2002 Fieldtrips
Dibbinsdale 6 April, Caergwrle 27 April, Ness 25 May, Pickering's Pasture 15 June, Moore Nature Reserve 29 June, Ainsdale 27 July, Carnforth 3 August, 
​Great Orme 14 September, Knowsley Park 12 October.

Dibbinsdale 
6th April 2002 
Leader – Peter Miller

14 members met the warden Peter Miller at Bromborough Rake station, who told us a brief history of the site. The Dibbin brook has cut its way through a surface layer of boulder clay, left from the retreat of the last ice age, and into the sandstone bedrock below to form an incised valley known as Dibbinsdale. In 1978 the Nature Conservancy Council identified the site as a 'Site of Special Scientific Interest' (SSSI) due mainly to the presence of the largest remnant of natural 'ancient' woodland in Merseyside. In 1983, Dibbinsdale was designated as a Local Nature reserve.

As we descended into the wood with Oak, Quercus sp., Ash, Fraxinus excelsior, and Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus, with Blackthorn, Prunus spinosa and Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna providing a coppiced hedge, we saw Ground Elder, Aegopodium podagraria. Ground cover was provided by plants such as Dog's Mercury, Mercurialis perennis, Lesser Celandine Ranunculus ficaria, Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Wood Speedwell Veronica montana, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Wood Sanicle, Sanicula europaea, Hedge Mustard, Sisymbrium officinale and introduced Pink Purslane Montia sibirica. 
However, the masses of Wood Anemone, Anenome nemorosa put on a spectacular show for us and absolutely covered the woodland floor. Other plants adding colour to the day included Ramsons, Allium ursinum, Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis and Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Carrying on along the path we came across two huge Beech, Fagus sylvatica trees and the wonderful Hornbeams, Carpinus betulus.
Further into the woodland there were wetter, boggier areas where we found Brooklime, Veronica beccabunga, Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris and Himalayan Balsam, Impatiens glandulifera. Here, reed beds of Phragmites australis have developed, winter flooding ensuring their conservation, and weirs have been built to maintain water levels.

We saw the arboretum, which stands on the site of the former Woodslee house where trees such as the Monkey-puzzle Araucaria araucana, Coastal and Dawn Redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens and Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and Cherry Laurel, Prunus laurocerasus grew. We had lunch in the courtyard surrounded by Amelanchier and Rosemary bushes.
​
Wendy Atkinson
Pictures Keith Watson

Caergwrle 
27th April 2002 
Leader – Guy Sloman

After two weeks of fine summer-like weather it was disappointing to find it heavily overcast when we met at Caergwrle station but fortunately it improved and we had very little rain. There were 14 of us including some welcome members and guests from the Manchester area.

We started, as usual, with a visit to the Packhorse bridge, passing on the way a fine specimen of Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus. Unfortunately excavations to improve the flow of the Alyn have destroyed the habitat of the Toothwort, Lathraea squamaria which has been established there for many years but hopefully it will reappear before long. Nearby in an area of waste land we found Common Fumitory, Fumaria officinalis, in full flower together with a large Sun Spurge, Euphorbia helioscopia, alongside tiny specimens of Petty Spurge, Euphorbia peplus and a single Lamb’s Lettuce, Valerianella locusta. Walking south along the riverbank, which is carpeted with Ramsons, Allium ursinum, Redcurrant, Ribes rubrum, was in flower and the emerging spathes of Lords and Ladies, Arum maculatum, were prominent. On a wall in the car park in the village we discovered a fine Rustyback, Ceterach officinarum, a rare plant in Flint.
Continuing up the Caer Estyn road and along the path above the short lived Caergwrle Wells building Bitter-vetch, Lathyrus linifolius, was growing with Bush Vetch, Vicia sepium and, nearby, Goldilocks, Ranunculus auricomus. Both Barren Strawberry, Potentilla sterilis, and Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca, were in flower and it was not always easy to tell the difference between them. The path across to the Alyn valley had recently been ploughed up depriving us of the usual early arable weeds but we did see Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Veronica serpyllifolia, and a single Field Pansy, Viola arvensis, elsewhere.

