Hartslock

Hartslock Nature Reserve is an 11-acre (4.5 hectare) section of the much larger Hartslock SSSI near Goring-on-Thames, south Oxfordshire, England. The reserve is primarily south-facing chalk downland surrounded by thick, ancient hedges and narrow tracts of mixed yew and deciduous woodland.

The site has a very rich diversity of species characteristic of the habitat, including::*Monkey orchids ("Orchis simia"), Lady orchids ("Orchis purpurea") and the hybrid between both species:*rare plants such as Bastard Toadflax ("Thesium humifusum"), Downy-fruited Sedge, Dodder and Slender Bedstraw:*Dingy Skipper ("Erynnis tages"), Grizzled Skipper ("Pyrgus malvae") and Green Hairstreak ("Callophrys rubi") butterflies:*Club-tailed dragonfly ("Gomphus vulgatissimus") is a frequent visitor in May, flying up from the Thames:*"Ephemera lineata", a rare mayfly also swarms in thousands on the site during the mating season:*"Mecyna flavalis", a rare day-flying moth seen commonly in July

Hartslock is open to the public throughout the year. Dogs should be kept on a lead because livestock is often kept on-site.

External links

* [http://hartslock.org.uk/ The Hartslock website]