Catherington Down

The Queen Elizabeth Country Park (for the County Council) manage this small 32 acre section of chalk down-land on the road between Clanfield and Lovedean.  The whole of the reserve is open access and is popular with dog walkers.  See below on combining it with Catherington Lith for a longer walk.                                                                                                                 

Catherington Down in the snow in 2000.

It is an interesting archaeological site for the strip lynchets that run the length of the down.  These are kind of steps or terraces in the land which are a result of contour ploughing in medieval times. Since then it has been grazed for hundreds of years and has not been ploughed for a century or more.  It is now an oasis of species rich downland. In 1963 it was given to County Council to be preserved "in its natural state" and is dedicated to the benefit of local people and wildlife alike.

The down consists of a thin layer of soil overlying chalk.  This sort of land is not easy for plants as it drains extremely well, is relatively poor in nutrients and is very alkaline.  any plant life must therefore be capable of withstanding these stressful conditions.  The Down is a lovely example of this type of land which has, for too long, been disappearing over Britain due to the pressure of 'more efficient' farming methods.  Catherington, because of its undisturbed state still has most of the typical plants of such land including frog, common spotted, fragrant, bee, pyramidals and later in the year autumn ladies tresses.  The frog orchids (right) are scarce in this part of the world and even on Catherington Down incredibly hard to find - that is mainly because they are so inconspicuous.  Other specialties on the down are clustered bell flower and round headed rampion (right).  Early in the season the down is covered in the yellows of cowslip and buttercup which is followed by the blues of harebell, knapweed and small scabious.

The down is hardly a bird hot spot but the wooded edges of the down have typical species.  Yellowhammer like the scrub patches in the summer and green woodpecker at any time are noticeable.  The latter are attracted by the meadow ants in their hills - which also suit particular plants like the tiny white flowered squinancywort.

Good populations of typical chalk downland butterflies are present and much of the management of the land is done in the hope of increasing the populations.  Marbled whites appear in June for about a month and blues are a joy in the summer months.

Catherington Lith and Stubbins Down form a wooded scarp rising steeply above the village of Horndean . Over 12 ha. (30 acres) in area, most of it lies on the north-east facing Chalk slope, with some on the clay plateau above. Much of the Lith is Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (i.e. continually wooded since at least 1600 AD), whilst Stubbins Down is Old Chalk Grassland, an increasingly rare type of habitat. Originally there was much more grassland on the slope, but this has been invaded by scrub in recent years, and is now classed as ‘secondary’ woodland. The Ancient Woodland is of great value to wildlife: there are many uncommon species of plants, it is an ideal habitat for small mammals, and there is a rich bird-life. There are many tree and shrub species present, mature Oak and Ash being dominant, with an under-storey of younger Ash, Whitebeam, Yew, Holly, Hawthorn and Hazel.  (Click here to see a map )

The Lith and Catherington Down can be combined to make a nice walk of about an hour and a half.

Chappetts Copse

This reserve is a beech wood in the Meon valley with a particularly significant set of flowers.  The wood was almost certainly planted and tall straight beeches provide a woodland floor of dappled light.  Some conifers and Norway maple have been planted in the wood but action is being taken to remove as much of the latter and other invasive scrub as possible.

The reserve has Solomon's seal, spurge laurel, and woodruff but much more interesting are the orchids such as birds nest, and fly orchids, white and the very rare narrow leaved (or sword leaved) helleborines.  When the latter are in flower there are paths and directions set out so that you can enjoy them without doing any damage to the flowers or their habitat.  

To get to the reserve turn east of the A32 in West Meon heading toward East Meon.  about ½ a mile along the road turn south into Coombes Lane; the reserve is on the left.  Park by but not blocking the entrance to the Forestry Commission access to Hen Wood and walk back to the reserve entrance.

Portsdown SSSI

This is not a reserve as such but the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is covered on a separate page

Farlington Marshes LNR

This is such a significant reserve that it merits its own page.  Click here to find it.

