Maulden Wood and Heath, Bedfordshire

Meet at 10:30 at the Maulden Wood car park, Maulden Wood which is accessed via Deadman’s Lay-by off the A6, MK45 2AP; Grid Ref: TL07253942; what3words: ///brother.encourage.juggler. The site is a mix of ancient woodland, plantation and meadows, straddling both the acid soils of the Greensand Ridge and neutral clays of the Marston Vale. There are several different habitats and although few real rarities, a wide range of plants will be seen. At this time of year, there should be an impressive display of bluebells and a number of plants which are not frequent elsewhere in the county. Interesting plants which we should see in flower include Meadow Saxifrage Saxifraga granulata, Early-purple Orchis mascula and Green-winged Anacamptis morio Orchids, Herb-Paris Paris quadrifolia , Wild Service-tree Sorbus torminalis, Climbing Corydalis  Ceratocapnos claviculata, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Burrowing Trifolium subterraneum , Hare’s-foot T. arvense and Sulphur T. ochroleucon Clovers (touch and go re. flowering time), Adder’s-tongue  Ophioglossum vulgatum, Sand Spurrey Spergularia rubra,

7 species of Sedge and 6 Fern species. We will miss the flowering of the Wild Daffodils and some of the later Greater plants – Butterfly Orchid Platanthera chlorantha, Broomrape Orobanche rapum-genistae and Burnet-saxifrage Pimpinella major. There is an impressive list of invertebrates. Dormice and adders have been reintroduced.

There is quite a large area to cover, mostly on gentle paths, but there will also be a few wet off-piste detours.

To book, contact Janet John wfs.meetings@gmail.com