Discover Joan's Hill Farm - Plantlife

DiscoverJoan’s Hill FarmNature ReserveA circular walk through classicHerefordshire countrysideThis is a beautiful walk through Plantlife’s Joan’s HillFarm Nature Reserve and surrounding countryside.The area epitomises rural Herefordshire: a soft,pastoral landscape of flower-rich meadows andmixed woodland, black-and-white cottages andorchards decked with mistletoe.Where to startStart at Haugh Wood car park and picnic site, just offthe road from Mordiford to Woolhope (grid reference:SO 592 365).Distance3 milesWalk gradeModerate. The route includes some steep slopesand stiles.RefreshmentsThe Crown (Woolhope), the Yew Tree Inn(Prior’s Frome) and The Moon Inn(Mordiford) all serve meals. Basicprovisions are available in localPost Office stores at Mordifordand Fownhope.WCNoneWe are PlantlifePlantlife is the organisation that is speaking up for ourwildflowers and plants. From the open spaces of ournature reserves to the corridors of Westminster, we’rehere to raise their profile, to celebrate their beauty,and to protect their future.Wildflowers and plants play a fundamental role forwildlife, and their colour and character light up ourlandscapes. But without our help, this priceless naturalheritage is in danger of being lost.Join us in enjoying the very best that naturehas to offer.Britain’s countryside.Save it with flowers.Patron: HRH The Prince of WalesSpeaking up for the nation’s wild plants14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1DXTel: 01722 342730Email: enquiries@plantlife.org.ukwww.plantlife.org.ukPlantlife is a charitable company limited by guarantee, CompanyNo. 3166339. Registered in England and Wales, Charity No. 1059559.Registered in Scotland, Charity no. SCO38951.ISBN number 978-1-907141-71-3Cover photo: ©Chris Harris / PlantlifeJuly 2012Thank youJoan’s Hill Farm Nature Reserve is owned byPlantlife and managed in partnership witha local farmer and a team of volunteers.We would like to thank Graham Cundale,Jules Agate, Yasmin Lynes and PreetiThapa who volunteered their time to helpwith production of this guide. Funding wasprovided by the Big Lottery Fund.Wildflower walksThe wildflowersof Joan’s Hill FarmA circular 3 mile walk throughHerefordshire countryside

DiscoverJoan’s Hill FarmNature ReserveDirections1 From the car park, follow the track from the ForestryCommission noticeboard, past the vehicle barrier. Ata crossroad of tracks, ignore turnings and continueahead downhill.2 At the T-junction, turn left and continue until you reachanother T-junction.3 Climb the stile next to the metal gate to reach aninformation board. You’re now in Joan’s Hill FarmReserve. Follow the right-hand edge of the fielddownhill and beneath trees. This long, sloping meadowis crammed with wildflowers, including cowslips andoxeye daisies.4 Towards the bottom of the slope, ignore a small woodengate on the right and continue ahead through an openfield entrance. Head towards the bottom, right-handcorner of this field. The plants in this damp meadowinclude meadowsweet, ladies bedstraw and twayblade.5 Climb the stile in the corner and turn left. Followthe left-hand side of this field. Cross the stile and afootbridge over the stream. Now continue ahead, butslightly left through an orchard towards houses to reachanother stile.6 Climb the stile and continue ahead and to the right ofa house, soon following close to a fence on the left toreach a wooden gate. Pass through the gate on toa tarmac lane and continue ahead.10G11I 12H414 13K JC15161718L A191392DB86E5F127you’ll pass the right-hand side of a ruined building.Continue slightly downhill through the orchard towardsa wooden stile.9 Cross the stile, then a footbridge and then another stileinto an area of pasture. Continue ahead but slightly left.When the boundary on the opposite side of the fieldcomes into view, head for a stile marked by a yellow andblack waymarker on a post.10 Cross the stile, then a footbridge. Go through a metalgate, then bear left along a stream towards anotherstile. Cross this stile and keep following along the lefthandedge of meadows, crossing two further stiles toreach a track.11 Turn left along the track, following it uphill and bearright at a fork. Just off the track is a well-preservedMedieval moat and pond.12 Eventually you’ll reach a gate on the left with a timberframedfarmhouse ahead. Through this gate, you’re intoan orchard, once again within Joan’s Hill Farm Reserve.Bear right along the hedge. This orchard containsmainly cider apple trees with wonderful names suchas Broxwood Foxwhelp and Herefordshire Redstreak.13 If time allows, why not break from the walk route toexplore the other fields on the reserve. Look for greenwingedorchid (I) and dyer’s greenweed (K). To continuethe walk bear right through a gateway and follow thehedge in front of you.14 At the end of the hedge bear left, ignoring a fieldentrance to the right, and continue ahead on theleft-hand side of a tall hedge to reach a stile (15).15 Cross the stile into woodland and follow the pathahead, bearing left at junctions of paths until youemerge on a track.7 After the cattle grid you’ll see a junction of three pathson your left. Ignore the first left (through a woodengate) and the path bearing right (towards The Oaks), buttake the middle path, leading off through a gap in thehedge beneath tall ash and poplar trees. Follow the pathand eventually you’ll reach an orchard through a gate.8 Follow the wire fence on the right. Almost immediatelyafter the fence turns to the right, bear left andKeyWildflowers. Descriptions overleafWalk routeReproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey onbehalf of HMSO © Crown copyright. All rights reserved.Ordnance Survey licence number 10003277916 Bear right along the track. On a fine day in May or Juneyou might spot the rare wood white butterfly here.17 At the T-junction, bear right.18 At the next crossroads of tracks turn left.19 At another crossroads of tracks, turn right and followthe track back to the starting point at the car park.