The wooded Alyn valley marks the boundary between vice-counties 50 Denbs. and 51 Flints. and is well known for the rather rare Alternate-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Chrysosplenium alternifolium. The lower valley is now dominated by Ramsons, Allium ursinum, and it seemed probable that the Saxifrage had been crowded out but diligent poking with sticks eventually found it alive and well under the large Ramsons leaves. The much more common Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, was frequent. Other plants seen on the valley floor included Wood Speedwell, Veronica montana, Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys, Crosswort, Cruciata laevipes, Pendulous Sedge, Carex pendula, Town Hall Clock, Adoxa moschatellina and, just coming into flower, Wood Melick, Melica uniflora.

From the Alyn valley we walked through Cefn-y-bedd to the notoriously damp but botanically interesting path above the Brymbo road. Despite recent dry weather it lived up to its reputation but banks of Primroses, Bluebells, Anemones and Violets made it worthwhile. There were several Sedges in flower but, without fruits, we could only be certain of Lesser Pond-sedge, Carex acutiformis which was plentiful. At the start of the path we examined a single Crab Apple, Malus sylvestris and alongside the more open parts Marsh Valerian, Valeriana dioica, was in flower together with King Cups, Caltha palustris.

In the road leading up to Cymau we were able to compare Common Dog-violet, Viola riviniana, with its near relation Early Dog-violet, Viola reichenbachiana, the dark spurs and narrower petals of the latter being obvious despite its being almost over. Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata, was occasional in the hedgebanks together with a single clump of Bog Stitchwort, Stellaria uliginosa, better known to most of us by its former name of alsine.

A final and welcome find was Early-purple Orchid, Orchis mascula, on a bank just east of Cymau. From there we walked back to the station thankful that we had almost completely avoided the rain that was forecast.

Guy Sloman


Ness 
25th May 2002  
Leader – Keith Hatton
 
Keith Hatton led the visit, later joined by Leander Wolstenholme, on a cool cloudy day, alleviated with bursts of sunshine. It was Vera’s 84th birthday.
 
We descended through the gate to a flower bed to be shown a New Zealand alpine umbellifer, Aciphylla sp. that was, unusually, in flower. It was accompanied by Erigeron microphylla. We stopped further on at a Buddleja fallownia colony on the brow of a rise before descending to the Sorbus colonies. These were introduced by Hugh McAllister and included Sorbus eminens, a native of the Bristol Channel area, and Sorbus graeca, a non-native. Nearby were Roble Beech, Nothofagus obliqua and Antarctic Beech, Nothofagus antarctica. We had a good view here to Moel Famau.
 
For lunch we descended to the big pond. Here were fine specimens of Giant Rhubarb, Gunnera manicata, with its unbelievably large leaves. Trees of interest included the deciduous Swamp Cypress, Taxodium distichum from the South-Eastern USA, the Dawn Redwood, Metasequioa glyptostroboides from China with its unusual boles, the translucent Norway Maple, Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii’ and a fine Atlas Cedar, Cedrus atlantica.
 
After lunch Keith took us through the woodland and in the background were some colourful rhododendrons. There are formal avenues of rhododendrons and azaleas at Ness, but the latter had already faded. Thence we went onto an open common where there was a stand of Corncockle, Agrostemma githago not yet in flower (see reference 1).
 
We made the descent to the research bays where willows were being propagated under stressed conditions (see Reference 2), and where we found tanks containing Floating Water-plantain, Luronium natens (see References 3 and 4). We spotted a lovely Ceanothus in a nearby hedge before ascending to another plantation containing the rare conifers, Prince Albert's yew, Saxe-gothea conspicua (similar to Monkey Puzzle) and the attractive, 3-leaved Big-cone Pine, Pinus coulteri. Keith pointed out that garden plants such as Monkey Puzzle and Lawson’s Cypress are becoming rare in the wild and that Ness has an important role as the cultivation base for the Edinburgh version of Kew’s rare conifer collection.  There, distinctively, was Red-barked Himalayan Birch, Betula utilis.
 
