The Best of the Cotswolds

Home , Edge Common, Frampton Mansell, Strawberry Banks

Naturetrek Tour Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Frampton Mansell

Day 2/4 Explore the Cotswolds

Departs May - August

Focus Orchids, Butterflies, Birds, Culture

Grading A/B. All walking will be at a slow pace on paths with some hills.

Dates and Prices See website (tour code GBR234) or brochure

Highlights

• Explore the scenic and beautiful Cotswolds with an expert local naturalist. • Orchids may include Lesser Butterfly, Bee, Southern Marsh and possibly Lizard Orchid. • Butterflies searched for include Large Blue, Duke of Burgundy and Marsh Fritillary. • Stop off at picturesque Cotswold villages including Bourton-on-the-Water. • Birds may include Redstart, Cuckoo, Corn Bunting, Hobby, Spotted Flycatcher. • Explore a range of habitats from our base in a classic Cotswold Inn.

Large Blue, Bee Orchid and Bourton-on-the-Water

Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf’s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK

T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary

Introduction Beautiful villages made from traditional, golden, Cotswold stone, fascinating architecture, quaint, country pubs and wonderful rolling hills, meadows and farmland are all pictures imagined when someone mentions “The Cotswolds”. What is often overlooked somewhat is the flora and fauna that is also found in this special area. We seek to show you the very best of the Cotswolds, focusing on its varied natural history alongside the beautiful scenery, villages and architecture as we go. We will be based for our three nights at The Crown Inn, in the quiet hamlet of Frampton Mansell. This seventeenth century ‘cider house’ is steeped in history and is the perfect village pub with well- appointed comfortable en-suite rooms. We will explore the area each day with varied, gentle walks aimed to take in and enjoy everything we find. Visiting in from mid-May to August we will largely be focusing on the excellent range of orchids and wildflowers of the area, a host of special butterflies, while also enjoying the breeding and migrant birds of course. We will make time to visit some picture postcard villages including the famous Bourton-on-the-Water and some of the less well known, but equally beautiful, villages and hamlets along the way, covering a broad range of habitats to make this a most varied and complete short break.

The Cotswolds was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty back in 1966 and is the second largest protected landscape in England after the Lake District. The boundaries of the Cotswolds are around 25 miles across and 90 miles long and the area includes several counties. Most of the area is within Gloucestershire (the county we shall be focusing the majority of our time) and Oxfordshire with smaller parts in Wiltshire, Somerset, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

Basing ourselves in the heart of the Cotswolds in the tiny hamlet of Frampton Mansell (which is just a 30-minute drive from Cheltenham) we will focus on a number of special sites during our 3-night stay ensuring that sufficient time is spent at each location to find and enjoy the very special flora and fauna. We will walk in flower-rich limestone grasslands, head to the highest point in the Cotswolds on Cleeve Hill, explore some beautiful beech and oak woodlands and visit water meadows too. The sites visited shall depend on how early or late the season is, and with the most

Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the Water

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary up-to-date local knowledge, our itinerary may change slightly to view other species that are special to this thriving area and make the very best of our time. In the right conditions, these varied habitats will provide views of a host of special butterflies, including the rare Duke of Burgundy, Pearl- bordered and Marsh Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Adonis Blue and the very special Large Blue amongst others.

Orchids proliferate in the limestone grasslands, abandoned quarries, beech woodlands and sheltered valleys here and across our three full days we hope to find a superb array of species and we will know the locations of everything possible and try to see them during the tour. Such delights as Bee Orchid, Fly Orchid, Greater and Lesser Butterfly Orchid and later in the season, Broad-leaved, Green-flowered, Narrow-lipped and possibly even Violet Helleborine may be found amongst others. Whenever you chose to visit it is sure to be a most rewarding short break. Itinerary

Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather & other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of the programme during the course of the tour, though this will always be

done to maximise best use of the time and weather conditions available.

Day 1 Arrive at The Crown Inn

You are welcome to check in to your rooms from 2pm today and your tour leader will meet you at the bar area at 6pm for an introduction and outline plan for the days ahead before enjoying our first dinner together and further discussions of what lies ahead.

Days 2 - 4 Exploring the beautiful Cotswolds

The next three full days will be spent exploring this superb area with varied walks across a range of habitats and locations in search of the area’s orchids, butterflies, birds and rich natural history. We will be sure to visit some of the beautiful villages of the region including Bourton-on-the-Water, and Withington as we go and enjoy some superb hospitality and cuisine at our excellent, family run inn.

