Bredon Hill NNR
Bredon Hill NNR is a prominent outlier of the Cotswold Hills.
County: Worcestershire
Main habitats: Wood Pasture
Area: 45 Ha
Site map: Nature on the Map
View a map of the reserve: (150kb)
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The site has been used for sheep pasture for hundreds of years creating a mixture of scrub and grassland. A feature of the scarp slope is the large number of open-grown trees, many of which are more than 300 years old and direct descendants of the original 'wildwood'.
Bredon's most important feature is its collection of invertebrates associated with old trees and dead wood, and the hill ranks as one of the top five sites in Britain for these creatures.
Over 230 invertebrate species have been recorded here and the site is home to seven rare and notable beetles - including the very rare violet click beetle - and six rare and notable species of fly.
The unimproved grassland is herb-rich with salad burnet, wild thyme, common rock rose, pyramidal orchid and dwarf thistle. Locally uncommon plants found here include chalk milkwort, horseshoe vetch and bee orchid.
Glow-worms are frequently seen at the site and butterflies found in the grassland areas include marbled white, brown argus and dingy skipper.
The scrub areas - characterised by hawthorn and ivy, with elder and blackthorn - provide important breeding sites for many bird species including whitethroat, linnet and yellowhammer.
Location and access
The reserve is 8 km south west of Evesham, 2 km west of Elmley Castle village and 1 km south of the village of Great Comberton.
By car, access to the reserve is via minor roads from the A46, A44, A4104, B4079 and B4080.
The nearest train station is in Evesham. There are bus services from Evesham to local villages. For details go to the Travel Search website.
A 68 km trail, the Wychavon Way, crosses the site.
Please note that access to the site is limited to public rights of way.
Facilities
The nearest toilet and refreshment facilities are in local towns and villages.
There is an interpretation panel at the entrance to the reserve for visitor information.