Orange-ball tree, Buddleja globosa with its pretty balls of flowers was followed by the sight of a Maize stand, here used in an experiment to determine the effectiveness of anaerobic digester liquor, or leachate, on soil fertility. A polytunnel nearby contained discarded plants of the delightful white-flowered Sage-leaved Rock-rose, Cistus salviifolius, which were once participants in a drought experiment. One of the party enquired if any of the plants were available and, much to the delight of all, we were allowed to help ourselves!
 
We subsequently entered another garden with the beautiful Wedding-cake tree, Cornus controversa, with perfect crown and so unlike our common Dogwood.
 
We were taken aback by the huge Pieris formosa and admired the purple cones of Veitch’s Silver Fir, Abies veitchii, before proceeding into the picturesque Scot’s Pine plantation with its Cammelia understory.
 
Things were brought to a conclusion by heading into the glasshouse area where we saw plants of Balm-leaved Figwort, Scropularia scorodonia and Limestone Woundwort, Stachys alpina (see Reference 5). Our final specimen was the rare Single-leaf Pinyon, Pinus monophylla.
 
After a visit to the Laburnum arch, the party dispersed in the main. However, a couple of us sneaked a tour of the climatic greenhouses with Keith and wife before the long overdue call to the café.
 
Thanks to Keith for arranging a fascinating behind the scenes tour.
Rob Duffy
 
References:
 1. Hugh McAllister. Cornfield Flowers at Ness. Parnassia Spring 1999 pp. 19-20.
 2. Keith Hatton. News from Ness Gardens. Parnassia Autumn 1998 p. 3.
 3.Keith Hatton. Luronium natens at Ness. Parnassia Spring 2001 pp. 26-28.
 4. Alan Atherton. News from Ness gardens. Parnassia Autumn 2001 pp.3-4.
 5. Leander Wolstenholme. News from Ness Gardens. Parnassia Summer 2000 pp.3-5.


Pickering’s Pasture 
15th June 2002 
Leader - Tony Parker

Pickering’s Pasture LNR is situated on the banks of the River Mersey between Widnes and Hale village. Until the 1950s the area was grazed saltmarsh, home to many wading birds and estuary plants. For the next 30 years however, the site was used as a tip for both industrial and household waste. A mountain of rubbish built up on the marsh which has resulted in the present topography of the site.
Between 1982 and 1986 the site was reclaimed by Halton Borough Council, with assistance from Cheshire County Council, covering the refuse with clay and topsoil. The site was landscaped creating open grassy areas and small areas of woodland, a hide was erected at the western end overlooking the estuary and part of Hale Marsh. The site is now managed as a Local Nature Reserve, particularly for its butterflies and wildflowers, although, as with many other reclaimed sites, much of the flora is a mixture of ‘introduced’ and ‘wild’ species.

The main part of the site is divided into four areas according to the management regime employed. The first area visited by the group was the cornfield, an area sown with plants such as Cornflower, Centaurea cyanus, Corn Cockle, Agrostemma githago, Common Poppy, Papaver rhoeas and Oxeye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare.

The spring meadow, as its name suggests, is an area which comes into flower from early March into June. At the time of the visit most of the plants had gone to seed leaving the area largely grassland.

The group then went along the estuary path, this gives views across the Mersey and is part of the Trans-Pennine Trail. This is probably the most natural part of the site as minimal management work is carried out. A variety of plants were in flower at the time, including Viper’s-bugloss, Echium vulgare, Yellow-rattle, Rhinanthus minor, Common Centaury, Centaurium erythraea, Kidney Vetch, Anthyllis vulneria, Field Scabious, Knautia arvensis, Wild Mignonette, Reseda lutea, Weld, Reseda luteola and Sainfoin, Onobrychis viciifolia.
The summer meadow is an area specifically planted to attract insects, particularly butterflies, during the summer months, with plants such as Knapweed, Centaurea nigra, Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Lotus corniculatus and Corn Marigold, Chrysanthemum segetum. Unfortunately the day was rather overcast so butterflies were few and far between, a few Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper were the only species of note.

