Millers Dale
30th July 2011
Leader: John Somerville
Twelve LBS members
met on a sunny Saturday morning in the car park at Millers Dale Station. The railway line closed in 1967 and has left
a superb walks east towards Monsal Dale and west towards Buxton. The station is
now a visitor centre for the Peak District country park and provides toilets.
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/m/millers_dale/index.shtml
We started the
morning by examining an area which had been sown by a wild seed mixture many
years ago. Most of the plants we would
find later on the walk but Great and Dark Mulleins, Pepper Saxifrage, Pale
Toadflax and the white form of Jacob’s Ladder were of great interest to
all. The intention had been to spend
only 30 minutes at this site but it was well over an hour later when we set off
along the trail towards Monsal Dale.
Many additional
plants were found in the next few hundred yards and we then came to some old
lime kilns. It took another 30 minutes
examining the plants at the lime kilns before setting off on the trail
again. The intention had been to carry
along the trail and then drop down near Litton Mill to the small road running
along the river Wye and stop at Litton Mill for lunch at about 12.30pm. Now running seriously late behind schedule we
cut out part of the walk and dropped down at the first opportunity to the small
road and came out by the Angler’s Rest pub.
Now walking towards
Litton Mill we had a large bank on our left and the River Wye on our
right. There were some good plants on
the river side including Giant Bellflower but the bank to our left was a
delight being covered with masses of wild flowers. Progress was very slow examining all the
plants and five of our group had gone ahead and had disappeared out of
sight. The seven remaining members were
taking their time and finally reached Litton Mill at 1.30pm and found that the
other five had already finished their lunch.
After another 30 minutes
lunch was finished and we all set off back towards Millers Dale station.
We were finding some excellent Moths, Butterflies and insects and we
were lucky to have Chris Derri with us to identify them all (full list below).
On passing the Anglers rest again we cut up a small track to find a
small field with short turf and open limestone.
The first plant we examined here was an excellent specimen of Large
Rock Stonecrop. Amongst other small plants that liked this habitat
were Field Madder, Limestone Bedstraw, Wild Thyme, Biting Stonecrop, Fairy
Flax and Mouse-ear Hawkweed. Where
the soil was deeper we found Agrimony and Musk Thistle.
We were only about
200 yards from the car park at Millers Dale Station which we reached at
3.30pm. The weather had been great and
the day had been enjoyed by all.
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Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
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Giant
Bellflower |
Field
Madder seed head |
Pale
Toadflax |
Nettle-leaved
Bellflower |
Large
Rock stonecrop |
Plant list from Joyce Jarvis & Annie Hazelhurst
Agrimony
Agrimonia eupatoria
Angelica
Angelica sylvestris
Basil,Wild
Clinopodium vulgare
Bedstraw,Lady's
Galium
verum
Bedstraw,Limestone
Galium sterneri
Bellflower,Giant
Campanula latifolia
Bellflower,Nettle-leaved
Campanula trachelium
Betony
Stachys
officinalis
Bindweed,large
Calystegia silvestris
Bittersweet
Solanum dulcamara
Burdock, Greater
Arctium lappa
Burdock,Lesser
Arctium
minus
Burnet,Great
Sanguisorba officinalis
Burnet,Salad
Sanguisorba minor
Burnet-saxifrage,
Greater Pimpinella
major
Butterbur
Petasites hybridus
Buttercup Meadow
Ranunculus acris
Campion,Bladder
Silene,vulgaris
Campion,Red
Silene,dioica
Carrot, Wild
Daucus carota
Cicely,Sweet
Myrrhis odorata
Cleavers
Galium aparine
Clover Red
Trifolium pratense
Clover,Alsike
Trifolium hybridum
Clover,White
Trifolium
repens
Cocksfoot
Dactylis glomerata
Couch, Bearded
Elymus caninus
Couch, Common
Elytrigia repens
Cranesbill,Bloody
Geranium sanguineum
Cranesbill, Cut-leaved
Geranium dissectum
Cranesbill,Meadow
Geranium pratense
Cranesbill,Shining
Geranium lucidum
Creeping Bent
Agrostis stolonifera
Crested Dogstail
Synosurus cristatus
Crosswort
Cruciata laevipes
Daisy
Bellis perennis
Daisy,Ox-eye
Leucanthemum
vulgare
Dandelion
Taraxacum
Deadnettle,Red
Lamium purpureum
Deadnettle,White
Lamium album
Dock,Curled
Rumex
crispus
Dock,Wood
Rumex sanguineus
Enchanter's Nightshade Circea lutetiana
Eyebright
Euphrasia sp.
