2003 Cotswolds 4 - 5 April Main Meeting
This early season meeting was held beneath brilliant blue skies and in warm, spring sunshine. Fourteen of us met at Preston, near Cirencester, and were greeted by Mark and Clare Kitchen, Vice-County Recorders for East and West Gloucestershire (VC 33 and 34). Friday turned out to be the warmest day of the year so far - 68F/20C – according to the weathermen warmer than Ibiza or Malaga! Not only was the weather perfect, but also the careful and thoughtful planning of our leaders ensured that this two-day meeting was an enormous success. We were taken to some beautiful parts of the Cotswolds, including some delightful hidden valleys, and were shown some of the floral treasures that these special places hold. The main theme of the meeting was 'Aliens', of which we saw a good number. We also saw a variety of flowering nativespecies, especially woodland plants.
In Preston churchyard we viewed carpets of Cyclamen coum (eastern sowbread). Naturalised here over many decades, their tiny jewel-like flowers occurred in a variety of shades of pink.
We moved on to a typical Cotswold country lane, but the plants we were to see were un-typical indeed! Symphytum grandiflorum (creeping comfrey), and S. bulbosum (bulbous comfrey) grew in close proximity, allowing us to compare the two plants. The brilliant white dangling bells of Leucojum aestivum subsp pulchellum (summer snowflake) shone out from the hedgerow bottom. Nectaroscordum siculum. subsp siculum (honey garlic) grew in a great swathe along the verge, but unfortunately the swollen buds had not yet burst open. Nearby, at the edge of the copse bluebells, though, were already in flower, and brimstone, peacock, and small tortoiseshell butterflies were on the wing on this warm spring morning. The familiar spring sound of chiffchaffs calling from the treetops was to accompany us for most of the day.
We travelled to Fairford and, with permission, parked on a private drive. Beyond the garden, in a 'wild' part of the grounds, we were shown two exquisite bright yellow blooms of Tulipa sylvestris (wild tulip). Close by Ruscus aculeatus (butcher's-broom) could be seen, bearing both this season's flowers and the red fruits resulting from the previous flowering.
Lunch was then taken. Mark and Clare had chosen a lovely spot close to the river Coin, where we enjoyed both the views and the warm spring sunshine. Lunch over,we were on the move again. Several stops were made during the afternoon. On the outskirts of Cirencester we paused to examine Allium paradoxum (few-flowered garlic). This is abundant on many roadside verges around here. At Chalford, near Stroud, the banks of the disused canal gave us Symphytum 'Hidcote Blue', another comfrey. A circular walk in the delightful Toadsmoor Valley revealed Carex digitata(fingered sedge), Helleborus foetidus (stinking hellebore), Daphne laureola (spurge- laurel), and Ranunculus auricomus (goldilocks buttercup). The leaves of Symphytum tuberosum (tuberous comfrey) were examined but no flowers were found. Our final stop of the day yielded Gagea lutea (yellow star-of-Bethlehem), discovered in a comer of another enchanting wood, where carpets of pale wood anemones and primroses were spread.
Day two, which began at the Old Station Car Park, Tetbury, was spent in yet more beautiful countryside nearby. A two-hour walk, in Lasborough Park's wooded valley complete with streams and lakes, produced a good variety of plants. Ramsons covered the floor of the woodland that swept down the side of the valley. Great areas of the damper valley bottom were covered with Chrysosplenium oppositifolium(opposite- leaved golden-saxifrage); and in a just a few places the larger-leaved, more robust and brighter yellow C. alternifolium (alternate-leaved golden-saxifrage) was easily spotted; that is, once it had been brought to our attention! Scattered all around were many pale mauve spikes of Petasites hybridus (butterbur), and a little distance away its close relative P. japonicus (giant butterbur) formed a dense stand at the water's edge.
To the delight of many we were then shown a large area of Trachystemon orientalis (Abraham- Isaac-Jacob). Its unusual and attractive flowers were much admired. On returning to the cars lunch was taken, before moving on to Kilcot, where another delightful circular walk down and up a steep-sided and partly wooded valley revealed yet more floral treasures. We descended a narrow lane and were thrilled to discover Helleborus viridis (green hellebore) spread along the hedge banks. A short distance further on, the 'oohs' and 'aaahs', and other 'shrieks of delight', indicated something rather special! A steep and extensive grass bank was almost covered with yet more H. viridis. The owner of the land appeared, to investigate the commotion! A discussion followed concerning the hellebores, their importance and history. Mark explained that green hellebores growing at this spot were mentioned in J.W. White's 1912 Bristol Flora. The ownerwas obviously very protective of these plants, and proudly announced that H. viridis from this site is held in the National Hellebore Collection!
Ascending the valley slope, we passed again through deciduous woodland. Many fresh pale spikes of Lathraea squamaria (toothwort), growing beneath bare-branched hazel, were the subject of much photography! Our final stop of the day at Hawkesbury produced the tiniest plant of the weekend. We closely examined the minute Draba muralis (wall whitlow-grass). A lime-loving plant, growing on the top of a Cotswold stone wall, was to provide a fitting end to this two-day meeting in the Cotswolds!
Mark and Clare were thanked profusely. Everyone appreciated enormously all their efforts on our behalf. It had been a hugely successful and enjoyable field meeting, and a splendid start to the 2003 wild flower season.
MORNEE R. BUTTON