Old Winchester Hill sits on the western edge of the South Downs by the slopes of the Meon valley.
When you bring to mind a picture of the South Downs Old Winchester Hill would fill in the details.
It is easy to think that if all the Downs were left to themselves then they would turn out to be like Old Winchester Hill but on further examination this is not the case.
The centre of the reserve is dominated by a hill fort.
Bronze Age barrows over three thousand years old are modified by bomb craters created in the Second World War.
Further evidence of man is witnessed by the signs at the edge of the reserve saying ‘no picnicking’ ‘no kite flying’ ‘all dogs on leads’ ‘poachers and trespassers will be prosecuted’ to name but a few.
English Nature has obviously spent a great deal of effort in managing the site by allowing sheep to graze, cutting down shrubs and the prevention of archaeological excavations which has allowed the natural flora to flourish.
Nevertheless the results are spectacular for the sheer variety of wild flowers and insect life in picturesque surroundings.
Many wild flowers can be seen when walking from the car park to the reserve entrance.
Crosswort, Agrimony, Lady’s bedstraw, Self Heal, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Meadow Vetchling and Hedge Woundwort are all in evidence amongst the nettles and blackberry thorns.
Crosswort is a member of the bedstraw family and like the Lady’s bedstraw has yellow flowers.
The name bedstraw is self evident but the Lady reference is because it smells of new mown hay.
Walking in to the reserve and down the steep hill the vegetation opens out into the open grassland.
It is very satisfying to hear the laboured breathing of walkers coming up the hill when you are going down but then you remember that every downhill has a corresponding uphill section.
The short grass means that low growing wild flowers can flourish and the hill is covered in Birds foot Trefoil, Wild Thyme and the dainty white flowers of Fairy flax.
Yellow-wort has very distinctive simple flowers and leaves that clasp the stem in pairs like its red relative the Common Centaury which is also in flower on the hillside.
A bare patch of limestone on the hillside was taken over by a patch of Vipers Bugloss.
The seeds of the plant are supposed to look like a vipers head and an extract from the plant may have been used to cure snakebite.
Bugloss means ox tongue which is why the French call it langue de boeuf but putting them both together does not seem to mean anything.
Looking at the flower however the stigma has a forked tip which could look like an adders tongue.
The walk continued at the foot of the hill towards a small wood and the grasses became taller mixed with different wild flowers.
Dark Mullein, Perforate St John’s Wort, and the first signs of Common Spotted Orchids appeared together with Lesser Burdock before we entered the welcome shade of the wood.
The downland flowers reappeared as we emerged from the wood and began the steep ascent up to the hill fort. Horseshoe Vetch and Kidney Vetch were both present.
They both look like Birdsfoot trefoil but Horseshoe Vetch is smaller and has an arc of flowers whilst the Kidney Vetch is best recognised by the woolly tufts under the flowers.
Although the Common Spotted Orchid was still present the more attractive Fragrant Orchid and Pyramid Orchid stand out by the brightness of their red flowers.
Old Winchester Hill is famous for its Round Headed Rampion which is a relative of the Scabious and we were lucky enough to see several of these vivid blue flowers which were just coming into bloom.
Wild flowers are not the only attraction on Old Winchester Hill.
We did see several butterflies and birds, but not as many as we had hoped, and a large hairy caterpillar of the Drinker Moth walked across our path at one point.
The landscape viewed from the top of the hill fort is truly spectacular and well worth the visit on its own.
The next outdoor meeting is to Bentley Wood. Meet at the Oak Road car park Dibden Purlieu at 10am on 19th July 2009. Non members welcome at no charge.
The next indoor meeting is a talk on wild West Wales by Dennis Bright.
Meet at St Andrews Centre, Beaulieu Road, Dibden Purlieu at 7.30pm on 27th July 2009.
Non members welcome at a charge of £2.
Contact the secretary on 023 80893803 for membership details.
Any comments to mharrison67@btinternet.com
