A group of sixteen members and friends met at Cocklet Hill car park on a beautiful sunny morning. After a brief discussion most of the group decided to attempt the nine-mile walk round Stocks Reservoir, recently designated an Important Plant Area for its bryophyte flora by Plant Life. However to cater for those that felt the walk was too long shorter stretches of the walk were organised.

On leaving the car park the identity of a large yellow sedge was debated and although not a perfect match it was thought to be Carex viridula ssp. brachyrrhyncha whilst on the nearby lane side there was a fine patch of Senecio ovatus. This is abundant throughout Gisburn Forest. The party followed tracks and footpaths via Brook House Green and Rain Gill to Black House passing a patch of calcareous grassland with Plantago media on a trackside bank and a northern hay meadow, Barn Gill Meadow SSSI, which was long past its best but probably contained Euphrasia arctica. The path then followed the track of the old railway used to construct the reservoir before descending to cross the dam. Here a number of annual weeds, e.g. Viola arvensis and V. tricolor not common in the area, were found. The path followed the reservoir to the fishing club’s clubhouse where lunch and refreshments were available. Normally at this time of year the water level of the reservoir is low revealing a ‘draw-down’ zone with several species characteristic of this habitat. Unfortunately for botanists the reservoir was overflowing and none of the species was visible. The next section of the path again followed an old railway track passing boggy fields and flushes until Copped Hill Clough was reached. There, calcareous flushes supported a wonderful flora with an abundance of Primula farinosa and Pinguicula vulgaris. Euphrasia confusa, E. scotica and hybrids were seen along with a few plants of Parnassia palustris (not yet in flower), Carex dioica and Salix repens ssp. repens. The next section of the walk took the party back to the School Lane car park in Gisburn Forest via the abandoned New House. On the way a patch of Salix repens ssp. argentea was seen and the differences between this and ssp. repens were noted. At School Lane most of the group decided to take a lift to Cocklet Hill whilst the remainder enjoyed the final section of the walk through the forest.

E.F. Greenwood
August 2007

Hoary plantain	Marsh Speedwell	Sneezewort	Wood Ragwort

Meeting photographs by Maria Knowles