Twenty-one members, one toddler and National Trust Ranger Ashley McLean met at Springhill National Trust Estate on the evening of Wednesday 5^th June 2024. A wedge of polar air made its presence felt making it unseasonably cold. There was however only a light shower of rain.

To start CWT member and previous Area Ranger at Springhill, Sophie Graham told us the history of the Wildflower Meadow. For decades the area had been mowed as a lawn. Then one day Sophie had a chance to see a map of Springhill Estate from 1862 and noticed a large area near the avenue marked as wildflower meadow. Sophie and her team decided to leave the area to grow again as a meadow. They asked a local farmer to mow the meadow once per year in the late summer, saving it for winter fodder but not allowing the use of any fertiliser. The Ranger Team was pleased to see a profusion of wildflowers appear. In particular Yellow Rattle appeared and spread. This plant parasitises grasses thereby stunting its growth and allowing other wild plants to flourish. There was so much Yellow Rattle that the rangers and volunteers were able to harvest the seed by hand (rather laborious) and sow it elsewhere in Springhill Estate and Wellbrook NT Estate to encourage wildflowers there.

At our wildflower walk on Wednesday evening we split into two groups. We were led by Jackie Arrell and Ian McNeill

We were pleased to see the Wildflower Meadow is looking in terrific condition with thirty-six species of wild plant identified by Ian and Jackie—see list below.

We then turned onto the woodland path and into the woodland where our two guides identified a further list of wild plants. Again, see list below.  Some with exotic names such as Enchanter’s Nightshade said to have been used by the enchantress Circes to turn some of Odysseus crew members into pigs. We saw Toothwort under a Rhododendron tree—it is often seen under hazel trees. We learned it has no chlorophyll and parasitises the tree yet does not seem to cause the tree major harm. Hedge Woundwort was seen—as the name suggests this was used in ancient times as a dressing for wounds. Then Nipplewort presumably used by nursing mothers for inflammation. Ian explained the doctrine of signatures. This dates from centuries ago and while initially pre-Christian was adopted by Christians. It was believed that there was a cure for every human disease somewhere in the plant world and that God had left little anatomical clues on plants to guide mankind as to the particular plant that would cure a particular human ailment.

We then got distracted as a Great Spotted Woodpecker chick was heard calling. This was then seen repeatedly poking its head out from its nest in a  standing dead tree. The adult was seen flitting about from tree to tree nearby.

On the wall near the tractor shed we saw Fairy Foxglove, Purple Toadflax, Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Spleenwort and Great Mullein.

Walls are always of interest to botanists!  On the garden wall, Ian identified Mouse-ear hawkweed, Wall Lettuce, Spleenwort and Petty Spurge. The latter is also known as Milkwort and exudes a white milk from a nipped stem. This is quite poisonous to animals and very irritant to human skin but has been tried experimentally in the past to treat skin and bladder cancer.

We concluded our walk back at the car park.  The Chairperson thanked Ian and Jackie for leading us. Everyone on the walk had learned such a lot from our two leaders. The Chairperson also thanked  Ashley and the rest of the Ranger Team for allowing Cookstown Wildlife Trust to visit. Springhill Estate is a marvellous wildlife reserve and the wildflower meadow there is a unique example of a restored meadow.

Wildflower Meadow (Plant list)

Common Bistort                                               Germander Speedwell

Common Spotted Orchid                                 Smooth Sow-thistle

Yellow Rattle                                                     Rosebay Willowherb

Yorkshire Fog                                                    Wood Anemone

Sweet Vernal-grass                                           Cleavers

Common Sorrel                                                Bluebell

Ribwort Plantain                                               Bush Vetch

Lesser Stitchwort                                              Silverweed

Changing Forget-me-not                                 Bog Stitchwort

Bugle                                                                White Clover

Crested Dog’s-tail                                            Oxeye Daisy

Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca)                         Dandelion

Fescue                                                              Marsh Thistle                        

Lady’s Mantle                                                  Common Mouse-ear

Herb-Robert                                                    Common Ragwort

Field Forget-me-not                                        Cuckooflower

Creeping Buttercup                                         Meadowsweet

Meadow Buttercup                                          Red Clover

Edge of Woodland path and in the wood

Barren Strawberry                                 Bluebell

Wild Strawberry                                    Enchanter’s Nightshade

Wood Avens                                         Herb-Robert                                                                

Daisy                                                     Lords and Ladies                                                                       

Bush Vetch                                            Primrose

Germander Speedwell                          Early-purple Orchid

Hemlock                                                Cow Parsley                                                                 

Meadow Buttercup                               Hedge Woundwort

Creeping Buttercup                               Prickly Sow-thistle

Red Campion                                         Broad-leaved Willowherb                                                    

Toothwort                                              Brooklime

Pendulous Sedge                                   Creeping thistle

Wood Dock                                            Golden Saxifrage

Nipplewort                                             Wood Sedge (Carex sylvatica)

Garlic Mustard                                        Wild Garlic

Foxglove                                                 Woodruff

Wood-sorrel                                           Hogweed

Lesser Celandine

We were then pleasantly distracted by a Woodpecker chick calling and popping its head out of a nest hole in a standing dead tree in the wood with the adult flying round in attendance !!

Walls from tractor shed to car park

Fairy Foxglove                     Ivy-leaved Toadflax                        Spleenwort

Purple Toadflax                   Great Mullein             

Garden Wall

Mouse-ear hawkweed                     Spleenwort

Wall Lettuce                                     Petty Spurge (Milkweed)

Trip Report by Ernest Hunter