Calstone Coombes
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:54 pm
I do not recall this North Wilts site getting a mention here before, but it deserves one.
[It is a bit out of the way - you can get buses from the mainline station at Chippenham to Calne and walk from there, but I prefer to get a taxi from the station (£15-20) to the area and walk onwards, normally ending up at Avebury where there are buses to Swindon railway station.]
The site is at SU042685, and comprises a number of small grassland valleys that are awash with flowers. I was there on Saturday, and within half an hour had counted 100 Adonis blues, exploring just a fraction of what is a large area of grassland. The site must easily support over a thousand individuals. Also seen were CB, SpW, SW, LW, GVW, WB, P, RA, T, ClY, SH, MB and SC in various numbers, and in the spring the site hosts part of the metapopulation of Marsh Fritillaries that extends between Morgan's Hill and Cherhill. Being a bit remote I didn't see anyone whilst I was there, and had it all to myself - brilliant! Now if someone would just turn off the wind
The National Trust do a leaflet on the site http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w- ... lstone.pdf.
Simon
The masts in the distance are the ones above Morgan's Hill, for those of you familiar with that site:
The view down another of the coombes.
[It is a bit out of the way - you can get buses from the mainline station at Chippenham to Calne and walk from there, but I prefer to get a taxi from the station (£15-20) to the area and walk onwards, normally ending up at Avebury where there are buses to Swindon railway station.]
The site is at SU042685, and comprises a number of small grassland valleys that are awash with flowers. I was there on Saturday, and within half an hour had counted 100 Adonis blues, exploring just a fraction of what is a large area of grassland. The site must easily support over a thousand individuals. Also seen were CB, SpW, SW, LW, GVW, WB, P, RA, T, ClY, SH, MB and SC in various numbers, and in the spring the site hosts part of the metapopulation of Marsh Fritillaries that extends between Morgan's Hill and Cherhill. Being a bit remote I didn't see anyone whilst I was there, and had it all to myself - brilliant! Now if someone would just turn off the wind
The National Trust do a leaflet on the site http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w- ... lstone.pdf.
Simon
The masts in the distance are the ones above Morgan's Hill, for those of you familiar with that site:
The view down another of the coombes.