as some of the group knew it), which were tali with small pale pink flowers. The route skirted the edge 

 of Great Wood, with its dense, tall Sweet Chestnut Castanea saliva coppice. Next to the wood was 

 another wide cultivated field margin, where Meadow Clary, Corncockle Agrostemma githago, Venus's- 

 looking-glass Legousia hybrida, Smith's Pepperwort Lepidium heterophyllum and Dwarf Spurge 

 Euphorbia exigua were amongst the finds. A corner of Great Wood had about 1 5 spikes of IVIan Orchid 

 Aceras anthropopliorum flowers, a few Bee Orchids Ophrys apifera and a number of plants of Hairy 

 Mallow, with its delicate pink flowers. In the open clearing beyond, a Holly Blue butterfly settled on a 

 clump of Wild Liquorice Astragalus glycypliyllos and there were a number of Pyramidal Orchids 

 Anacamptis pyramidalis. A picnic lunch was enjoyed at the top edge of Kitchen Field, looking down 

 across the steeply sloping valley below. A few Ground-pine Ajuga cliamaepitys plants were found 

 nearby. Kitchen Field had only been ploughed and planted in April. From the footpath across it. Annual 

 Mercury Mercurialis annua, Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis, Field Pansy Viola arvensis and other 

 still small arable weeds were identified. 



At the far side of Kitchen Field, the footpath entered Brockles Field, a former arable field which has 

 been in set-aside for about 15 years and is developing a rich flora. Grass Vetchling Lathyrus nissolia, 

 Pyramidal Orchid and Common Broomrape Orobanche minor were amongst the plants which were 

 seen here. The southern side of the field drops down steeply, giving good views southwards up the 

 Medway Valley. The route then dropped down through the woods of Mill Hill, where White Helleborine, 

 Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine, Deadly Nightshade Atropa belladonna and 

 Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris plants were found and a clearing had Horseshoe Vetch. Returning along 

 the track next to the railway line at the bottom of the reserve, two Whitethroats Sylvia communis were 

 spotted on a fence, one with food in its bill. The final section of the walk was through Longhoes Field, 

 where Long-headed Poppy Papaver dubium, with a smooth, elongated, seed capsule was found. 

 Other plants seen here included Long-stalked Crane's-bill Geranium columbinum. Corncockle and 

 many Broad-leaved Cudweed plants. The coach then drove to the nearby Shorne Woods Country 

 Park, where tea and cake were enjoyed. 



Saturday 7 July 



On Saturday 7 July, John Lerpiniere led a group of 8 members on a field trip to the woods above 

 Rushall Farm, Bradfield. The walk started out along the edge of a wheat field above the chalk pit. Colin 

 Dibb explained that the organic farm has a 6-year rotation, with 3 years of grass and clover, grazed by 

 sheep and cattle, to enrich the soil, followed by a year of wheat - the hungriest but most profitable 

 crop, followed by 2 years of less-demanding crops, such as barley. The route then led through Owlpit 

 Copse and into the first of the small meadows in the woods. The field trip had been specially planned 

 to coincide with the flight periods of the White Admiral Limenitis Camilla and Silver-washed Fritillary 

 Argynnis paphia butterflies, but on a morning of continuous cloud cover, none were on the wing. 

 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina, Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus and Marbled White Melanargia 

 galathea butterflies were all seen, together with single specimens of Small Skipper Thymelicus 

 sylvestris and Red Admiral. 



A delicate St John's-wort plant with orange buds was identified as Slender St John's-wort Hypericum 

 pulchrum. Further on, a more robust plant with pale yellow flowers and buds and downy stem and 

 leaves was identified as Hairy St John's-wort H. hirsutum. Later, a big clump of Perforate St John's- 

 wort H. perforatum was also found. A significant proportion of the Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre 

 flowers were white, rather than purple, and there were some pink Selfheal Prunella vulgaris flowers, 

 as well as the more usual purple specimens. Some of the Common Spotted-orchids Dactylorhiza 

 fuchsii had white flowers and these plants all seemed to have leaves without spots. The second small 

 meadow had figwort plants with square 4-winged stems and bluntly tipped leaves which were identified 

 as Water Figwort Scrophulaha auriculata. Field-rose Rosa arvensis, with white flowers and a pointed 

 style, was found near the top of the field. A dense mat of red clover with narrow dark green leaves and 

 dark red flowers was identified as Zigzag Clover Trifolium medium. Wild Strawberries Fragaria vesca 

 provided a delicious snack. The return route led back down through Owlpit Copse and into a very 

 muddy field where a group of cub scouts were camping. Finally, the exposed face of the chalk pit was 

 inspected, with white chalk from the Cretaceous period, laid down about 85 million years ago, at the 

 bottom. This was eroded for about 30 million years, before the next layers were deposited 

 unconformably. The thin dark layer above the chalk, containing sharks' teeth, is supposed to date from 

 the time of the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, 57 million years ago. Traces of iridium are thought to 

 have an extra-terrestial origin. Above are orange layers of sands and clays from the Reading beds. 



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