The order of the itinerary, as always, will be kept flexible to react to the weather conditions and some of the areas and sites we shall visit during the break are listed below. Our leader will know the best sites to visit at any time to find an array of special species, living locally and having many years of experience in finding wildlife across the Cotswolds. While out in the field at any of the sites, we will be enjoying everything and walking at a slow, relaxed pace. The main focus will be on the flora and in particular orchids and also the butterflies, with birds and culture along the way as we pass through and stop in beautiful villages for lunches and coffee stops.

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary

The seasons for orchids and butterflies can differ year to year and so not all species listed will be flowering or on the wing at the same time. At the bottom of the itinerary, under “Focus” we have listed some key species and the usual flight and flowering season which will help if you have specific species you hope to see. Our leader knows the area very well and the often very specific locations for certain orchids having tracked down all of Gloucestershire’s orchid species as well as butterflies and breeding birds. Whichever Orchid meadow time you chose to visit, there is sure to be a great deal to enjoy and this tour provides the opportunity to see some of the Cotswolds finest natural history as well as its famous culture and architecture.

Rodborough Common

The botanically rich limestone grassland of Rodborough Common is home to an array of wildflowers and butterflies and we shall be sure to explore this excellent area. A SSSI, Rodborough Common is also designated as a European Special Area of Conservation, in particular for its flowers and invertebrates. There are various swathes of limestone grassland through the Cotswolds but this is in fact the most extensive area of semi-natural dry limestone grassland. A range of butterflies may include such star species as Duke of Burgundy and Adonis Blue and the wonderful Large Blue was re-introduced here and is thriving. We may also find Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper and Small Blue among others with the grasslands often alive with more common species such as Marbled White and Meadow Brown. We will search for orchids including Early Purple, Pyramidal, Common and Spotted Orchid with Chalk Fragrant Orchid also found here and in fewer numbers, Bee, Musk and Frog Orchid with Sword-leaved Helleborine also possible. There is also a site nearby where Gloucestershire’s only known Lizard Orchid is found, and we will visit this site Duke of Burgundy too if this special plant is possible to see during our visit.

A little later in the season, Pasque-Flower may be found and other species we may find include, Milkwort, Harebell, Common Rock Rose, Germander Speedwell, Knapweed and Field Scabious.

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary

Our excursion here will be to the backdrop of Skylarks singing and wonderful views, west towards the Severn and beyond to the Welsh mountains, with beautiful views over the Slad and Painswick Valleys towards Stroud.

Strawberry Banks

Formed by a tributary of the River Frome, this site lies very close to our base in Frampton Mansell. The area is essentially two fields above a small wooded valley which holds a very good selection of grassland plants and butterflies. The area is named as it is believed strawberries were once grown here, although there is no sign of any now. With no agricultural improvements, and only occasional grazing by horses, to reduce growth of Lesser Butterfly Orchid grasses and scrub. Among more common species including Common Rock-rose, Devil's-bit Scabious, Nettle-leaved Bellflower and Carline Thistle, we hope to find Lesser Butterfly Orchid here as well as Pyramidal and Common Spotted Orchids. This is a very special site in Gloucestershire for the Marsh Fritillary. Once relatively common through the county, it is now recorded only at this one site. It is a lovely walk up through beech woodland leading to these fields, where Bird’s-nest Orchid can often be found and exploring these rich, grassland slopes is always very rewarding. Redstarts may be found here and Spotted Flycatchers are also possible with a range of other butterfly species including Small Copper and Common Blue.

Daneway Banks

Daneway Banks Nature Reserve is another fantastic example of limestone grassland and is famous for being home to the very special Large Blue Butterfly. This species had become extinct across the UK during the 1970s, but a very successful re-introduction plan that started here in 2002 now means this species is thriving once again. Relying largely on Wild Thyme for laying their eggs, the caterpillars of the Large Blue famously grow as parasites inside the nests of a very specific species of red ant, Myrmica sabuleti. They are “adopted” by foraging ants who are tricked into taking them into their home by emitting a secretion which makes the ants think they are their own larva. Once in the nest the caterpillars will feed on the ant grubs or in some cases beg for food by acting like an ant larva. It is a remarkable life cycle that is taking place and this is now one of the best sites in Large Blue

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary the world to see this species as they are now in a higher density here than in many other parts of their range.

The 42-acre reserve is again, sloping limestone grassland with areas of ancient Beech, Yew and Hazel woodland. We may encounter Tree Pipit’s, Redstarts and Yellowhammers as we explore and large numbers of Pyramidal and Common Spotted Orchids can be found here while we will also search for Frog Orchid. The reserve affords more stunning views across the surrounding countryside and being in a rather remote location being only accessed by minor roads, it is beautifully quiet.

