Morgan’s Hill, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserve
05 July 2006

 

The North Wessex Downs - once the scene of a fierce battle between Roundheads and Cavaliers during the Civil War.

 

Morgan’s Hill Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserve - near the entrance

 

On the edge of the North Wessex Downs is the small but beautiful Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserve of Morgan’s Hill (supposedly named after a ‘John Morgan’, who in 1720 robbed his uncle and murdered him to avoid detection, but was caught and hanged on the hill before a large crowd), a chalk downland reserve with spectacular views over the north Wiltshire countryside.

The steep slopes of Morgan’s Hill are reached by walking from the Smallgrain Picnic Area (on the Quemerford to Bishop’s Canning Road near Calne or Devizes), along part of the Wansdyke, and up through a pair of kissing-gates. The initial walk onto the Reserve is up another slope between hawthorns, but once the top of the hill is reached the ground levels out and becomes much flatter.

The Reserve is specifically managed to encourage downland flora (the hill is grazed in the winter by the diminutive Dexters cattle) and has a number of interesting plants: specifically, Morgan’s Hill is listed as being the only downland site in Wiltshire for Marsh Helleborine Epipactis palustris, a species which as it’s name acurately implies, is usually found in wetland habitats. The helleborines (i’m told) usually grow in shaded areas under the hawthorns, but unfortunately on the day I visited in early July 2006 there were none to be found - and I looked long and hard - but the Reserve was carpeted with thousands of Common Spotted Orchids, good numbers of Pyramidal Orchid, and a few (rather old and tatty) Fragrant Orchids.

 

Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii

 

The grassland was covered, though, in downland flowers like Field Scabious, Lady’s Bedstraw, Self-heal, Yellow Rattle, Horseshoe Vetch, Wild Thyme, Round-headed Rampion, Chalk Milkwort, Common Knapweed, and Rest-harrow.

 

Field Scabious Knautia arvensis

 

Marbled White Melanargia galathea

 

6-spot Burnets Zygaena filipendulae mating on Knapweed,
and Dark-green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja

 

Such an abundance of flowers of course means that there will be good numbers of insects, and the day I was there I saw amongst other things many Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns (both typical downland butterflies), Ringlet, Large Skipper, a single Dark-green Fritillary, and two sightings of the scarce day-flying moth Chimney Sweeper Odezia atrata - a species confined to areas where Pignut (a member of the Carrot family) grows.

Bird-life is not especially rich, but I did see many Skylarks, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, and a pair of Common Whitethroat.

Morgan’s Hill itself can probably be covered in just an hour or two, but there are many other beautiful areas very close at hand - and several well-marked routes starting from the Smallgrain Picnic Area give hikers options for walks ranging from 3miles up to 6.5miles in length. There are no on-site facilities other than the car-park though - so if you plan a day here it’s probably best to bring water and toilet rolls…

 

Directions to Yatton Down:
Morgan’s Hill Reserve is reached from either Devizes (off the A361) or Calne (off the A4), by turning onto the Quemerford/Bisop’s Canning road. The road climbs to the brow of a hill and after a few hundred metres the well-signed Smallgrain Picnic Area is reached. There is ample parking here, and it’s best to drive to the far end of the site and park near the information board. Walk up the grass slope on your right (as you look at the board) which leads towards the Wansdyke (an ancient byway). Turn right onto the stony path and walk up the gently rising slope for 0.5 mile until the reserve entrance (a pair of kissing gates) is reached. Grid reference SU 025 672.

 

Morgan’s Hill Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserve - the top of the hill