Ecology & Conservation Studies Society Field Meetings Programme 2015
Saturday 14 February – 11.00 at Pheasantry Café Car Park, Bushy Park
Woodland and Water Gardens Walk
Leaders:- David Ivison and Pieter Morpurgo
ECCS members will join Friends of Bushy and Home Parks, meeting at Pheasantry Café . The walk will
finish about 1.00 pm.
ECSS members are cordially invited afterwards to the home of Tyrrell and Elisabeth Marris to eat their
sandwiches and chat with friends. Drinks will be provided. Please contact Tyrrell if wishing to come.
(0208 977 3600). For general information contact Una Sutcliffe (0208 546 7986)
Sunday 22 March - 10.30 at Pineapple Pub Car Park
Exploring Jubilee River & Dorney Wetlands
Leader: Angus Westgarth-Smith
The area has been developed as a wildlife sanctuary. The Jubilee River is a man-made flood relief
channel situated north of the Thames. Beginning its journey upstream of Boulter’s Lock, Maidenhead,
the river re-joins the Thames near Datchet. Dorney Wetlands is a wide part of the river which provides
nesting and feeding habitat for many species of bird; including low-lying islets for migrating birds. Bring
binoculars and packed lunch or eat at pub where we will leave our cars during the day.
Car Drivers, meet at Pineapple Pub Car Park on Lake End Road, Dorney, SL4 6QT. Train travellers will
be met from SLOUGH station at 10.30. Contact Dannae Haskath (07913 784446) for more information.
Saturday 11 April – 11.00 at entrance to Lido Car Park
Ruislip Woods, London Borough of Hillingdon
Leader: David Bevan
A fascinating group of small copses, managed traditionally. Some ancient woodland coppice with
standards, producing wood for a variety of uses and allowing light for spring flowers. Rich bird and
insect life. Bring packed lunch.
Easily accessed by public transport. (Ruislip Tube Station, or W. Ruislip Tube Station, and buses H13
and 331 from Ruislip Station. Contact David Bevan (0208 889 6375) for information.
Saturday 16 May - 10.30 at Café (on path between Dr Johnson Avenue & Bedford Hill)
Tooting Bec Common (easily accessed by Public Transport)
Leaders: Colm O’Flynn and Valerie Selby, Ecologist for Wandsworth. Contact: 0208 682 4184
A publically accessed London Common with some interesting flora and fauna. Walk will finish about
1.00 pm.
Nearest tube station Tooting Bec. Also accessed from Balham Mainline Station. Contact Colm O’Flynn
(0208 682 4184) for information.
Saturday 12th June 12:30 to late.
RSPB Otmoor, with Anthony & Ruth Cheke and Dave Dawson.
For the birds and vegetation of the wetland reserve. We also hope to access the rich wet meadow of the
MOD firing range (possibly not until late afternoon).
By 10:00 take an “Oxford Tube” or “X90” coach to the Oxford Thornhill Park and Ride (concession price
but not free for OAPs). The competing coach companies both leave every 10-15 minutes from near
Victoria Mainline Rail Station: the X90 in Buckingham Palace Road, and the Tube from Grosvenor
Gardens (look online for other stops en route). Wait at the Park and Ride for Cars. Can all car drivers
call to pick up by 12:00 from the Thornhill Park and Ride on the A40 westbound at the edge of Oxford.
Then proceed further west half a mile to the first roundabout (Headington), turn right (4th exit; do not go
through central ‘hamburger’ passage: A40 only), signposted Barton and Crematorium. After two
miles, turn left at the B4027 then immediately right to Beckley. After one mile, road drops down short
steep hill. Turn sharp right on blind corner by high wall, then pass the Abingdon Arms pub on your left.
At junction go straight, then turn sharp left into Otmoor Lane downhill to the car park, where we aim to
be assembled by 12:30 to 13:00. Bring a packed lunch.
Could all those attending let Dave know (mobile 0776 236 4648), so that transport can be co-ordinated,
we don’t want to lose people! He’ll have his mobile on the day.
Field Week in Northumbria. Friday 26 June to Friday 3 July 2015, 7 nights.
