Pye Flatts SSSI and Denby Delf Nature Reserve Nr Penistone

Saturday 29th June

Leaders: Granville ‘Danny’ Clarke and Kay McDowell

This was a first for the Bradford Botany Group, as we had never visited either of these sites before. Our first stop was the unimproved meadows at Pye Flatts SSSI. We met owner Granville ‘Danny’ Clarke who gave us a fascinating introduction to the site starting from the Iron Age up to the present day.

The site, which consists of three very colourful small fields, were described by Mike as “looking like an Alpine meadow”. Rough hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus) was in full flower with patches of glaucous sedge (Carex flacca), the blue leaves making a striking contrast with the yellow daisy-like flowers. There was a scattering of common spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) and a closer look revealed swathes of common twayblade (Neottia ovata).

Further down the field we came across about 40 – 50 adder’s-tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum), which were just ready to release their spores. In the next field were sharp rush (Juncus acutiflorus), great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis), greater bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus), fairy flax (Linum catharticum) and meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense).

After this we were invited to Paul’s house for refreshment/a cup of tea and a walk around his garden/wild flower meadow. Plants included common spotted-orchid, meadow cranesbill and oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare).

We then drove 10 minutes down the road to Denby Delf Nature Reserve, looked after by the Garganey Trust. Walking into the first meadow, Jesse said he’d never seen so many common spotted-orchids, “there must be a million!” We also saw southern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) and the hybrid between the two (Dactylorhiza x grandis).

Then we hopped over the wall into the acidic habitat. We saw species typical of this habitat including mat-grass (Nardus stricta), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and heather (Calluna vulgaris), as well as early hair-grass (Aira praecox) growing on a shale mound and a large soft downy-rose (Rosa mollis) in flower.

Then Jeff led us into the next meadow with a similar composition of plants to the first meadow but with lots of zig-zag clover (Trifolium medium). We had a look at the nearby old quarry. It wasn’t possible to explore it fully as the further you went in, the steeper the sides became! We spotted some water dripping down the rocks and wondered what could be growing there.

Jeff led us to a mystery tree which had left him puzzled the week before. Possibly Sorbaria (Sorbaria sorbifolia) or Himalayan Sorbaria (Sorbaria tomentosa) but we needed to see some flowers which were not yet open.

Text by Kay

Photographs by Graham and Peter