Gisburn Forest

Saturday 21st June 2025

Leader: Louise Redgrave

Number of attendees: 12

Louise told us about the history of the site. In 1662 this part of the Forest of Bowland was an ancient hunting chase, with wooded and open areas. In 1949 it was planted and managed as a forestry plantation, with wide grassy rides. We walked first along a ride to Stephen Park meadow. The plants on the rides were broadly similar to those in the meadow, with the addition of Common Marsh-bedstraw (Galium palustre subsp. palustre), Marsh Horsetail (Equisetum palustre), Lesser Spearwort (Ranunculus flammula), Water Avens (Geum rivale) and Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) in the ditches.

Stephen Park meadow has been managed in recent years as a “Hay-time project” to increase bio-diversity. It was spread with fresh hay from a nearby SSSI and local school children planted seeds and grew plants such as Melancholy Thistle (Cirsium heterophyllum), Globeflower (Trollius europaeus) and Saw-wort (Serratula tinctoria). Plants we saw today included significant numbers of Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Common Eyebright (Euphrasia sp.) and Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).

We then walked on to a sloping area of limestone grassland scattered with shrubs and small trees known as Middle Laithe, with a well-kept farm building combining animal barns and an attached farmhouse at the bottom. Plants growing here included Bird's-eye Primrose (Primula farinosa), Heath Milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia), Lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica), Creeping Willow (Salix repens), Common Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), Slender St John's-wort (Hypericum pulchrum) and Marsh Valerian (Valeriana dioica), easily identified by its seed-heads.

The last site Louise took us to was the churchyard, which it was thought would have been flooded under original plans for the nearby reservoir. The church yard offered a profusion of flowering plants including more Common Spotted Orchids and also Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata).

Text by Brigid

Photographs by Brigid, Ian, Nyree and Susan