1995 Denbigh 29th and 30th July Main Meeting
Twenty-one members met in North Wales in the midst of the heatwave: hats and sun 'block' were the order of the day throughout the weekend. A few miles south of Ruthin, a narrow country lane led to Eyarth Bridge, where we were welcomed by Jean Green, the BSBI v.c. recorder for Denbigh. (I was particularly delighted: 1 was at school with Jean and we hadn't seen each other since our children were small.) She kindly provided everyone with marked recording sheets for each of the tour sites we were going to visit, as well as with maps for the car drivers.
She told us about the areas which we are going to visit, two of which are North Wales Wildlife Trust Reserves and SSSIs. The first - and pleasantly cool - was one of the very few ancient ash/yew woodlands on a limestone pavement. Various St John's Worts, including Hairy, Hypericum hirsutum, Wild Basil Clinopodium vulgare. Red Bartsia Odontites vernus and Corn Mint Mentha arvensis, were flowering and then we were shown a plant of Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia fruiting and well hidden in undergrowth. Also happy in the shade were plants of the Giant Bellflower Campanula latifolia - we don't see this in the south - and the Nettle-leaved C. trachelium which flowers from the top down. The Wild Aquilegia vulgaris, Stinking Hellebore H. foetidus and Long-stalked Cranesbill Geranium columbinum were seen around a sunny dell, and many other lime- loving plants.
Star plant was the Limestone Woundwort Stachys alpina discovered here in 1970, one of only two known sites in the UK. The leaves are foxglove-shaped and velvety soft, but smell unpleasant; sadly the flowering stems of this rare plant had just been grazed by cattle. Outside the Reserve, on a steep roadside bank, we were shown further rosettes of the plant, only revealed in recent times through the introduction of mowing; but it is doubtful that future verge maintenance routines will allow them ever to flower. Opposite, behind a low wall, we noted a most striking clump of a Golden-rod Solidago sp. with exceptionally compact flower heads. We were told that it had long been established there. Luxuriant ferns were seen along the damp sunken path of a disused railway, including Hard and Soft Shield, Lady and Broad Buckler, as well as a subspecies of the Maidenhair Sp\eenwort Asplenium trichomanes ssp. quadrivalens. The limestone grass. Mountain Melick Melica nutans, was there and Water Figwort Scrophularia auriculata.
After lunch and quite a long drive, we arrived at a completely different habitat by the River Alwen at Pentre Llyncwmmer. The hillsides are over-intensively grazed by sheep, but the limited areas protected by fencing are prolific in wild flowers, including the largest harebells I have seen. Our leader showed us the Globe Flower Trolllus europaeus leaves and the Hybrid Woundwort Stachys x ambigua. Upright Vetch Vicia orobus with light brown fruits - the only vetch with no tendrils - was noted in two sites. The Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum - another northern plant - had endured a precarious existence on the verge of a busy Forestry Commission track. The lovely flowers of Field and Small Scabious, as well as Sheepsbit, were all seen here.
Some interesting water plants were identified, both in the river and in the remains of a stream, including Narrow-fruited Watercress Rorippa microphylla, Round- leaved Crowfoot Ranunculus omiophyllus. Narrow-leaved Water Starwort Callitriche hamulata and Alternate Water Milfoil Myriophyllum alternifolium. In the same area was Smith's Pepperwort Lepidium heterophyllum and Slender Sedge Carex lasiocarpa.
On Sunday morning the rendezvous was some distance away near Wrexham. Marford is a 23-acre gravel quarry worked out in the 1930s and now a NWWT Reserve. Here some superb plants of White Mullein Verbascum lychnitis were seen. A steep climb led to the bright crimson Tuberous Pea Lathyrus tuberosus while straggling across the sandy quarry floor were fruiting plants of Wild Liquorice Astragalus glycophyllos. The identity of a hybrid thistle Cirsium x dubium was confirmed, its parents being the Welted and Musk Thistles. Not surprisingly, this area is an SSS1 for butterflies.
The convoy of cars took us to our afternoon destination for lunch. An old limestone quarry at Minera to the west of Wrexham was to be explored in a vast figure-of-eight traverse. The large pink flowers of the Hairy Bindweed Calystegia pulchra delayed photographers by the car park, as well as the most exciting find of the day, the Yellow Birds-Nest Monotropa hypopitys. Climbing up steep horse-grazed meadows, Spearmint Mentha spicata and Meadow Barley Hordeum secalinum were noted, then Jean found a Frog Orchid Coeloglossum viride for us. She explained, as we reached the top where a view of Wrexham below and the Cheshire countryside beyond stretched to the horizon, that the area had been bought by the Council with a view, sadly, to creating a future country park here. A showy patch of Betony Stachys officinalis was admired before we began the descent to a dense thicket, where we would be shown - two at a time - the very rare Prickly Sedge Carex muricata ssp. muricata in one of only three sites in the UK.
After a five-minute 'drink-break' at the car park, we set off in the opposite direction past the old lime kilns, the furnace walls of which were lined with Brittle Bladder Ferns Cystopteris fragilis. A shady and damp grass ride provided an ideal habitat for Pinguicula vulguris (Common Butterwort) and we were told that the tall cliffs rising on one side offer favourite nesting sites for the Peregrine falcon. Some fine tall Fragrant Orchids Gymnadenia conopsea were seen here, also Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis and a large Frog Orchid. Down through the woods we reached another disused rail-track, well known for variations in Broad-leaved Helleborines Epipactis helleborine. An open area of short grass turf was then searched (unfruitfully) for Moonwort Botrychium lunaria, but members were delighted to have this best possible excuse to prostrate themselves on the cool grass for a while. However, nearby our energetic leader was busy finding Adderstongue Ophioglossum vulgatum for us close to the Bracken. Descending through Hazel coppice, we were shown Common Wintergreen Pyrola minor before reaching the lime-whitened stream below. Here was an interesting stand of cone-bearing Rough Horsetail Equisetum hyemale, identified by the unbranched stems, with angled vertical ridges and untoothed sheaths.
Considering the terrain covered in extremes of heat and humidity, this meeting demonstrated the fitness and stamina of WFS members and also of our leader who never let the interest flag. Jean Green was warmly thanked by all participants for the enormous amount of time and effort she had devoted, both this weekend and previously, to planning and reconnoitring the four sites visited and in teaching us so much about the plants we saw.
PAMELA LEE