bed breakfast Wellington barn calstone
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Calstone & Wellington are two linked villages near to Calne in Wiltshire, England, forming part of The Oldbury Benefice, which comprises the 5 parishes of Cherhill, Compton Bassett, Heddington, Calstone Wellington and Yatesbury.
Calstone and Cherhill Downs is an extensive area of herb-rich chalk grassland of exceptional botanical quality. The flora supports a diverse population of invertebrates including an outstanding assemblage of butterflies and a nationally rare cricket. The site comprises one of the best remaining examples in North Wiltshire of unimproved downland, a habitat which has been largely lost due to either neglect or the use of intensive agricultural methods.
The site, lying towards the western edge of the Marlborough Downs, occupies a narrow plateau of the Middle and Upper Chalk from which the land descends abruptly to the north and more gently to the south. The southern slopes are dissected by a complex system of narrow steep-sided dry valleys and coombes, offering sheltered conditions in which a variety of plants and invertebrates thrive.
There are extensive areas of both grazed and ungrazed downland, the sward being largely dominated by upright brome Bromus erectus throughout, although tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum is widespread and locally abundant.
Other grasses and sedges characteristic of the chalk which occur here are sheep’s-fescue Festuca ovina, crested hair-grass Koeleria macrantha, glaucous sedge Carex flacca, and spring-sedge C. caryophyllea. The longer vegetation on some slopes is characterised by robust herbs such as devil’s-bit scabious Succisa pratensis, greater knapweed Centaurea scabiosa and clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata, while the more intensively grazed areas allow lower-growing species, for example horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa and chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, to flourish.
Among the several plant species of nationally restricted distribution occurring on the downland are field fleawort Senecio integrifolius, bastard-toadflax Thesium humifusum, round-headed rampion Phyteuma orbiculare, and burnt orchid Orchis ustulata. Other orchids are generally well represented, with fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, bee orchid Ophrys apifera, and frog orchid Coeloglossum viride all frequent. Also of interest is the unusual hybrid tuberous thistle Cirsium tuberosum x acaule. Scattered scrub, largely dominated by hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, along with occasional gorse Ulex europaeus, buckthorn Rhamnus catharticus and wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, characterises some slopes, while juniper Juniperus communis, an uncommon species in southern England, occurs as small populations.sisted
The variety of aspect and slope at the site and the abundance of herbs in the sward has allowed an outstanding invertebrate fauna to become established. Of the 25 resident breeding butterfly species several are relatively uncommon nationally, such as the small blue Cupido minimus, chalkhill blue Lysandra coridon, Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina and marsh fritillary Eurodryas aurinia. Other important invertebrates recorded include the heath snail Helicella itala, a local and declining species characteristic of calcareous grassland, and the uncommon plant bug Sehirus dubius. Of particular interest is the occurrence of the rare and vulnerable wart-biter bush cricket Decticus verrucivorus, which is found in the longer vegetation. This species is only known from a few other localities in Britain.
An additional habitat within this generally dry site is a dewpond which holds water throughout the year and supports an aquatic flora including stonewort Chara vulgaris, common spike-rush Eleocharis palustris and bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris. Newts Triturus sp also inhabit the pond, whilst in summer insects such as the Emperor dragonfly Anax imperator and the azure damselfly Coenagrion puella hunt around the fringes.