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May 28, 2022
Visit to Aston Upthorpe Downs SSSI taking in one of the richest remaining pieces of chalk downland in the area and offering a chance to see juniper restoration work at an early stage. The pasqueflowers in their last native Oxfordshire site will be in seed but still worth looking at! Field Fleawort should be in flower along with several other glorious downland species. Aficionados of aquatic plants might like to look up in advance Lemna turionifera.
Meet at 10.30 by the grain dryer at SU54998443. From the A417, a mile east of Blewbury, turn south up into a narrow lane signed to The Downs (opposite Spring Lane, which leads to Aston Upthorpe village). The grain dryer is about half a mile down the track. From there it’s a walk of a little more than half a mile to the sites. The terrain is sloping and uneven in places so appropriate footwear is required. Estimated finish time: 1 p.m.
