Distance – 2.5 miles
Facilities – None
Carparking – None (parking on the road)
Accessibility – Walking is fine in good weather, no access for wheelchairs or pushchairs
This is a nice local work for myself, but this was the first time I did this walk with the intention of identifying the plants, fungi and animals I saw on the route.
I have omitted for the time being all of the different tree, but will aim to add in tree identification to future walks.
This is a lovely walk, it starts on Main Street in Stanton Under Bardon, there is no parking as much, but cars can be left on Main Street. There is a narrow road, just down from the shop (which is not open) and between 2 white houses. Follow the short road past the bungalows on the left and you will see a farmers gate in front of you.
Open the gate next to this and go straight ahead, not to the left. This takes you to another metal gate, follow the path and take the second left over the small bridge.
Here the path is pretty clear, you can make the walk shorter by turning right when you get to the top of the small but steep incline to the quarry edge. There is a fence that keeps you on the right side of the quarry! But at the top there are some lovely views.
The path leads you along the top of the quarry and over the edge, where you can see a clear succession taking place, and there is rich biodiversity.
From here the path leads through the woods, when you got over the bridge, turn right and this will lead you around to the end of the walk, there are many paths taking you off in all directions, so you can add to the walk if you wish.
Plants Identified
Shepherd’s Purse – Capsella bursa-pastoris
This is a tall and thin member of the cabbage family. Small white petalled leaves form a racemen at the top, each flower is on its own thin stem, with 4 white petals. The stem is either hairy or not, and there are heart-shaped auricles in an alternate pattern now the stem to the base.
Rose Campion – Silene dioica
This is a member of the campion family and is a hybrid, due to the pale pink colouration. The petals are deeply divided, giving the look of twice as many petals are there actually are. There are downy hairs along the calyx and the calyx is toothed where it meets the petals. The calyx is bulbous and green to red in colour. Leaves are rounded in opposite pairs and ridged.
Poplar Fieldcap – Cyclocybe cylindracea
This could be a poplar fieldcap, fungi is very hard to identify! It is also very early in the season and I have not seen too many others.
This has a white to light brown convex cap, with white to off-white gills and leaves brown spores. (I did not pick it, so have not done a spore print).
Cow Parsley – Anthriscus sylvestris
This is a member of the carrot family. This has a umbel top, with clusters of small white flowers each having their own stem and forming an umbrella type top. The leaves are 2 to 3 times pinnate and are fern like. The leaflets are toothed and serrated. There are downy white hairs along the stem.
Hawthorn – Crataegus
When in flower, the hawthorn bush has clusters of white flowers, each flower has 5 white petals and all flowers have their own stem. The leaves are in an alternate position, with a group of leaves coming from the same dark brown stem. Leaves are 3 to 5 times lobed with a toothed edge. The underside of the leaf is a lighter green than the top.
Hogweed – Heracleum
This is only a guess as there are no flowers yet. But from the stem, and leaves this looks like a hogweed. It could be the giant hogweed, which should be avoided.
Leaves are 3 times lobed and very large, larger than a hand. Almost hawthorn like, with their lobes and toothed edge. They have sharp looking spiney hairs down the stem and main trunk. The trunk is thick and hollow if cut (not recommended). The stems are green to red in colour.
Ribwort Plantain – Plantago lanceolata
A member of the plantain family. This has a brown corolla on top of a long downy stem. The downy hair is white. And there are visible white stamens protruding from the corolla. The leaves are deeply ridged ovulates which are at the base of the long stem.
Common Sorrel – Rumex acetosa
Smooth arrow shaped leaves that curl slightly around the hairless stem. The stem has visible lines running down the length. When not in flower, the top had bulbous pink/ green heads in a cluster on smaller stems protruding from the main stem. When in flower, these open up for form a head of small pink flowers.
Red Clover – Trifolium pratense
A member of the pea family. This plant has 3 leaflets that are elliptical to ovate in shape, forming the typical 3 leafed clover appearance. However; this clover has a white to light green almost crescent shape running across the leaflets. The long hairless stem runs up to a domed or globus pink flowering head with no stem. There are often leaflets on the underside of the flowering head.
Gorse – Ulex europaeus
Another member of the pea family. This is a spiny evergreen, there are trifoliate leaves on younger plants. The adult plants have the long spines running the entire length of the plant. The flowers are zygomorphic and yellow. It has long yellow calyx.
Common Mouse-ear – Cerastium fontanum
This is a lovely member of the campion family. It has the usual feature expected of the campion family, 5 petals, in this case white, which are deeply divided. The sepals are visible between the petals and the leaves are ovate and pointed at the tips, with long white hairs along the leaf. The leaves have a deep ridge. There is white downy hair down the stem on the plant.
Common Vetch – Vicia sativa
This is a member of the pea family. It has downy hairs to the leaves which are ovate but terminate in a point. The flowers are found on the axis of the plant and are pink or purple in colour, often 2 shades of the same colour. The flowers do not have their own stem. The tendrils are often absent in young plants. But can be independent stems or at the top of the leaf.
Male Fern – Dryopteris filix-mas
This fern is shaped like a shuttlecock, and clusters from the ground, where the large leaves unfurl. There are brown (white in younger plants) hairs or scales found up the stem of the fern. The sori on the underside of the leaflets are a little messy looking, white when the plant is young and brown when the plant matures. The pinnate leaf is slightly toothed.
Lesser Stitchwort – Stellaria graminea
This is a member of the campion family. The petals are white and deeply divided, it is common to think this flower has 10 petals. The leaves are yellowy green to green in colour, pointed and are opposite. The flowers and buds form on their own stems with a pair of pointed leaves at the base of the flowering stems. The sepals are pointed and visible on the underside of the petals.
Tufted Forget-me-nots – Myosotis laxa
These gorgeous flowers are a member of the borage family. A lovely right blue colour to the flower, with a yellow or white ring to the centre. This particular forget-me-not has long stems with downy hair along the length, with buds in alternate position along the length with toothed calyx. This terminates in a flowering head. The leaves are basal and simple pointed leaves with hairs along to top and bottom.
Bluebells – Hyacinthoides non-scripta
One we can all appreciate from the lily family. This stunning blue to purple flower is bell shaped with the head hanging down towards to floor. The bell is curved up at the tips. The flowers are parallel to each other. The leaves are long and glossy, a bright green and rounded at the tips.
This is a lovely walk, one that is suitable for all ages. It is more challenging in the winter and when it is really wet, probably best avoided and none of the paths are maintained and below incredibly slippery.