Cothill Fen Wild Walk

Cothill Fen Berkshire Buckinghamshire Wild Walk Oxfordshire Explore Cothill: the most diverse Cothill Fen: a Special Area of wildlife area in Oxfordshire Conservation Starting in Wootton, this 5 kilometre circular Cothill Fen, the largest area of alkaline fen in walk takes in three BBOWT nature reserves: Dry central England, is designated as a Special Sandford Pit, Parsonage Moor and Lashford Area of Conservation (SAC). As part of this Lane Fen SAC, BBOWT’s nature reserves at Dry Sandford n 5.3 km/31/3 miles (about 2 hours) Pit, Parsonage Moor and Lashford Lane are a n Optional extension of 3.2 km/2 miles (about 11/4 hours) nationally important collection of wildlife sites. n There are paths around each of the reserves for additional Cothill Fen supports many species that depend on fen and are exploration consequently very scarce, including over 100 rare or notable species. The southern damselfly, for instance, is nationally How to get to the start and internationally rare and has suffered a 30% decline in its UK distribution since 1960. It has been recorded at both Dry Postcode: OX13 6DN Grid ref: SP 474 012 Sandford Pit and Parsonage Moor. By bus: there is an hourly service from Oxford (including the Fenland requires careful management with a specially tailored train station) and Abingdon to Wootton Monday–Saturday; regime of grazing. Left alone, the fen would soon grow over Traveline: 0870 6082608 or www.traveline.org.uk with scrubby bushes and then trees, which would dry out By car: there is parking at Wootton shops, and limited parking the pools of water that support the fen wildlife. BBOWT has at Dry Sandford Pit and Lashford Lane Fen Nature Reserves introduced livestock to keep the vegetation under control, so that the orchids and other special fen plants and animals will By bike: the start of the walk is 8 miles from Oxford train continue to thrive here. station To protect the wildlife, no dogs are allowed at Parsonage Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) Moor or Lashford Lane Fen. BBOWT relies on the support of our members to help us look Please keep dogs on short leads at Dry Sandford Pit and after local wildlife. By joining BBOWT you can help to secure the Hitchcopse Pit. future of special landscapes like Cothill Fen. Join us today! Dry Sandford Pit Parsonage Moor Lashford Lane Fen Hitchcopse Pit Nature Reserve Nature Reserve Nature Reserve Nature Reserve Dry Sandford Pit Parsonage This small, but Hitchcopse has been created Moor supports amazingly diverse, Pit is an out of an old more than 300 wet valley is a old sandpit limestone quarry. A species of plant, great place to which hosts a ring of sandy cliffs including water explore all year diverse range create a secluded mint. The peaty round. The bird of plants and spot where nature and ground and calcium-rich hide provides views over insects. In summer, marbled geology are both on show. water create a mix of soil the reedbed, where reed white and common blue The cliff face reveals ancient types that allow this huge buntings overwinter. If you butterflies flit between the fossils laid down during the number of plants to flourish. are lucky, you might hear flowers, while solitary bees era of the dinosaurs. Now A combination of fen, the pig-like squeals of water and wasps burrow into the the cliff is used as a home by reedbed, open water and rail. The large quantities sand. Sand-loving plants like hundreds of solitary bees and wet woodland provides the of dead wood support all viper’s-bugloss flourish here. wasps. The foot of the cliff is right conditions for insects manner of insects. Listen The picturesque pond also carpeted with lichens, wild like the scarlet tiger moth, out for the ‘plop’ of the has thriving populations of flowers and fungi. and birds like the cuckoo. water vole along the brook. newts and dragonflies. Find out more about BBOWT’s nature reserves: www.bbowt.org.uk Berkshire Buckinghamshire The route Oxfordshire B e C s Wootton Lashford Lane s B4017 u e m l sl n N Fen Nature ei o The walk starts and ends in Wootton on g r n h R to Sandleigh Rd Sandleigh R Reserve d d t o e Besselsleigh Road. Start by taking the o g a l W P P l i Shops 1 V bridleway between the shops and Community