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35. Walborough
Grid ref: 316 579 / Area: 20.3 hectares
This reserve situated just south of Uphill village
has salt marsh and limestone grassland with rare plants
and insects.
How to get there
We encourage visitors
to use environmentally friendly forms of transport
wherever possible. Most of our reserves are easily
accessible by bicycle, with many close to the National
Cycle Network. Click
here to view a location map of
the reserve on the National Cycle Network website.
Alternatively, follow signs to Uphill village from
the southern end of Weston-super-Mare. Uphill leads
towards the south end of Weston beach. Head towards
the beach but park near the large sluice gates on the
left or by Uphill Way in the lay-by. Walk past the
boatyard either along the metalled track or along the
sea wall to reach the reserve.
Access
A surfaced path allows access
to parts of the site for those who are less mobile.
There is open access to the grassland areas but please
keep off the salt marsh to avoid disturbance to birds.
Wildlife and conservation
The limestone
grassland is an SSSI with an exceptionally rich flora
including a number of nationally rare species. These
include Somerset hair-grass and honewort. Also here
are green-winged and early purple orchid, autumn lady's
tresses and abundant cowslips. The best areas of grassland
are on the steeper slopes. The area is important for
butterflies including brown argus, grizzled and dingy
skipper and grayling.
The salt marsh has a number of nationally scarce plants
including sea barley, slender hare's-ear and sea clover
on its upper reaches, some of them on the sea wall.
Patches of sea-lavender add a splash of colour in the
late summer. It is intended to allow the sea to once
again inundate the low lying field behind the Victorian
sea wall and expand the area of salt marsh.
The Axe estuary holds good numbers of wildfowl and
waders during autumn and winter including redshank,
dunlin, shelduck and black-tailed godwit. Birds wintering
on the salt marsh include skylark, rock and meadow
pipit, linnet and, occasionally, twite.
Further information
The adjacent Uphill Local Nature Reserve has excellent
limestone grassland and is well worth a visit. The
Walborough reserve was purchased and managed through
support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Esm¯e Fairbairn
Charitable Trust, Woodspring District Council, Avon
County Council and public donation.
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