Sites near Bath

web4160 · Post by **web4160** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:52 pm

I'm visiting Bath for a couple of days in two weeks. Can any one suggest good sites within about 30 minutes? Being from the North west I don't know the area at all.

David

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:26 am

One of the best sites in this area for silver washed fritillary is Clanger Wood near Trowbridge. It's good for white admiral too but they looked a bit battered last time I visited. About half an hour's drive from Bath.

Good for chalkhill blue, which may be flying by the time you get here, is Hazelbury Common. Fifteen minutes drive from Bath.

Bannerdown at Batheaston is nice for marbled white, small skipper and if lucky, essex skipper. Purple hairstreak is supposed to be there too but I've never found them. Ten minutes drive from Bath.

Go a little further afield to Priddy Mineries near Wells for dark green fritillary and good numbers of dragonflies and damselflies. My last visit last week also saw two or three rather tired looking small pearl bordered fritillaries. About 40 minutes drive.

I can give directions to the above if you wish.

There are other places but I don't know them very well.

web4160 · Post by **web4160** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:14 pm

Thanks for that information. I've manged to work out where 3 out of the 4 are from the sites section. The one I can't find is Hazelbury Common (is it near Box?) which is a shame as we don't get many Chalkhill Blues in the NW! Directions to this one would be very much appreciated.

David

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:33 pm

From Bath head east on the A4 about 6 miles until you reach Box. At the traffic lights take the right fork on the A365. About a mile up the road is an unclassified road on the left. It's near the top of the hill just about where trees meet across the main road and are cut away to form a square. The common is both sides of the road towards the top of the road. The turn off is quite easy to miss so alternatively you can continue up the A365 to the traffic lights and turn left up the B3109. The same unclassified road is about 1/2 mile up this road on your left. You should spot the entrance to Hazelbury Manor which is at the top of the common. The bigger part of the common is on the left hand side and is where most of the chalkhills will be found. There are several pull-ins where you can park, or alternatively there's parking off the B3109 just past the manor entrance behind a little chapel on your right.
Grid ref for the common: ST839678

web4160 · Post by **web4160** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:51 pm

Thanks for that, much appreciated. I'm hoping to be in Bath on Monday and Tuesday next week so I will let you know how I get on. weather permitting!

David

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:44 pm

I visited Hazelbury today, looking specifically for chalkhills but found none, just a solitary common blue male. You might still get lucky and catch them emerging next week though. If I can get out there again this coming weekend I'll report back.
In the meantime, gatekeeper numbers are in their hundreds along the bottom hedges with females having recently emerged to finally keep the males busy. There are still ringlet, marbled white, six spot burnet, meadow brown, small skipper and peacock. I also saw a single small copper plus a rather weathered but intact dark green fritillary.

web4160 · Post by **web4160** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:51 pm

Thanks for the advice.

I managed to visit both Hazelbury Common and Bannerdown on Tuesday morning. Didn't see any Chalkhill Blue but enjoyed the Common particularly. As you said there were literally hundreds of Gatekeepers together with several other types.

I didn't get to Clanger Wood but did see a Silver Washed Fritillary at Tintersfield near Bristol in the afternoon.

David

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:09 pm

Dave, you'll be kicking yourself:
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/v ... php?t=1482
I didn't get there until around 3 pm on Tuesday, the day you were there so couldn't advise you to keep looking. When I arrived I walked around for maybe fifteen minutes before seeing one, then they gradually started popping up over the next hour.
Oh well, well done on spotting the SWF.

web4160 · Post by **web4160** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:52 pm

Eccles,

Yes I saw that, never mind I enjoyed my morning at Hazelbury anyway.

Spent an hour at Arnside Knott today and saw a solitary Scotch Argus so at least there is one butterfly we only see in the North.

Thanks again for your advice.

David