Horton Bank Country Park, Bradford

Wednesday 15th June 2022, evening field meeting

Leader: Jesse Tregale

Ten members met on this fine and warm summer’s evening and enjoyed a very pleasant walk around this former stone quarry and reservoir. The area was redeveloped as a country park which opened in 1997 and it now has a large lake with woodland, scrub and grassland. There are fine views over the city from one of the many paths.

The car park was no longer open unfortunately but there was plenty of roadside parking. Soft Shield-fern (Polystichum setiferum) was spotted growing in a rock crevice as we made our way down towards the lake.

Southern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) was present in good numbers in the grassland surrounding the lake along with Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii). In the damper areas it was good to find Greater Spearwort (Ranunculus lingua) along with Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus), Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) and Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile). Later we also found Marsh Foxtail (Alopecurus geniculatus) and Marsh Yellow-cress (Rorippa palustris). Another highlight was a single but substantial plant of Slender Tufted-Sedge (Carex acuta), growing next to the much more common Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula).

Andrew spotted Spreading Meadow-grass (Poa humilis), a plant that is perhaps overlooked by many and he pointed out the id features. Another more unusual find was Scottish Laburnum (Laburnum alpinum), growing on a bank above the path. It was also good to see a range of more common plants putting on a good floral display such as Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and Common Bird's-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).

Text and Photographs by Susan and Tom