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

• The Hartslock website