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Joan’s Hill Farm

Location: Checkley, Herefordshire.
Grid Reference: SO 591 376

This 46-acre reserve enjoys views across hillsides at the northern edge of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The reserve is a microcosm of the characteristic old Herefordshire landscape comprising hay meadows and orchards enclosed by thick hedgerows.

An apple orchard on the reserve dates back at least to 1843 and provides important habitat for mistletoe and a large number of micro moths.

Management of the nature reserve includes hay cutting in late summer - usually after the first two weeks of July - followed by cattle grazing in the autumn.

Wild flowers at the reserve

Some of the fields at Joan’s Hill Farm have escaped agricultural ‘improvement’ and are home to some of the classic flowers of old English hay meadows.

These include Dyer’s greenweed, knapweed, lady’s bedstraw, green-winged orchid, and perforate St. John’s-Wort.

Directions

Click here to download a map of the reserve.

From Hereford, take the B4224 towards Fownhope. On reaching Mordiford (approximately 4 miles outside Hereford) take the left turn immediately after the The Moon Inn, signposted to Woolhope.

Follow this narrow, winding road for approximately 1½ miles before turning left into Haugh Wood car park and picnic site.

The reserve is ¾ mile walk from the car park and is reached by walking northwards along the woodland ride leading off from the north east corner of the car park. You will reach a 'cross-roads' in the woodland rides. Here you should go straight ahead and follow the track downhill to a T-Junction. Turn left at the T-junction. The gate to Joan's Hill Farm is a further 200m along this track.

The nearest train station is Hereford which is 6 miles from the reserve.