Rough Bank

Rough Bank butterfly reserve is another real gem of a site found in a remote and secluded Cotswold valley. It is in fact one of only a handful of sites in the UK where six species of blue butterfly may be seen across the season. Common, Holly, Small, Adonis and Chalk Hill Blue along with Brown Argus.

Horseshoe Vetch, Common Calamint, Rock Rose and Clustered Bellflower are just some of the lime-loving plants we may find and we will search here for Lesser Butterfly Orchid Adonis Blue and possibly Bee Orchids too. The site is again very secluded being half a mile from the nearest road, and quite enclosed, being bordered by areas of dense woodland.

Greystones Farm

Greystones Farm, near to the famous village of Bourton-on-the-Water will give us access to beautiful flower rich grassland and water meadows and a complete contrast to the sites previously mentioned. Greystones is a cattle farm managed organically in regard to grazing and hay cutting resulting in a super array of wild flowers. A relaxed walk will take us down towards the flower rich meadows alongside the beautiful River Eye which flows through the reserve. Meadow plants thrive here including Meadowsweet, Marsh Marigold, Adder’s- tongue Fern and Common Meadow Rue. Two more special orchids we shall hope to find here are the Southern Marsh Orchid and Early Marsh Orchid. It will be another tranquil walk around this site, which often has Cuckoos calling and Sedge Warblers in riverside vegetation as well as the chance Southern Marsh Orchid

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary for Hobby. We will be incorporating a visit nearby to Bourton-on-the-Water and the chance to walk along the River Windrush in this most charming Cotswold village which is as often referred to as “the Venice of the Cotswolds”.

Withington

Nearby to the tiny and picturesque village of Withington, lies a superb and little-known site for wildflowers and butterflies. A gentle walk here through picturesque rolling farmland and bird filled hedgerows, leads us to some ancient beech woodland, open meadows and woodland clearings.

The meadows here often hold thousands of Common Spotted Orchids which creates quite a sight and along the grassy woodland edges and clearings, large numbers of the delicate Fly orchid can be found. Impressive numbers of the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly can be found along with Small Blue, Green Hairstreak and even a very small population of Pearl-bordered Fritillary which was only found very recently. The hedgerows are often noisy with Common Whitethroat and Blackcap with Garden Warbler breeding here too giving us a chance to learn the beautiful song of this often overlooked species. Red Kites are now an increasingly common site across the Cotswolds and Tree Pipits breed here too. In the woodlands we can find White- Helleborine and Bird’s-nest Orchids and this area makes for a fascinating walk Fly Orchid with some special views out over the surrounding countryside.

Cirencester Park

A short woodland walk here will have the specific target of finding the beautiful Pearl-bordered Fritillary. This is in fact the last Gloucestershire stronghold for the species and a section of this woodland is managed entirely to help this species survive. This butterfly relies on Common Dog- Violet as a food plant for the caterpillars and we shall carefully cover the trails to try and find this species.

Cleeve Common

At Cleeve Common we find ourselves at the highest point in Gloucestershire with wonderful views out across Cheltenham and the famous racecourse below us with the Malverns and Welsh Hills in the further distance. Most of the area is unimproved limestone grassland which is managed by the grazing of cattle through the winter months. Unusually for the Cotswolds there is also some acidic soil and patches of heath too. This coupled with areas of scrub and gorse, running water and pools with beech and oak woodland on the lower slopes, means there is a great diversity of habitats which

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary makes this area rich in wildlife. As well as swathes of Bird’s-foot trefoil and other lime favoring flowers including Fairy Flax, Dropwort, Milkwort, Carline Thistles and Harebells, we will again search for orchids here and several species may be found. Early Purple and Common Spotted Orchid are fairly widespread along with Pyramidal Orchid and we shall also search for the more difficult to find Bee, Frog and Musk Orchids at key sites as well as Chalk Fragrant Orchid.

Over the grasslands we may find Dark Green Fritillary and Small Heath with Wall Brown also a possibility here although the population is small. Green Hairstreak is again possible as is Duke of Burgundy while later in July and August, Chalk Hill Blue emerges. As with all the locations we visit, we will of course be Corn Bunting enjoying the birds and this area can be very good for finding Cuckoo, Tree Pipit and Stonechat with Redstart also breeding here as well as good numbers of Yellowhammer, Linnet and hopefully Corn Bunting. Wheatear and Whinchat pass through on passage and Ravens are often “croaking” overhead. There is also a good population of Adders here and exploring this area can be very rewarding for a wide range of species.

