About the reserve

The richest areas for plants are the flushes dominated by blunt-flowered rush, with other species such as fen bedstraw, large bird's-foot-trefoil and distant sedge. Rarer wetland species can also be found, including large southern marsh-orchids as well as common spotted-orchids.

This peaceful site has glorious views over the valley with our reserve at Old Sulehay Forest framing the ridge top beyond. As the fields slope down to the stream at the bottom, changes in the flora reflect the mixture of the drier limestone and neutral grassland with distinct wetter areas, marked out by the abundance of rushes and sedges.

On the drier limestone grassland typical plants include cowslip, salad burnet and fairy flax. The brilliant purple flowers of musk thistle play host to Urophora solstitialis, a notably rare gall fly.

In 2007 the reserve was greatly enlarged by the generous donation of land now known as Standen's Pasture.  

Additional information

• Standen's pasture, adjacent to this site, is currently locked due to dogs running off lead, despite signs requesting them to be on lead; and an incident where a Trust member of staff was bitten. This will be reviewed in the future.
• Scroll down to see the reserve boundary. Please note the boundary map is for indication purposes only and does not show the Wildlife Trusts definitive land boundary. 
• The eastern area of Wansford pasture will be locked to visitors when sheep are grazing the site in late summer.

FOR ANY MEDIA ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM:   communicationsteam@wildlifebcn.org or 01954 713500 and ask for comms team.