Berkshire: Childrey and Sparsholt

11 April 2014                                   OS Map 174: Newbury & Wantage SU8736-8734

2 hours

These two quiet neighbouring villages just west of Wantage are only a kilometre apart and easily covered by a short walk, with plenty of botanical interest, particularly spring bulbs.  The area has several old records of wild tulip Tulipa sylvestris and this was one of our main targets, having failed to find it in many other locations where it has been recorded.  We were, indeed, beginning to think that it had vanished from all its former haunts.  Although not a true native, but a southern European plant, it had long been established, possibly introduced by the Romans or early Crusaders.

          We started at the church in Childrey.  There was a colony of creeping comfrey Symphytum grandiflorum under the wall of the house opposite the churchyard, while the churchyard walls had wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria and pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaica. 

Creeping comfrey, Childrey

The grassland of the churchyard itself had a splendid display of primroses Primula vulgaris and polyanthus Primula x polyantha cv., attracting bee-flies and spring butterflies like orange-tip, peacock and small tortoiseshell. 

Primroses, Childrey churchyard

Other introduced bulbs included:

          Garden grape-hyacinth Muscari armeniacum, distinct from our native Muscari neglectum in its bright blue flowers (not dark blue to black) - although garden centres often sell it as neglectum (even more confused by the fact that the illustrations in Blamey, Fitter & Fitter's "Wild Flowers" appear to be the wrong way round!);

Garden grape-hyacinth

          Several daffodil cultivars such as 'Vulcan', 'Carol Lombard', 'White Lady', 'Kilworth' and 'Aircastle';

'White Lady'

          Yellow and blue anemones Anemone ranunculoides and A. apennina.

Yellow anemone

Blue anemone

Other low plants included slender speedwell Veronica filiformis, cowslip Primula veris and cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis.

Slender speedwell

The churchyard has a number of tall Lawson cypress Chamaecyparis lawsoniana which were just now colourful in their new flowers (red male, and white female towards the tips of each spray).  There was also a tall conical form 'Lutea' with golden foliage.

Lawson cypress flowers

Lawson cypress (right) & form Lutea (left)

Along the lane going west towards Sparsholt, just before leaving Childrey, was some shining cranesbill Geranium lucidum.  Approaching Sparsholt opposite a house on the left is a low marshy area with marsh marigold Caltha palustris and a copse with large patches of few-flowered garlic Allium paradoxum.  At the roadside was also a daffodil escape or throw-out, 'Actaea', attracting the hoverfly Melanostoma scalare.

Few-flowered garlic

'Actaea' daffodil and hoverfly Melanostoma scalare

At the end of this lane, instead of turning right into the village, we turned left, going south from Sparsholt.  Half way along on the right hand side was another solitary house and opposite it the bank had an extensive patch of creeping comfrey, perhaps the largest we have ever come across, extending into the copse above.  There were also large clumps of spurge laurel Daphne laureola, more patches of few-flowered garlic, some cowslips and a clump of gladdon Iris foetidissima.

Creeping comfrey well naturalised at Sparsholt

Spurge laurel, Sparsholt

At the crossroads at the top of this lane the banks had more cowslips and lesser celandine Ficaria verna, but the real joy was reserved for two colonies of wild tulip, one behind a fence on the right-hand side, under some trees, the other along the open banks of the lane going left.  There were going on for a hundred of the yellow acute-petalled blooms altogether, but many more clumps of the distinctive narrow grey-green leaves, so unlike the usual garden tulip.  At this site, at least, the plant is doing well.  The bulbs are easily available for purchase and we resolved straight away that we must buy some for our garden and help ensure the survival of this splendid species.  The Berkshire Flora mentions that many of the wild tulip populations are sterile, but it is apparent that it must here be managing to spread by seed, with two patches separated by a road.  Whether this plant has been here centuries or merely decades, it is impossible to tell.

Beneath the trees

Beside the road

A flash of gold

We then returned jubilantly to the main part of Sparsholt village.  The verge outside the churchyard was very flowery, with yet more few-flowered garlic (which has an extensive hold around the village), leaves of winter aconite, and more grape-hyacinth, this time the dark-flowered native species, though no doubt here it is a garden escape. 

Roadside carpet of few-flowered garlic in Sparsholt

Grape-hyacinth

In the churchyard itself there were again many primroses (with a clump of the umbelled variety), mixed with cowslips, both sweet and common dog-violets Viola odorata and V. riviniana, and field woodrush or Good Friday grass Luzula campestris.  The only plants on the church walls, however, were hart's-tongue Asplenium scolopendrium and greater celandine Chelidonium majus.  On the way to the Star Inn in the centre of the little village, for an excellent lunch, we passed some spotted medick Medicago arabica.  At lunch we had soup with a pesto of "wild garlic" and there could be little doubt of local provenance!  Perhaps finding a use for the few-flowered garlic has helped ensure its survival.

Umbelled primrose, Sparsholt churchyard