Windmill Hill by Wendy Carter
Location
Know before you go
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Dawn to duskBest time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
With excellent views of the Avon Valley, this scrubby grassland has been maintained by grazing for centuries and supports a rich community of wildlife. The open grassland is dotted with lime-loving plants such as twayblade, bee orchid, common-spotted orchid, bird’s-foot trefoil, dog violet, cowslip, fairy flax, field scabious, common knapweed, wild liquorice and common and spiny restharrow.
The reserve is important for butterflies including marbled white, brown argus (rare and in low numbers), small skipper, common blue, meadow brown, small tortoiseshell and small heath.
Visitors should lookout for old anthills and the herbs such as wild thyme that grow on them. Scrubby areas on Windmill Hill consist of flowering hawthorn and blackthorn that provide early nectar for hoverflies and other insects. The mix of grassland, shrubs and trees also help provide cover for willow warbler and chiffchaff. Kestrels are often seen hunting the open hillside for small mammals.
Accessibility and facilities
There is one public right of way, one permissive path and one bridlepath across the nature reserve. The entrance is approximately 50 metres from the car parking area, with the first bench 100 metres from the entrance and a second bench 370 metres away. There are six kissing gates and two pedestrian gates. Surfaces are grassy and can be muddy, with paths approximately four to six feet wide, although there is no obviously mown path. There is a steep climb up to the entrance and steep cambers across the site. Two interpretation boards are provided.
