: 
Rock-rose
Devil's-bit Scabious
Fairy Flax
Fragrant Orchid
Harebell
Horseshoe vetch
Kidney Vetch
Knapweed or Black Knapweed
Salad Burnet
Wild Marjoram
Wild Thyme
Brown Argus
Chalkhill blue
Marbled White
Small blue
Yellowhammer
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
August
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Rushbeds Wood

Find out more about the Bernwood Forest Project in Rushbeds Wood and nearby nature reserves, Whitecross Green Wood and Finemere Wood.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
56.00
Short Description: 
Discover a wealth of wild flowers and butterflies in this ancient woodland and meadows including the 'townhall clock' plant and the rare black hairstreak.
Smartphone Description: 
Rushbeds Wood is one of the few remaining fragments of the Royal Forest of Bernwood and is now a mixture of ash, field maple, aspen, hazel and oak. At various times of year, bluebells, wood anemone, primrose and yellow archangel can be seen and in April and May, the moschatel (also know as the townhall clock) may be seen. This is an excellent place for butterflies such as the purple hairstreak, and you might even see the rare silver-washed fritillary.
Location
Address: 
9 miles south-east of
Town: 
Bicester
County: 
Buckinghamshire
Postcode: 
HP18 0RU
Grid ref: 
SP 673 154
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times.<br />
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
Surfaced car park, 1.25 miles south of Ludgershall, 100 m before Boarstall-Wotton Underwood road. Through gate and over railway bridge.
Walking information: 
Paths flat, soft after rain, some roots; kissing gates, bench
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01442 826774
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Rushbeds Wood. Photo by Jim Asher
Species: 
Amethyst Deceiver
Bluebell
Knapweed or Black Knapweed
Great Burnet
Greater Butterfly Orchid
Green-winged Orchid
Opposite-leaved Golden-Saxifrage
Oxeye Daisy
Pepper Saxifrage
Primrose
Twayblade
Wood Anemone
Yellow Archangel
Marbled White
Meadow Brown
Purple Emperor
Purple Hairstreak
Silver-washed Fritillary
White Admiral
Turtle Dove
Badger
Red Fox
Best time to visit
Start: 
January
End: 
December
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Rack Marsh

Historical site

This is how the Lambourn river valley would have looked before modern drainage and ploughing destroyed old waterside meadows and pastures. Rack Marsh is a fine old wet meadow.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
4.00
Short Description: 
A fine old wet meadow characteristic of the Lambourn valley in days gone by, with a lovely array of wetland wild flowers and birds.
Smartphone Description: 
Rack Marsh is a fine old wet meadow with considerable botanical interest. Full of rushes and sedges, it is possible to find such plants as early marsh-orchids and water avens. In wetter areas, a most handsome flower, the unusual bogbean, occurs. If you have keen eyesight, you may spot one of the UK's rarer snails, the Desmoulin's whorl snail, one of the smallest at just 2mm across.
Location
Address: 
2 miles north-west of
Town: 
Newbury
County: 
Berkshire
Postcode: 
RG20 8AQ
Grid ref: 
SU 452 694
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
From the A34/A4 junction head towards Newbury, following signs for the 'Watermill Theatre'; at Speen take first left (Station Road) and then left onto Lambourn Road; pass under the A34 and take first right to Bagnor, park on road before Bagnor.
Walking information: 
Flat; flat paths; soft after rain; kissing gates and narrow bridges
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01628 829574
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Rack Marsh
Species: 
Bogbean
Marsh-marigold
Skullcap
Water Avens
Water Figwort
Water Forget-me-not
Water Mint
Wild Angelica
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Grey Heron
Kingfisher
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Whitethroat
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
August
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Pilch Field

Centuries old

Pilch Field is made up of two wet meadows and a small triangular field. Surrounded by fine hedgerows with ash standards, the site also includes a patch of scrub.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
12.00
Short Description: 
Old 'ridge and furrow' meadows thick with wild flowers and grasses - a link to our natural and agricultural past.
Smartphone Description: 
Pilch Field is made up of two wet meadows and a small triangular field surrounded by hedgerows. There are plenty of butterflies, grasshoppers and other insects, and ant-hills made by the yellow meadow ant feature prominently. The bordering hedgerows are alive with warblers, and turtle doves have also been seen. Green-winged orchids appear in early May, followed by common spotted orchids in June.
Location
Address: 
3 miles south-east of
Town: 
Buckingham
County: 
Buckinghamshire
Postcode: 
MK17 0NX
Grid ref: 
SP 749 321
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
Take A421 east from Buckingham; after 3 miles, take the road on the right towards Great Horwood; park on soft verge near sharp left-hand bend. Reserve is on the right beside the footpath.
Walking information: 
Sloping; uneven ground, soft after rain; gate
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01442 826774
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Pilch Field
Species: 
Adder's-tongue Fern
Common Spotted orchid
Devil's-bit Scabious
Green-winged Orchid
Marsh-marigold
Meadowsweet
Quaking-grass
Ragged-Robin
Six-spot Burnet
Yellow Meadow Ant
Green Woodpecker
Reed Bunting
Turtle Dove
Yellowhammer
Brown Hare
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
August
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Parsonage Moor