Leaders: Dr Brian Ferry and Dr Stephen Waters
Our proposed base for 2015, at Doxford Farm Cottages in Northumberland (grid ref 181233 on OS
Landranger Map 75), puts us within easy distance of a number of excellent inland and coastal sites, all
within 30 km of our base and several within 20 km. Many belong to the Northumberland WT, and include
deciduous woodlands of sessile oak and mixed species and some conifer plantations - at West
Fleetham, Holystone North Wood, Holystone Burn and Barrow Burn Wood; upland heath and mire - at
Holburn Moss, Ford Moss and Harbottle Crags; also some limestone sites including wet flushes,
grassland and quarry faces - at Flodden Quarry and West Fleetham. Coastal sites at Annstead Dunes
and Lindisfarne and Holy Island offer sand dunes and also at the latter rocky shore and salt marsh. One
special site is the Farne Islands, renowned for its seabird populations. More distant sites worth
considering are the Cheviot and Kielder Forest, but these could be optional.
Accommodation has been arranged in a complex of self catering holiday cottages, with WiFi connection.
A communal building, with the prospect of some on site catering, is being built at present and it might be
available for our use. Web site www.doxfordfarmcottages.com We have rented 6 cottages and a flat. We
are offering some doubles and the rest as singles. If there is a demand we could offer twin rooms. The
current estimate of charge is £190 per person for a shared room and £230 per person for a single room.
That charge is worked out at 21 people attending, the number could be more if there is more sharing.
The charge covers accommodation, WiFi, 2 expert leaders and transport during the week. Depending
how many people book and what their accommodation wishes are, that charge per person could go up
or down. As a special concession, there will be two half price places, offered only to students who are
members of the Society.
Doxford Farm is a few minutes by car off the A1, near Alnwick. The nearest mainline station is
Alnmouth, about 15 minutes away by car. From the farm, it will be reasonably easy to get to the
proposed sites by car. As usual, it is hoped that sufficient people will come by car to allow us to be self
sufficient on transport.
Places can be reserved by sending a £50 deposit (cheques made out to ECSS) to Pam Schwarz, 24
Oaker Avenue, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2XH. Booking will be reserved for ECSS members until
Saturday 28th February. After that booking will be open to others from kindred organisations, although
members can still book while places remain.
Pam Schwarz
Saturday 25 July – 1.00pm Riverside Cafe
Walthamstow Marshes (SSSI) with Leader: Joan Yeadon
Formerly Lammas Land, this Marsh was bought by the LVRPA in 1971 who applied to excavate gravel.
The Save The Marshes Campaign prevented destruction of the ancient land, so we still have a fen-like
landscape with plants and insects uncommon in London. The topsoil is silt and peat with gravel beneath.
We should see locally-known ‘Meadowsweet City’; and a field of Michaelmas Daisies. The rare Creeping
Marshwort, found in few other sites in the UK, flowers in July. Wetter parts have mixed fen with Sedge
and Reed beds. There are lots of small animals, birds and insects. Essex Skipper butterflies breed here.
Bring binoculars.
Meet at the Riverside Café at the bottom of Spring Hill, E5 9BL. Nearest Rail Stn. is Clapton (Liverpool
St. – Chingford). Buses 253 and 254 from Finsbury Park, Victoria Line, or Manor House, Piccadilly Line,
both stop at Clapton Common (top end of Spring Hill). Car parking in Coppermill Fields Car Park, Spring
Hill or the Ice Rink in Lea Bridge Rd.
Finish at Spark Café, White Lodge, E5 9EF situated at the south end of Springfield Park, for
refreshments.
Saturday 8 August – 11.00 Butser Ancient Farm nr Chalfont, Hants (meet at Car Park.)
Leader: Mike Howard
This is a unique archaeological experimental project, aiming to reproduce farming methods from
Neolithic to Roman times. The site is ideally situated on the chalk grassland of the South Downs.
Those coming by train can be met from Petersfield Station at 10.30 (leave Waterloo at 09:00). The Farm
is signposted off the A3, five miles south of Petersfield at the Chalton/Clanfield exit.
The group entry fee is £6.50 per capita. Bring a packed lunch.
Contact: Mike Howard (0208 785 4088) for numbers and information.
Saturday 19 September – 11.00
Apple picking at Jo Britcher’s Farm
Little Court Lodge Farm, Lower Road,
East Farleigh, Kent ME15 OGD. Telephone 01622 725 959
Trying to arrive at the farm between 10.30 and 11.30 am.
Jo offers wonderful hospitality and it is a great fun day out, but also hard work as we wish to pick as
many apples for her as possible. Details in the following Bulletin or from Irene Kettle (Co-ordinator) 020
8540 0042.
Put the date in your diary now, so that you don’t miss this great day out.