Finally the group paid a visit to the wet meadow. Here plants included Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, Common Spotted-orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Yellow Iris, Iris pseudacorus, Hemp-agrimony, Eupatorium cannabinum, Ragged-Robin, Lychnis flos-cuculi, Cuckoo-flower, Cardamine pratensis and Purple-loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria.

Tony Parker


Moore Nature Reserve 
June 29th 2002 
Leader – Rob Duffy

A party of 13 gathered to explore the western end of the Reserve on a relatively pleasant morning of a cool and wet summer. The walk pretty much followed the route taken by the late John Holness in August 1996, and several of the species he noted were found.
The party directed itself to the Common Cudweed, Filago vulgaris colony on the fringe of the sandy heath land, studded with ponds. This plant makes Moore a special place, as Newton, in his 1970 Flora, declares the species as "apparently extinct". Later, Vera found Small Cudweed, Filago minima, also described as "apparently extinct" by Newton.

Several members of the party made interesting finds, a few heads of Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera, probably being the most appreciated. The author was, however, delighted at Margaret McCormack's discovery of a couple of flowers of the Field Mouse-ear, Cerastium arvense. A few scattered flowers had been found by the author, earlier in the month, further to the east, but Newton described Hilbre Island as "the only surviving locality". Tim Rogers discovered Knotted Clover, Trifolium striatum just as we were about to sit on it to have lunch!

The aquatic flora, despite its near inaccessibility, provided much of interest. Pat and Wendy found Spiked Water-milfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum and Vera confirmed Curly Waterweed, Lagarosiphon major. Broad-leaved Pondweed, Potamogeton natans, Water-soldier, Stratiotes aloides, Branched Bur-reed, Sparganium erectum, Fringed Water-lily, Nymphoides peltata and last, and least loved, New Zealand Pigmyweed, Crassula helmsii completed the lunchtime listing.

This area narrowed to a footbridge over a small wetland, which led to a birch-lined pathway, resplendent with Foxgloves, Digitaria purpurea and intermittently jumping with migrating toadlets. The route took us back to the road where Audrey spotted Water Figwort, Scropularia aquatica, a minority plant in a jungle of Indian Balsam, Impatiens glandulifera.

A walk through woodland festooned with Climbing Corydalis, now Ceratocapnos claviculata, and then a meadow led us back to the starting point. On the short track leading up to it Biting Stonecrop, Sedum acre, Thyme-leaved Sandwort, Arenaria serpyllifolia and Common Stork's-bill, Erodium cicutarium were noted, though hardly abundant.

Rob Duffy

Ainsdale 
27th July 2002
Leader - Rob Wolstenholme, Site Manager
On a warm and sunny day, our party which included several members from Manchester met at the English Nature office. We set off along a path through the pine and deciduous woods, and out onto the dunes. Rob explained the management of the reserve and showed us parts which were grazed (October to April) by Herdwick sheep. The tiny flowers of Smooth Cat’s-ear, Hypochaeris glabra were pointed out to us. Only recorded as pre-1970 in the New Atlas of the British Flora, it was re-found in 2001 in a dune restoration area. We admired Seaside Centaury, Centaurium littorale with deep pink flowers and leaves more or less parallel-sided. The delicately veined white flowers of Grass-of-Parnassus, Parnassia palustris grew in the damp slacks. A beautiful name for a beautiful plant. In a sandy area we could clearly see the tracks left by a Natterjack toad Bufo calamita. Field Gentian, Gentianella campestris. Vera Gordon pointed out Cyperus Sedge, Carex pseudocyperus, with bright yellow-green and drooping flower spikes. Vera’s favourite plant of the day was Field Gentian, Gentianella campestris, growing in profusion in the short turf. The New Atlas states that the plant has suffered a marked decline, and many sites of calcareous grassland have been lost over the years.  Therefore it was particularly pleasing to see it thriving here.
Susan Taylor 