Fairy Flax
Linum catharticum
False Brome
Brachypodium sylvaticum
Fern, Male
Dryopteris felix-mas
Figwort,Common
Scrophularia nodosa
Forgetmenot,Water
Myosotis scorpioides
Goatsbeard
Tragopogon pratensis
Goldenrod
Solidago virgaurea
Hairy Brome
Bromopsis ramosa
Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia
Hartstongue
Phyllitis scolopendrum
Hawkbit, Lesser
Leontodon saxatilis
Hawkbit,Rough
Leontodon hispidus
Hawkweed, Leafy
Hieracium umbellatum
Honeysuckle
Lonicera periclymenum
Mouse-ear-hawkweed Pilosella
officinarum
Hemp-nettle, Red
Galeopsis angustifolia
Herb Robert
Geranium
robertianum
Hogweed
Heracleum sphondylium
Horseradish
Armoracia
rusticana
Jacob's Ladder
Polemoniun caeruleum
Knapweed,Common
Centaurea nigra
Knapweed,Greater
Centaurea scabiosa
Lettuce,Wall
Mycelis muralis
Loosestrife, Purple
Lysimachia vulgaris
Loosestrife, Yellow
Lythrum salicaria
Lords-and-Ladies
Arum maculatum
Lungwort
Pulmonaria officinallis
Madder,Field
Sherardia arvensis
Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
Mallow,Musk
Malva moschata
Marjoram
Origanum vulgare
Meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria
Medick,Black
Medicago lupulina
Mercury,Dog's
Mercurialis perennis
Mignonette,Wild
Reseda lutea
Milkwort,Common
Polygala vulgaris
Mouse-ear,Common Cerastium
fontanum
Mugwort
Artemisia vulgaris
Mullein,Dark
Verbascum nigrum
Mullein,Great
Verbascum thapsus
Mustard,Garlic
Alliaria petiolata
Nettle,Common
Urtica dioica
Nipplewort
Lapsana
communis
Orchid,Common Spotted Dactylorhisa fuchsii
Orchid,Fragrant
Gymnadenia conopsea
Orpine
Sedum telephium
Parsley Piert
Aphanes arvensis
Parsley,Hedge
Torilis japonica
Pepper-saxifrage
Silaum silus
Pignut
Conopodium majus
Pineappleweed
Matricaria discoidea
Plantain,Greater
Plantago major
Polypody, Western
Polypodium interjectum
Quaking Grass
Briza media
Radish,Wild
Raphanis raphanistrum
Ragwort
Senecio jacobaea
Ragwort, Hoary
Senecio erucifolius
Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
Rockrose,Common Helianthemum
nummularium
Rosebay
Chamerion angustifolium
Rough Meadow-grass Poa trivialis
Sage,Wood
Teucrium scorodonia
Sandwort,Spring
Minuartia verna
Saxifrage, Opposite-leaved Golden Chrysospenium oppossifolium
Scabious,Field
Knautia arvensis
Scabious,Small
Scabiosa columbaria
Selfheal
Prunella vulgaris
Silverweed
Potentilla
anserina
Sowthistle,Corn
Sonchus arvensis
Sowthistle,Prickly
Lactua serriola
Sowthistle,Rough
Sonchus asper
St John's-wort,Hairy
Hypericum hirsutum
St John's-wort,Perforate Hypericum perforatum
Stitchwort,Bog
Stellaria uliginosa
Stonecrop,Biting
Sedum acre
Stonecrop,Large Rock Sedum ruprestre
Strawberry,Wild
Fragaria vesca
Thistle,Carline
Carlina vulgaris
Thistle,Creeping
Circium arvense
Thistle,Musk
Carduus crispus
Thistle,Spear
Circium vulgare
Thistle, Welted
Carduus crispus
Thyme,Wild
Thymus
polytrichus
Timothy
Phleum pratense+
Toadflax,Common
Linaria vulgaris
Toadflax,Ivy-leaved
Cymbalaria muralis
Toadflax,Pale
Linaria repens
Toadflax, Purple
Linaria purpurea
Trefoil,Birdsfoot
Lotus corniculatus
Tufted Hair-grass
Deschampsia cespitosa
Twayblade,Common
Listeria ovata
Valerian,Common
Valeriana officinalis
Vetch,Bush
Vicia
sepium
Vetch,Kidney
Anthylis vulneraria
Vetch,Tufted
Vicia cracca
Vetchling,Meadow
Lathyrus pratensis
Wall-rue
Asplenium ruta-muraria
Willowherb,American
Epilobium ciliatum
Willowherb, Broad-leaved Epilobium montanum
Willowherb,Great
Epilobium hirsutum
Wood Avens (Herb Bennet ) Geum urbanum
Woundwort,Hedge
Stachys silvatica
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Hartstongue
Phyllitis
scolopendrium
Polypody,Common
Polypodium vulgare
Polypody Western
Polypody interjectum
Spleenwort,Maidenhair Asplenium trichomanes
Male Fern
Dryopteris felix-mas
Wall-rue
Asplenium ruta-muraria
Insects
Red Legged Shieldbug
Moths
Calamotropha
paludella
Mullein Moth
(caterpillar)
Mother of Pearl Moth
Pyrausta purpuralis
Pyrausta aurata
Large Yellow
Underwing
Crambus peslella
Agriphila tristella
Scorparia pyratella
Hummimg Bird Hawkmoth
Ruby Tiger Moth
(caterpillar)
Butterflies
Dark Green Fritillary
White Letter
Hairstreak
Small Skipper