Malcolm Storey arranged a visit to the National Trust’s Sandham Memorial Chapel, near Burghclere, on Tuesday 6th July. The first part of the evening was spent in the wildflower meadow of the orchard in front of the chapel. Due to the recent hot and dry weather, the meadow was a little past its best, but there was still a good display of Common Knapweed, Yellow Rattle and Common Spotted-orchids and a single Pyramidal Orchid was in flower. A white rose growing in the hedge was identified by its prominent style as Field Rose Rosa arvensis.
Malcolm reported that, in a recent nationwide survey of wax-cap fungi at National Trust properties, the Sandham orchard had topped the poll for the number of species recorded. Michael Keith-Lucas gave a few tips on grass identification. He compared Creeping Soft-grass Holcus mollis, with its ring of small hairs around the nodes, and Yorkshire-fog Holcus lanatus, and recommended remembering that ‘Molly has hairy knees’ in order to separate the two species. Other grasses in the orchard included Crested Dog’s-tail, Common Quaking-grass, Yellow Oat-grass and Sweet Vernal-grass.
The group then went inside the chapel to admire Stanley Spencer’s wall paintings, which depict battlefield and hospital scenes from the first World War.
Pictures by Rob Stallard and Jan Haseler
Sandham Memorial Chapel, Burghclere SU463608
Tuesday 6th July 2010, led by Malcolm Storey
| Common Quaking-grass | Briza media |
| Crested Dog’s-tail | Cynosurus cristatus |
| Yellow Oat-grass | Trisetum flavescens |
| Sweet Vernal-grass | Anthoxanthum odoratum |
| Yorkshire-fog | Holcus lanatus |
| Creeping Soft-grass | Holcus mollis |
| Common Bent-grass | Agrostis capillaris |
| Pendulous Sedge | Carex pendula |
| Broad Buckler Fern | Dryopteris dilatata |
| Perforate St John’s-wort | Hypericum perforatum |
| Hairy St John’s-wort | Hypericum hirsutum |
| Primrose | Primula vulgaris |
| Cowslip | Primula veris |
| Cherry Plum | Prunus cerasifera |
| Field-rose | Rosa arvensis |
| Red Clover | Trifolium pratense |
| White Clover | Trifolium repens |
| Common Vetch | Vicia sativa |
| Meadow Vetchling | Lathyrus pratensis |
| Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil | Lotus corniculatus |
| Ground-elder | Aegopodium podagraria |
| Common Centaury | Centaurium erythraea |
| Heath Speedwell | Veronica officinalis |
| Yellow-rattle | Rhinanthus minor |
| Marsh Thistle | Cirsium palustre |
| Common Knapweed | Centaurea nigra |
| Black Bryony | Tamus communis |
| Pyramidal Orchid | Anacamptis pyramidalis |
| Common Spotted-orchid | Dactylorhiza fuchsii |