Painswick – Edge Common

This superb SSSI site will once more provide us with an array of special species as we explore the unimproved grassland here and areas of beech woodland. Some fabulous views out over the Cotswolds towards Painswick can be enjoyed as we search for a range or orchids, butterflies and birds. Throughout the season, an array of special species can be found but arguably the site is best know for its helleborines which tend to flower in July into August. At this site we have a chance to enjoy White, Broad-leaved, Green-flowered, Narrow-lipped and possibly even Violet Helleborine! It’s a good site for seeing Silver-washed Fritillary and Dark Green Fritillary too. A whole host of other flowers and plants can be enjoyed including Dyer’s Greenweed, Rest-Harrow, Common Scabious, Lady’s Bedstraw, Fairy Flax, Horseshoe Vetch and Rock Rose to name but a few. Into August the final orchid of the season can be found nearby, the Autumn Lady's Tresses and Chalk Hill Blue butterflies will be on the wing. As we explore we may enjoy Cuckoo, Redstart and Tree Pipit with Skylarks often overhead and Spotted Flycatcher in the woodlands while later in the season in August, Whinchats, Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears pass through. The site also lies opposite the Edgemoor Inn, a classic Cotswold pub to enjoy after our explorations.

Tour Grading & Focus

It will largely be easy walking on this holiday, covering between three and six miles per day, at a slow pace. Some of the walks will have uphill sections on some rocky paths but we will never be in

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary a rush, always stopping and starting to look for wildlife. Visiting in mid-May through August, the focus will largely be on finding the areas orchids and butterflies but of course aiming to find and enjoy any special birds along the way too. Everything will be enjoyed. Although orchids are a major feature, this tour isn’t a dedicated botanical tour and isn’t led by a trained botanist. We will also be making special effort to visit some classic Cotswold villages and giving time to enjoy them, taking walks there and time to take photos.

A short summary of the season is described below and we are happy to help advise if there are various dates on offer and you have a species species you hope to see.

With the butterflies, starting in mid-May, we will see the emergence of Pearl-bordered and Marsh Fritillary with Large Blue emerging on the first few days of June and on the wing until mid-July in a typical year. Duke of Burgundy and Adonis Blue will be on the wing from mid-May through June with Chalk Hill Blue a little later from mid-July onwards.

Orchids can be enjoyed throughout the UK, flowering typically between April and September, with peak flowering from May through to August. In the earlier season, May to July, it is about largely focusing on the meadows and grasslands for Early Marsh, Pyramidal, Fly and Bee Orchids with Birds-nest Orchid in the woodlands. From early July, Bird’s-nest Orchid well into August we typically then turn our attentions to the woodlands more with several striking species of helleborines flowering as mentioned above. The orchid season finishes with the delicate Autumn lady's tresses which typically flowers in August – September. Of course, this changes year to year with the season and whenever you visit a great range of species can be enjoyed.

Weather, Clothing & Equipment

From May to August we can hope for very pleasant weather and we will certainly hope for some sunny conditions but waterproof clothing and sturdy – preferably waterproof or water-resistant – footwear is recommended. Light waterproofs are very much recommended in case of showers, as we could get caught in rain away from shelter. Binoculars are very much advised to get the most from the tour.

What’s Included and Accommodation

Breakfasts and evening meals are included in the holiday cost beginning with the evening meal on Day 1 and finishing with breakfast on Day 4. Accommodation will be at the Crown Inn in twin or double rooms and all en suite. All the rooms have tea & coffee making facilities & hair dryers with free Wi-Fi in the rooms and in the pub.

The Best of the Cotswolds Tour Itinerary

The tour price includes a 3-course meal on each night and the food is a combination of modern and traditional British cooking and, where possible, uses locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Vegetarian options are available and other dietary needs can be catered for.

Lunches are not included in the cost of this tour. We will stop at a quaint Cotswold village pub or café for lunch and will make stops during the day as and when required. Snacks, drinks and items of a personal nature are not included in the price of the tour and you are welcome to bring personal snacks if you wish.

Extending Your Holiday

We are more than happy to book additional nights at the hotel for you. Please request this at the time of booking.

How to book your place

In order to book your place on this holiday, please give us a call on 01962 733051 with a credit or debit card, book online at www.naturetrek.co.uk, or alternatively complete and post the booking form at the back of our main Naturetrek brochure, together with a deposit of 20% of the holiday cost plus any room supplements if required. If you do not have a copy of the brochure, please call us on 01962 733051 or request one via our website. Please stipulate any special requirements, for example extension requests, at the time of booking.

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