Joan's Hill Farm
Common Spotted-orchids at Joan's Hill Farm
©Simon Williams/Plantlife
This 46-acre nature 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.
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 such as Dyer’s Greenweed, knapweed, Lady’s Bedstraw, Green-winged Orchid, and Perforate St. John’s-Wort.
Joan's Hill Farm
©Bob Gibbons /Plantlife
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 followed by cattle grazing in the autumn.
Location: Checkley, Herefordshire. Grid Reference: SO 591 376
May: Cowslip, Green-winged Orchid
June: Lady's Bedstraw, Dyer's Greenweed, Perforate St. John's-wort, Common Spotted-orchid
July: The hay is usually cut around the middle of July, but in the first two weeks of this month you can see late flowering meadow species such as Black Knapweed, Meadowsweet, Pepper-saxifrage.
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links
Map and directions Click below to see the map and directions for the reserve
Further details
For further details contact the Plantlife Office or e-mail joe.costley@ plantlife.org.uk