Description

We’re delighted to offer an exclusive pair of day trips in the lovely surroundings of the Cotswolds Area Of Outsanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in South West England.

This is a trip with a difference, as it is run as two separate days, each with a different itinerary and therefore selection of species. You can choose one or both, and for the latter option we will give you a discounted price.

On the first day we will be visiting four sites to take in several different habitats to maximise the variety of orchids we will see. The special species today will be the Burnt Orchid in a beautiful damp meadow, as well as the “Cotswolds Butterfly Orchid”, a curious intermediate form of Platanthera seemingly found only in this area.

In addition to the headliners, we should see hundreds of Bird’s-nest and Early & Southern Marsh Orchids, plus take a chance to have a masterclass in spotting their hybrids!, Others include White Helleborine, Bee Orchids including possibly some “Wasps”, thousands of Greater Butterfly and species typical of species-rich calcareous grassland such as Chalk Fragrant, Pyramidal, Frog and Common Spotted.

We know this will prove to be an action-packed day, so to maximise our time with the orchids, lunch will be taken at one of the sites, with beautiful views across Laurie Lee Country in the Slad Valley.

The day will consist of easy walking most of the time. Some ground might be wet, and at another site there is a steep hill climb – but we will be taking it steady as there are lots of orchids to see on the way.

The second day will be spent around the Cotswolds Commons in the Stroud area, with the headlines being Fly Orchid, Bee (possibly including some of the rarer forms), and the hybrid between Fly and Bee Orchid, which is restricted to only three sites in the UK currently. The views will be spectacular! Also today we should see White Helleborines, Pyramidal, Chalk Fragrant, Common Spotted, Early Purple, Bird’s-nest and maybe even Lizard Orchid – but this species is restricted to a single location and sometimes gets grazed off before flowering, so we will have to be fortunate on that one! Today we will have another chance at Duke of Burgundy.

Greater and Lesser Butterfly Orchids occur together at one site, plus the Cotswolds has an intermediate Butterfly Orchid that is most interesting…..

Walks today will be generally easy and short, though one site is level paths along the side of a steep hill, and will involve some clambering up and down the hill. Good stout walking boots are essential, and also a walking pole for support if you have one. Lunch will be takeway sandwiches/drinks from a local café or tearoom.

Car sharing between guests is recommended to minimise impact on the environment, ensure we stay together, and accommodate limited parking at sites.

The two days will be run separately, but if you do want to attend both, we can recommend overnight accommodation, which is not provided as part of the trip cost.

A final thought. If you have a partner, friend, or other companion, who would like to travel with you but not take part in the daily excursions, then this trip is ideally suited to that as there is so much to see and do in the Cotswolds!

This promises to be a very popular & we recommend booking soon to avoid disappointment!