West Hayling LNR

The prime reason for the creation of this reserve is the existence of the Oyster beds.  Over a number of years efforts were made on the N E shore of Hayling Island to establish an oyster industry.  Bunds were made off shore and the oyster 'seeds' grown in the lagoons for planting in the harbour and the Solent.  Long abandoned a few years ago the old bunds were becoming unsafe so Havant BC took steps to remove most of the bunds.  However a section of the old beds have been kept as a lagoon which has permanent sea water in it.

Saline lagoons are rare habitat and this lagoon has the potential, with proper civil engineering and management to be a good example of this habitat.  EEC grants have been obtained to finance this work and pay for a reserve warden.  A lot of volunteer effort is necessary in support of the EEC grant and this is being provided by The Friends of Langstone Harbour.  In the summer of 2000 the area has been formally notified as a local Nature Reserve.  On the right is a picture of me driving a roller to make a path and on the left Alison Went, John Badley (RSPB) and other friends lay shingle on 'Little Tern Island' in the hope that more of the birds will be encouraged to nest here.

In the winter the area is a prime bird hot spot.  Waders and little egrets feed on the mud areas where the old lagoons were, grebes including black-necked, are frequent off shore but you may need a telescope to find them.  Merganser and goldeneye use the enclosed lagoon.

In the spring little tern move onto an island in the lagoon and this is now one of the best sites in the UK for this scarce bird.  Other tern can be seen and its also worth taking a look at some of the wild flowers around the site.

Milton Locks

This small patch of grass on the north bank of Eastney lake and just west of the old lock which was once the entrance to the canal leading into Portsmouth is a wildlife trust reserve.  It is the last remnant on natural shore on the Portsmouth side of Langstone Harbour and is home to some nice plants (including common mallow, wild carrot, common vetch and autumn hawkbit) and insects ( small copper and green veined white butterflies and great green bush crickets).

Beachlands SSSI

The whole of the Hayling Island beach, including its immediate hinterland holds important communities of plants, birds, fungi, mosses, lichens and insects.  In addition sea shells and fossils of interest are frequently found.

Over 150 plant species have been identified with significant concentrations particularly at the East and West extremities. The plant life includes many rare grasses, sedges, mosses etc., besides some more obvious rare wild flowers like little robin. (right)

Birds, and in the summer butterflies, like the red admirals , and dragonflies are everywhere.  Most of the common shore bird species are likely to be around and in the spring and autumn migrants like wheatear pass through.  The most exiting birds appear on the sea in the winter.  (see under Beachlands)

Beachlands

Beachlands was declared an SSSI in early 2000 mainly for its plants. This area is superficially less exciting than the uncultivated and wilder areas to the East and West but is still of significant botanic interest.  There are plants, insects and birds to look out for.  Search where the mowers have not been, in the rough areas that have defied those who seek to tidy up and you never know what you might find.

Gunner Point to the west is freely accessible and there is much to see.  It has probably the best developed sand dune system on the whole of the Hampshire coast although the dunes are badly eroded.  Their plant life is dominated by the introduced tree lupins.  Yellow-horned poppy , sea kale and sea bindweed are also present

RSPB Islands

The RSPB Reserve in Langstone Harbour consists of 5 Islands and very extensive mud flats.  In the summer the Islands hold breeding gulls and terns including Mediterranean Gulls and Little Terns.  In the winter they are roost sites for waders and wildfowl - up to two thirds of the Harbour's waterfowl roost on the Islands.  Sometimes they are disturbed e.g. by raptors, and then there can be spectacular displays as thousands of birds whirl overhead.

The little tern colony has held over 100 pairs but in the last two summers there have not been this number of birds - possible causes being the huge numbers of gulls and the movement of some of the terns to the Oyster Beds.  The reserve is probably the major site in the UK for breeding Mediterranean Gulls.

Access, by boat, is limited to a designated area at the south eastern end of Long Island.  But you do not really need access to the Island to see the birds which feed on surrounding mud and over Farlington Marshes.  A walk along the Broadmarsh shore and down the Eastern bank of the Marshes will give good views of the bird life.

There are rare plants on the islands but again these are replicated in other nearby sites

For more information - there is a leaflet available - contact the RSPB Regional Office, 2nd Floor, Frederick House, 42 Frederick Place, Brighton BN1 4EA.   Phone: 01273 775333