A420 L community centre. a L s Centre a h m f bo o r r d ou L Lansdowne Rd gh n H Circular walk (5.3 km) The Field ill k o Hitchcopse extension (3.2 km) o Upwood r B School Park d Nature Reserve Wildlife Walk A338 r o f n d L n h 2 2 Start of section described a c S r u Parsonage h C Green Ln P Parking Moor Nature Reserve Dry E Nature Reserve entrance The Sandford Plantation BBOWT Nature Reserve Honeybottom Ln Abingdon Aireld Green spaces E E Hitch P Dry Sandford Town Copse Pit Nature Hitchcopse Cothill Pub Reserve Blackhorse Ln Scale for small maps (metres) Pit Nature Reserve Hitchcopse Metres Farm Cothill Rd 0 100 400300200 500 0 100 200 300 400 500 Stage 1: setting off Stage 2: to Dry Sandford Pit Take the bridleway between shops and community centre. Where Come to a road and turn right. Follow the road through Dry a road comes in from the right, turn left. As the path becomes a Sandford village to Cothill Road. Turn right and after 100 metres, road, continue straight to pass ‘Arthur Evans Close’ sign on your you will see Dry Sandford Pit Nature Reserve on your left. right. Turn right onto the footpath to Lashford Lane. When you come to a road (Lashford Lane), cross and take the tarmac lane ‘The Field’. Behind Dry Sandford School, turn left onto a footpath. C u B m essel sleig n Church School h R o o r e 2 a R n d La o h a rc Shops P d u 1 Ch L a mb o Dry Sandford L Community ro a u sh Centre g E h f o H r i d ll L a n T e he F ield Arthur Evans Close Cothill Road Ho neybottom School E Lane Dry Sandford Pit Stage 3: to Parsonage Moor Stage 4: into the woods Leave Dry Sandford Pit by the entrance. Turn left and continue To visit Hitchcopse Pit Nature Reserve go to Extension 1. into Cothill village. When you come to a pub on your left, turn From Parsonage Moor, turn left to retrace your steps for 50 right onto the footpath opposite. Follow the edge of Cothill metres with the playing field on your right. Turn left along a House School playing fields for 300 metres to find Parsonage footpath to continue to a brook, and follow the path that runs Moor Nature Reserve on your right. along the left of a fence. Come out of the woods into an area of reeds. Continue through the reeds into another wood (the Church ground becomes very uneven here). At the end of the log path, Parsonage Lane fork left and continue to a stile. Moor Ruskin E 3 Reserve ng Lane pa E Stri t h School Parsonage Sports Moor eld Pub S a Cothill n d Ruskin f o Reserve E Lane pa r g th d Hitch 4 trin S B Copse School r Dry o Cothill Road o Sandford Pit Sports Pub k eld Cothill 01865 775476 [email protected] www.bbowt.org.uk Stage 5: along the lakes Stage 6: through the fields Go over the stile and continue along the path, keeping the Continue straight ahead through a field, walking past the end conifer plantation to your right. Go through an opening in the of a row of trees. Climb over a stile into a wooded area. Cross fence to arrive on the edge of a field. Continue straight onto a brook and then go over another stile into grassland. Follow the track along the field edge. Just before you come to a small the path to a gate. Go through the gate and continue until you patch of trees to the right of the track (at the point where a path come to the end of a driveway, which takes you to Church Lane. comes in from the left), take a sharp right off the track onto a Turn left through Dry Sandford. As the lane bends to the right, take footpath across a field. the footpath to the left, around the back of the school. At the tarmac lane, turn left and then right onto a footpath. The F 6 ield T k r o School a k o c r o k B ro d B r o e d f n r d a o Church L df an an S S rch u h C Dry Parsonage The Moor Dry Sandford 5 Plantation Sandford Stage 7: to Lashford Lane Fen Extension 1: Parsonage Moor Follow the footpath between the houses. Go over a stile and Leave Parsonage Moor and turn right to continue on the continue in the same direction across grassland. Go over a stile footpath. Follow the path along the edge of the woods. After onto Lashford Lane. Turn left, following the pavement for 150 the path bears right at Hitchcopse Farm, walk 100 metres to metres to Lashford Lane Fen Nature Reserve.

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