Rob Stallard led a circular walk starting from the Bull and Butcher pub at Turville on Wednesday 19 July. It was a mild and humid morning, following an evening of torrential thunderstorms. The walk started out up the lane through the village, then turned left onto a footpath up the side of a field. Several tall plants of Stone Parsley were growing at the field entrance and in the field margin were a number of interesting arable weeds, including Dwarf Spurge, Small Toadflax and Sharp-leaved Fluellen. Clumps of Wild Marjoram on the other side of the path harboured Common Blue butterflies and a single Small Copper. Higher up the bank were flower spikes of Dark Mullein and on one of these, 2 caterpillars of the Striped Lychnis moth were spotted. The route then led up through Churchfield Wood, where Nettle-leaved Bellflower, Hairy St John’s-wort, Gooseberry and Wood Barley were amongst the sightings. The next footpath contoured through Idlecombe Wood, with distant views across the valley. Deadly Nightshade and Spurge-laurel were found here. The walk continued down through a grassy field with abundant Wild Marjoram, Common Toadflax and Dark Mullein, across the lane at the bottom, along a track with more Wood Barley and the bright orange fruiting spikes of Lords-and-Ladies and across a grassy field, where a tiny centaury plant with a small, dark pink flower was thought to be Lesser Centaury. Next stop was the privately-owned Gray’s Lane Bank nature reserve. Flowers here included Clustered Bellflower, Yellow-wort, Carline and Stemless Thistle and Ploughman’s-spikenard. Close inspection revealed that the abundant thyme plants were Large Thyme. Their 4-sided stems had long hairs at the corners, the leaves were slightly folded upwards and the stamens protruded significantly from the flowers. The route continued to Ibstone Church, down a steep section of lane, then along a footpath below a wood, where Vervain, Wild Mignonette, Common Rock-rose and Pale Toadflax were seen. The final section of the footpath crossed the grassy field below the Turville windmill. Pyramidal Orchids, a little past their best, were still in flower at the bottom of the field. The walk was followed by lunch at the Bull and Butcher.
Pictures by Rob Stallard and Laurie Haseler