Caversham, Berkshire

[Mark Colvin]

Help required.

I may have to take my daughter to a meeting in Caversham on Monday, 10th October arriving at around 11.30am. I then have four hours to waste (look for butterflies etc) before picking her up again at 3.30pm. Can anyone recommend anywhere nearby that might be suitable for something? I appreciate its going to be a bit of a long shot anywhere and highly weather dependant but if the sun is out so will I be.

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards. Mark

[Matsukaze]

Hartslock or Lardon Chase, near Goring-on-Thames. These are chalk downland sites and have Adonis Blue (the latter especially) though I'm not sure these will still be on the wing in early October.

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Matsukaze,

Thanks for the information. I'm certainly not expecting much and certainly not an Adonis Blue. Do you have a map reference for parking at either location? Also which is nearer to Caversham or are they both close by? I'm really in foreign territory up there!

Thanks again.

Kind regards. Mark

[Matsukaze]

Goring is about 6 miles north-west of Caversham.

Parking for Lardon Chase is off the B4009 at the top of Streatley Hill, SU583806, with the slopes to your east on arrival. The woodland across the road is not bad for the usual range of woodland birds.

I've only been to Hartslock once and it is remote and obscure - down the dead-end lane going beyond Goring railway station, bearing left at the first fork and keeping going. There is a very little room to park by the reserve entrance, which is at (approx) SU615796. There is a fine website http://hartslock.org.uk/blog/.

[Pete Eeles]

The Holies, which you can access off the A329, is also pretty good. It's actually "over the road" from Lardon Chase. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lardon_Cha ... Lough_Down

If it were me, I'd probably look at Lardon Chase and The Holies, since parking at Hartslock is a nightmare - even more so now that the local farmers have put signs up asking people not to park in the only possibly layby near the reserve. As Matsukaze says, there is parking right next to the reserve - but you need to drive up a track (more like a country lane) and hope there's nobody already there! It's a real shame since the reserve is superb. An alternative is to park at, or near, Goring station and walk up to the reserve.

What is it you're hoping to see, Mark? Are you specifically after butterflies, or simply anything that moves (and a few things that don't)?!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Mark Colvin]

Dear Pete and Matsukaze.

Many thanks for the information which is much appreciated.

What is it you're hoping to see, Mark? Are you specifically after butterflies, or simply anything that moves (and a few things that don't)?!

Being realistic, anything that catches my eye and doesn't fly off in a hurry!

Thanks again.

Kind regards. Mark

[MikeOxon]

Hello Mark,

i agree with Pete that the Holies is a good place to visit - varied habitat, wooded on the slopes and open commons on the ridge, with long views to the South and, if you go far enough, down into the Goring Gap.

May I also suggest going North from Caversham to Nettlebed, through very fine Chiltern Beechwoods. If your interest stretches to fungi, there is a good spot down a small lane to the right off the B481, opposite the Sue Ryder home just before Nettlebed, with a good selection of fungi.

Nettlebed, Oxon - 29 September 2011

Even better, continue a little further and turn right at Nettlebed towards Bix, where BBOWT have their 'flagship' reserve. It's lost in a valley north of the A4130 (turn left just after the start of the dual-carriageway) and involves some very narrow but well-surfaced lanes. There is great variety here and a visitor centre with car-park, which will tell you what's about. Also good for fungi and plenty of birds, including Red Kite overhead. It is a great reserve at most times of year, with loads of butterfles (in summer!) and several rare orchids, etc., etc., etc.

Mike

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your post and the information supplied.

If your interest stretches to fungi, there is a good spot down a small lane to the right off the B481, opposite the Sue Ryder home just before Nettlebed, with a good selection of fungi.

I'm afraid it does ... only recently mind you and I haven't a clue what I'm looking at!

Thanks again.

Kind regards. Mark