Carnforth 
3rd August 2002 
Leader – Eric Greenwood

For the second year running the Society hired a minibus. This time the bus took the group to Carnforth and dropped members by the salt marsh at the estuary of the R. Keer. During the day the bus met the party at various points along the coast before the group left Hest Bank at the end of the day for the journey home.  In this way, members who did not feel able to walk all the way from Carnforth to Hest Bank could join and leave the main group as they pleased.
At the start of the day the leader had prepared a guide to the rarer plants that might be found on the walk. Many of these were seen including Frosted Orache, Atriplex laciniata, Slender Thistle, Carduus tenuiflorus, Lesser Centaury, Centaurium pulchellum, Viper’s-bugloss, Echium vulgare, Few-flowered Spike-rush, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Slender Spike-rush, E. uniglumis, Yellow Horned-poppy, Glaucium flavum, Frog Rush, Juncus ambiguus, Round-fruited Rush, J. compressus, Blunt-flowerer Rush, J. subnodulosus and Grey Club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani.  The ditches and pools at the top were, until recently, a stronghold of Beaked Tasselweed, Ruppia maritima but this was not seen.

A feature of the topmost zones of the marsh was the abundance of Couch Grass, Elytrigia hybrids, in particular Elytrigia repens x E. atherica (E. x oliveri) and Elytrigia atherica x E. juncea (E. x obtusiuscula).  Elytrigia repens x E. juncea (E. x laxa) was also present.

The party was also able to compare and distinguish between Round-fruited Rush, Juncus compressus and Saltmarsh Rush, J. gerardii, which were growing near each other at the top of the marsh.

Eric Greenwood


Great Orme 
14th September 2002 
Leader – Wendy McCarthy

Starting at the summit car park, the party of about 15 members walked downhill amongst the heather and bushes of Western Gorse, Ulex gallii with Harebell, Campanula rotundifolia. A patch of Autumn Lady’s-tresses, Spiranthes spiralis was admired. Goldilocks Aster, Aster linosyris was found was found on the top of the cliff overlooking the miniature golf course, where we had lunch and descended to see the Wild Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster cambricus.

One of the interesting things about this meeting was that not only were autumn plants in good flower, but also some of the spring and summer plants still had some flowers including Hoary Rock-rose, Helianthemum oelandicum and Western Spiked Speedwell, Veronica spicata ssp. hybrida.

We found many introduced plants during this meeting including Bastard Cabbage, Rapistrum rugosum and Hoary Mustard, Hirschfeldia incana, but one of the rarest and most interesting was the perennial Nipplewort, Lapsana communis ssp. intermedia. The Hawkweeds, Heiracium sp. on the Orme are also notable and we found Hieracium leyi at the bottom of the zig-zag path and H. grandidens in the woods above Haulfre gardens.

Other plants included Musk Stork’s-bill, Erodium moschatum, Saw-wort, Serratula tinctoria and then Viper’s-bugloss, Echium vulgare and White Horehound, Marrubium vulgare as we walked back to the car park.

Keith Watson
Pictures Keith Watson

​Knowsley Park 
12th October 2002 
Leader – John Edmondson

Following an abortive attempt to enter the Park via a route which traversed a slippery river bank, which some of the party felt unable to negotiate, the rest of the day was spent visiting the Acornfield Wood and surrounding roadside verges, mainly in search of fungi but also with an eye to discovering interesting Brambles. The diverse fungal habitats available within the wood led to an interesting list of fungi being observed, though dry weather prior to the field meeting had limited the development of a seasonal flush of species. One Bramble new to the area was observed at the western extremity of the woodland.

John Edmondson