Butterflies
Hocombe plays host to many butterflies, some of which are locally important as they appear in numbers not found elsewhere in the region such as the ringlet.
The Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
Current plant of Interest
Red Campion has pink / red flowers, up to 2 cms diameter, which grow in pairs at the end of the stem. Each flower is made up of five forked petals.
The leaves are oval and slightly hairy.Red Campion is common in woodland and hedgerows.
Plants
The meadows at Hocombe Mead have a wide range of plants, the one below, although common, shows a wonderful purple blanket during the summer months.
Grazing the Meadow
Currently we have 3 Galloway cattle grazing the meadow. The Galloway is naturally hornless , and instead of horns has a bone knob at the top of its skull called the poll. This breed's shaggy coat has both a thick, woolly undercoat for warmth and stiffer guard hairs that help shed water, making them well adapted to harsher climates.
Trees
As our recent Winter Tree Identification event showed, we have many species on the reserve including Ash, Field Maple, Silver Birch, Downy Birch, Hazel, Beech, Sweet Chestnut, Rowan, Pendunculate Oak, Hawthorne, Sycamore, Elm, Yew, Buckthorn, Aspen, Goat Willow, Wild Cherry, Sorbus
INFORMATION
Reserve Entrances
Ashdown Road
(limited parking)
Hocombe Road
(no parking)
Hiltingbury Road
(nearest parking to this entrance is at the recreation
ground opposite)
Dogs are welcome but please pick ip any mess - there are dog bins at Asdown Road and Hiltingbury Road entrances
During the summer months when cattle are grazing the meadow please keep your dog on lead
(Purple Loosetrife)
Hardy Perennial. Hairy plant, growing to about 2 m (6.6 ft). Tall stem with many small leaves and small purple-red starry flowers along stem.