Yew Hill
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Yew Hill is Butterfly Conservation's small reserve on the
south-western edge of Winchester. Part of it is five acres of open
downland crossed by deep gullies, said to be the old roads into
Winchester. The other part of the reserve, to which public access is
limited, holds a covered reservoir belonging to Southern Water. |
Photo © Tim Norriss |
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White-Letter Hairstreak
Photo © Peter Eeles |
Some
25 species of butterfly can be seen at Yew Hill including the
occasional White-letter Hairstreak whose caterpillars feed on nearby
elm trees. Buckthorn is important for the caterpillars of the bright
yellow Brimstone butterfly, while the dainty Holly Blue needs holly,
or dogwood, and ivy. So trees and shrubs have been left in strategic
places to encourage these butterflies and give them shelter. |
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Scrub clearance and grazing help to maintain a flower-rich downland.
Cowslip, milkwort, scabious and thyme abound, together with several
orchids, the most frequent being the fragrant orchid. Knapweed
broomrape is easy to find, with its tall brown spikes. |
Photo © Tim Norriss |
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Brimstone
Photo © Peter Eeles |
Yew Hill is quite isolated from other good
butterfly habitats. This isolation poses a danger to those
butterfly species at Yew Hill which do not disperse far because,
if a species has a poor year and dies out, there are no colonies
near enough to replenish their populations. Purple hairstreaks frequent the oak trees on the reservoir area.
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Funding from Natural England
helps to support a programme of educational access to our
reserves. Visits can be provided for both schools and adult
groups. including leisure groups like photographic societies etc. |
Photo © Tim Norriss |
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Holly Blue
Photo © Peter Eeles |
If you would like to know more about their
management please contact our
Reserves Officer,
whose details can be found in the
Committee section. |
Use the map below to approach the reserve. At the edge of the
built-up area, just south of Miller's Lane and above the letter T in
the word Tumuli below, park on verge near pumping station (SU451269)
and walk up the bridleway to Yew Hill.
Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.
© Crown copyright.
All rights reserved. Licence number 100015237.
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