THE WILTSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST’S VERA JEANS NATURE RESERVE 263 
River Avon in South-west Fen 
praetermissa and Water Avens Geum rivale, both 
strong indicators of mesotrophic conditions. 
Where the carr borders the River Avon there are 
extensive patches of Opposite-leaved Golden- 
saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium. South of the 
river there are just a few metres of level ground and 
then another few of steep scarp up to the gentler 
slope of Big Forty and its dry grassland. There is 
considerable seepage of water at various levels on the 
scarp, so there is a gradation from carr at the bottom 
to ordinary woodland or hedgerow conditions at the 
top. (This seepage was heavily laced with fertilizer 
from the arable — one of the main reasons for its 
purchase by the Trust.) In the carr are Brooklime 
Veronica beccabunga and Blue Water-speedwell Vv 
anagallis-aquatica. One specimen of the latter, 
“growing this year on the bank where the river enters 
the carr, was quite remarkable for being 1:5 metres 
tall — three times its usual maximum height. It is 
thought to be probably a hybrid with Pink Water- 
speedwell V. anagallis-aquatica * catenata = V. X 
lackschewitzii which is often more robust (Stace 
1992, 722). In the drier parts are Moschatel or Town- 
hall Clock Adoxa moschatellina, an ancient woodland 
indicator, Primroses Primula vulgaris, Bluebells 
Ayacinthoides non-scripta and Bracken Pteridium 
aquilinum. Stone Parsley Sison amomum grows right 
beside the path, but has only just been noticed — it is 
probably a recent introduction. The Flora Mapping 
Project found it only in the north-west and south- 
east of Wiltshire, but describe it as a plant of ‘poorly 
tended footpaths’. 
The South-west Fen [5 & 6] 
The south-west section covers about three hectares 
in all. (As this is the most sensitive part of the 
reserve, access is restricted: visitors wishing to be 
admitted to it should apply to the Trust or directly 
to me.) Mostly it is tall-herb fen through which 
flows the Avon lined by mature Alders A. glutinosa. 
Since 1994 the fen [5] has been grazed during the 
summer, currently by seven Belted Galloways. Of 
the dominant plants, Great Horsetail E. telmateia, 
Meadowsweet F ulmaria, Yellow Iris I. pseudacorus 
and Reed Sweet-grass G. maxima, which 1s locally 
dominant appears to depend on the wetness of the 
soil but this has not yet been tested properly. The 
plants of the north-east fen occur here as well with 
some additions such as Branched Bur-reed 
Sparganium  erectum, Southern Marsh-orchid 
