2004 Rowthorne and Pleasley Trails Derbyshire 26th June One Day Meeting
A group of 6 gathered at Rowthorne on a cloudy and wet day for a stroll through this area of magnesian limestone. The Rowthorne Trail is an old railway line closed during the 1930's. It has been well colonised by trees, and for most of its length provides a woodland habitat in an area that is otherwise devoted to arable farming. Sanicula europaea (sanicle) and Pimpinella major (greater burnet saxifrage) are common in this area, together with the garden relic Doronicum pardalianches (leopardsbane) which forms an extensive colony. Both Saxifraga tridactylites (rue-leaved saxifrage) and Sedum acre (biting stonecrop) were found growing on an old piece of tarmac. The eastern end of the trail contained more open grassland, and plants such as Anthyllis vulneraria (kidney vetch), Centaurea scabiosa (greater knapweed) and Brachypodium pinnatum (tor grass) dominated the scene. In a bare stony section the two small hair-grasses Aira praecox and Aira caryophyllea were found in fruit, together with the calcifuge Rumex acetosella (sheep's sorrel).
Where the Rowthorne Trail joins another old railway, the Teversal Trail, the flora becomes even more varied Ononis repens (rest-harrow) was present here in some quantity, together with Galium mollugo (hedge bed straw). We took a short detour to view Helianthemum nummularium (rock-rose), Sanguisorba minor (salad burnet) and Polystichum aculeatum (hard shield fern) growing below on the embankments of Batley Lane. The Teversal Trail enters a wide cutting just south of Pleasley coalmine, and a few years ago this was quite bare. It has now been well colonised by Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog) and other grasses, and has a splendid display of Dactylorhiza fuchsii (common spotted-orchid), plus a few specimens of Ophrys apifera (bee orchid).
To complete the round walk we followed Longhedge Lane, which runs alongside the newly created Pleasley Country Park. The hedge here is very varied, containing an abundance of Rosa arvensis (field rose), as well as Ligustrum vulgare (wild privet) and Euonymus europaeus (spindle). A few plants of Heracleum mantegazzianium(giant hogweed) have survived the upheavals associated with landscaping in the Country Park, and one was flowering magnificently, making the Conium maculatum (hemlock) alongside look puny in comparison. Apath beside a field of peas gave us an opportunity to examine a good annual weed flora, including Chaenorhinum minus (small toadflax) and Euphorbia exigua (dwarf spurge). The New Atlas suggests that the latter is in decline nationally, but fields on the magnesian limestone seem to be its stronghold in Derbyshire.
The limestone walls in Rowthorne village provide a good fern habitat, the outstanding species here being Ceterach officinarum (rustyback) in quantity, plus one plant of Asplenium adiantum-nigrum (black spleenwort). Finally there was time to admire a single Juglans regia (walnut) in fruit beside the road as we completed our round walk.
KEN BALKOW