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Berkshire Downs on a Bank Holiday Monday


Langdon Hill (Juniper Valley), Oven Bottom, and Aston Upthorpe Down formed a large area of common pasture and grazing for the people of medieval and post-medieval Blewbury and Aston Upthorpe. By the end of the 19th century, much of this land had been enclosed by large prairie-like fields and plantations of trees had begun to divide up the landscape, but some open spaces remained. Plantations became increasingly common in the 20th century and horse gallops criss-crossed the landscape. [source]

 

 

Burnt-tip Orchid (Neotinea ustulata)is a white orchid with a deep crimson peak – the “burnt tip” in question.

 

This small orchid can be difficult to spot. Plants grow from a tuber which is replaced each year and tend to grow in small clumps. Pale green leaves form a rosette from which a flower spike holding between 15-50 flowers emerges.

 

Burnt-tip Orchid is confined to a scattering of sites in southern England, especially the Wiltshire Downs. It is found in short, chalk downland turf, and occasionally strays into meadows.

 

Burnt-tip Orchid was once more common and its scarce population continues to decline. This decline is due to changes in agricultural practices.

 

The flowers smell of honey but produce no nectar.
Ustulata comes from the Latin word ustulus which means ‘slightly burnt.’

[Plantlife]

 

Seed heads of the pasqueflower Pulsatilla vulgaris. “The striking, purple Pasqueflower is now a very rare plant in the UK, restricted to just a few chalk and limestone grasslands and found on only a handful of nature reserves. It flowers in the spring, usually around April, its petals sitting cushioned on feathery leaves. Legend has it that Pasqueflowers sprang up in places that had been soaked by the blood of Romans or Danes because they often appeared on old barrows and boundary banks. However, it’s more likely that these sites are favoured because they tend to be undisturbed chalk grassland.” [Wildlife Trusts]

 

Horseshoe Vetch – Hippocrepis comosa displays between five and twelve small, bright yellow, pea-like flowers on each head. It has small, green, folded, oval leaves.

 

The perennial horseshoe vetch is an essential plant for the chalkhill and adonis blue butterflies as their caterpillars feed solely on it; it is also used by the Dingy Skipper. It is a low-growing plant, with yellow pea-like flowers that appear from May to July on chalk and limestone grasslands with short turf. The common name is thought to come from the shape of the seed pods, which are twisted and have horseshoe-like segments.

 

Six-spot burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) were abundant

 

And busy

 


See A morning in Oven Bottom for more details about the Open Access Land on the Berkshire Downs.


One reply on “Berkshire Downs on a Bank Holiday Monday”

Stunning stunning photos, of plants, beetles, butterflies and views. Wonderful descriptions and historical facts-a real joy to see it all and think about it. Thank you, David x

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