Thursday 20th, Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June: Upper Teesdale and Allenheads
The Wild Flower Society has supported, and continues to support, the Teesdale Special Flora Project which is led by Dr Margaret Bradshaw MBE. Further details of which can be found at www.teesdalespecialflora.uk
The first day of this three-day meeting is a repeat of last year’s Alchemilla Day with Dr Margaret Bradshaw. As an alternative for those who have already done the Alchemilla day, Margaret has suggested they might like to spend Thursday the 20th in surveying the Tees riverbank around Low Force where we walked last time. The focus would be recording Shrubby Cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa at 10m square level. Please let me know when you book.
Thursday 20th June: Eggleston, Hayberries and Upper Teesdale
Leader: Dr. Margaret E Bradshaw
This meeting will focus primarily on Lady’s-mantle Alchemilla vulgaris agg.
Meet at 09:30 at Eggleston, Barnard Castle, DL12 0AU. Bring packed lunch.
There are two Lady’s-mantle species Smooth Lady’s-mantle) Alchemilla glabra and Pale Lady’s-mantle A. xanthochlora that are frequent in the north of England in meadows, road verges, by upland streams together with Hairy Lady’s-mantle A. filicaulis ssp. vestita also frequent in upland grassland.
We will go to Hayberries Picnic Area that has the 3 common species and the rare Velvet Lady’s-mantle A. monticola and a distressing amount of the garden Soft Lady’s-mantle A. mollis. This is a good place to gain experience in identifying Lady’s-mantles. After lunch we will visit other locations to search for additional species that grow in Teesdale.
To book, contact Janet John wfs.meetings@gmail.com or phone 01753 884490
Friday 21st June: Cronkley Fell, Upper Teesdale
Leader: Lizzie Maddison
Meet at 10.00am at Hanging Shaw car park Grid Ref. NY867297. There is some car parking space but it would be helpful to car share if possible. We will walk over to Cronkley Bridge, crossing the River Tees to Cronkley Farm. From here, we walk up to join the ‘Green Trod’ and on to the top of Cronkley Fell. On the way we should be able to identify some interesting ferns. We will have the opportunity to see a number of the Teesdale Assemblage species. Which species we find will partly be dependent on the situation with the nesting birds.
Most of the track is quite broad but there are rough, short, steep parts so walking poles are advised
To book, contact Janet John wfs.meetings@gmail.com or phone 01753 884490
Saturday 22nd June: Whitesyke mine, Garrigill and Bell’s Grooves, Allenheads.
Leader: Lizzie Maddison
Meet at 10:30 at the Whitesyke and Bentyfield mine site Grid Ref. NY750424. There is car parking space next to the road. In the afternoon, we will move over to Bell’s Grooves, Allenheads, which is about 8 miles away. There is plenty of space to park at the bottom of Slag Hill Grid Ref. NY851464, from where we will walk a few metres down to the local wildlife site Bell’s Grooves There is a tea shop in the village.
These sites have interesting calaminarian species such as Alpine Penny-cress Noccaea caerulescens, Spring Sandwort Sabulina verna, lots of Mountain Pansy Viola lutea, Frog orchid Coeloglossum viride, Moonwort Botrychium lunaria, Adder’s-tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and Pyrenean Scurvygrass Cochlearia pyrenaica. There is also Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum and Wood Crane’s-bill Geranium sylvaticum in the hedgerows.
To book, contact Janet John wfs.meetings@gmail.com or phone 01753 884490