The plants of Joan’s HillJoan’s Hill Farm Reserve is rich in wildflowers,particularly from late April to July.ColumbineCommonly associated withcottage gardens (and sometimesknown as Granny’s bonnets). Growshere along the edge of woodlandtracks. It has purplish-blue flowersin May and June.BWood vetchThis uncommon plant grows in anumber of places in the area, typicallyat the edge of forest tracks. It has tuftsof scented flowers that are whiteand lined with purple veins.Flowers June-July.DMeadowsweetCommonspotted orchidA plant that favours damp conditionswith frothy, creamy-white flowersthat are at their peak in July. Itsname probably derives fromits former use to flavour mead(honey wine).CAThis species is so vigorous insome areas of the reserve that theflowers form carpets of pale lilac.The peak flowering time is June.FERough chervilFlowering between May andJuly, rough chervil is abundantbeneath the tall trees, its whiteflowers forming delicate, lacydrifts either side of the path.HMistletoeVoted the county flower ofHerefordshire. An evergreenplant, best seen in winterwhen the berries appearand the leaves are offthe trees.Yellow-rattleAn annual plant found in meadows,named after its yellow flowers and theway that its seed rattles inside brownpapery capsules when ripe. Flowersfrom May onwards.GSelfhealA very common plant inthe area. It has bluishvioletflowers from Juneto October.IGreen-winged orchidA purple (occasionally pink or white)orchid distinguished by the paralleldark green veins on the “wings” thatform the hood of the flower. Lookfor it in May.JCommon knapweedIn early summer yellow is thedominant colour of the meadows(meadow buttercup, catsear andyellow-rattle). In July, this changesto purple, when an abundance ofthistle-like common knapweedcomes into bloom.KDyer’s greenweedA small shrub with rich, gold-yellowflowers, similar to broom and gorse.It was once cultivated as a dye-plant,but here grows in a few small patchesas a wild native. Flowers fromJune onwards.LBetonyA perennial plant of the dead-nettlefamily with intense pink-purpleflowers. It has a long history of use inherbal medicine and in folklore wassaid to ward off evil spirits. Look for italong the verge of the woodland trackin late summer.Illustrations reproduced by permissionof Philip’s from The Philip’s Guide to WildFlowers of Britain and Northern Europe,Bob Gibbons and Peter Brough, 2008