Wetland wonders

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
5.50
Short Description: 
A fenland wilderness rich in botanical gems, moths and dragonflies.
Smartphone Description: 
More than 300 different species of plants have been recorded at the fenland of Parsonage Moor. In addition to fenland, other habitats include reedbed, open water, wet woodland and ancient woodland. Many orchids can be seen including the nationally-scarce narrow-leaved marsh orchid. Insectivorous species of plants such as butterwort are common here. An excellent site for moths, dragonflies and birds.
Location
Address: 
3 miles north-west of
Town: 
Abingdon
County: 
Oxfordshire
Postcode: 
OX13 6JW
Grid ref: 
SU 461 997
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Guide Dogs only
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
Park at Dry Sandford Pit Reserve car park; walk west to Cothill village and take footpath on right (String Lane) opposite the Merry Miller pub for 0.25 miles.
Walking information: 
Flat; wet ground; boardwalks, kissing gate
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01865 775476
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Parsonage Moor
Species: 
Butterwort
Grass-of-Parnassus
Meadow Thistle
Cuckoo
Reed Bunting
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
August
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Oxey Mead

Medieval meadows

This small nature reserve is an echo of a bygone era, a time when swathes of wild flowers and butterflies were found in profusion in England's meadows and pastures. Between 1930 and 1984 an estimated 97% of these lowland grasslands went under the plough, or were drained.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
8.00
Short Description: 
Dating back to before the Domesday Book, Oxey Mead is an ancient floodplain meadow gracecd by a variety of grasses and wild flowers, insects and birds.
Smartphone Description: 
One of several surviving ancient meadows near the city of Oxford, this reserve is an echo of a bygone era. It is full of wild flowers, such as the great burnet in summer and green-winged orchid in spring. Insects such as butterflies, grasshoppers and spiders are attracted to the meadows. Skylarks can sometimes be seen overhead and waders may be seen in the wetter months.
Location
Address: 
3.5 miles north-west of
Town: 
Oxford
County: 
Oxfordshire
Postcode: 
OX2 8GZ (nearest)
Grid ref: 
SP 478 107
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
Parking in lay-by on A40 1.25 miles west of the A40/A44 (Wolvercote) roundabout; walk 0.75 miles east to reserve entrance
Walking information: 
Flat; wet in winter and spring; stiles, gate
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01865 775476
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Oxey Mead
Species: 
Bulbous buttercup
Cowslip
Devil's-bit Scabious
Fairy Flax
Great Burnet
Green-winged Orchid
Oxeye Daisy
Pepper Saxifrage
Yellow-rattle
Meadow Brown
Orange-tip
Ringlet
Curlew
Skylark
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
August
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve
Posted by bbowt
2011-05-04 11:28

Oakley Hill

A hidden gem

Hidden behind the imposing, but now peaceful, chalkpits at Chinnor, Oakley Hill is made up of old downland, scrub and beech woodland.

Reserve details
Trust: 
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Trust Website: 
http://www.bbowt.org.uk
Size: 
13.00
Short Description: 
Chiltern gentian is the star of this isolated and beautiful chalk downloand reserve, perched on the Chiltern escarpment.
Smartphone Description: 
Perched upon a Chiltern escarpment, Oakley Hill is made up of scrub and beech woodland. Wildflowers such as the Chiltern gentian, wild thyme and pyramidal orchid thrive here, and wayfaring trees found around the chalk grasslands display clusters of creamy-white flowers in spring. A few juniper plants remain here, although they are now uncommon in the Chilterns. Red kite can also be seen soaring overhead.
Location
Address: 
1 mile south of
Town: 
Chinnor
County: 
Oxfordshire
Postcode: 
OX39 4RR
Grid ref: 
SU 753 994
Facilities
Visitor centre: 
No
Shop: 
No shop
Picnic Area: 
No
Opening hours: 
Open at all times
Toilets: 
No toilets
Disabled toilet: 
No disabled toilet
Baby changing facilities: 
No baby changing facilities
Dogs: 
Dogs must be on lead
Parking: 
Yes
Parking info: 
On the B4009 south out of Chinnor, turn left at Crowell and park near Shepherd's Crook pub; walk up track, take left onto Ridgeway to find reserve on right.
Walking information: 
Sloping ground, firm but bumpy; kissing gate
Grazing animals: 
Yes
Contact details
Reserve manager: 
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Reserve phone number: 
01865 775476
Reserve email address: 
info@bbowt.org.uk
Photos
Photo: 
Oakley Hill
Species: 
Bird's-nest Orchid
Bluebell
Juniper
Rock-rose
Common Spotted orchid
Dog's Mercury
Fairy Flax
Harebell
Wayfaring-tree
Wild Marjoram
Comma
Common Blue
Marbled White
Red Kite
Best time to visit
Start: 
March
End: 
November
Admission
Admission fee?: 
No
Admission amount: 
no
Location type: 
Wildlife or nature reserve