Guided walk in Beer Wood

There is now a small and very select group of members of the Somerset Wildlife Trust who have discovered the unexpected pleasure of an evening guided walk in Beer Wood in the rain. It was of course quite mild which made the rain manageable. Unfortunately even the photographs are soggy.


A group of 6 members led admirably as usual by Peter Baker found plenty of interest. Butterfly Orchids were very much in evidence growing generally on the grass slopes of Turn Hill. A close examination of Dog's Mercury growing throughout the woods showed us the male and female forms of the plant usually in separate groups. Peter was able to show the benefit of management operations to cut back on scrub and tree growth to open up clearings to allow a rich growth of Small Teasel plants which is generally scarce.

The few photographs show one of the few Early Purple Orchids still in flower, some of the Ground Ivy evident everywhere and the Butterfly Orchid which was still coming into flower on the open grass banks







This walk was in Beer Wood but on the other side of the lane is Aller Wood which has recently had some additional area added to it by the Trust, is much more undisturbed and must be the subject of another visit this summer.