Meeting details

Leaders: Jim White and Andrew Branson

This visit will be to the newest Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve, acquired in 2024. It is a 335ha farmland at Lyscombe near Piddletrenthide. The site, purchased in partnership with Natural England, encompasses land already designated as important for wildlife, including a 59ha SSSI, SNCI and Scheduled Ancient Monuments, as well as a much larger area of typical farmland. The chalk grassland SSSI forms a horseshoe-shaped bowl of steep downland, with pockets of ancient woodland. Another parcel of downland forming a dry valley a little south of the bowl has a mainly north-west aspect. Any records of bryophytes from this visit will help to form a baseline to assess progress, as DWT embarks on this exciting nature restoration initiative.

Access is along a track leading north off the minor road – Drake’s Lane – between Cheselbourne and Piddletrenthide. The track is 2km west of Cheselbourne and there is a DWT Reserve sign. Go along the track, past a private house and park in front of a barn complex at grid ref ST 73370 00780 (this is before Lyscombes Farm). We will walk from there. Ground conditions are likely to be dry, but long vegetation may be wet as the site has not been well grazed in recent years.

Please remember to book your place with Andrew Branson (Andrew@(at)3alpacas.co.uk)