Wessex

There are 21 gardens in Wessex region to be considered. Varying in size from the huge landscape gardens at Stourhead to the small gardens at Hardy’s Cottage and Tintinhull.

There are a great array of designs, including the water gardens at The Courts and Westbury Court, luxuriant flower beds, old lawns, walls, hedges and ponds are all regular features.

The geology of the Wessex gardens is also diverse, though many are on calcareous soils. The climate is fairly mild. Some, like Tyntesfield, are close to rich natural habitats.

If you spot something that you want to tell us about, email: gardenswildlifesurvey@nationaltrust.org.uk with details of what, where and when...

Here are some of the highlights of the area:

Barrington Court

© NTPL / Neil Campbell-Sharp
The orchards

The orchards are full of Mistletoe which supports a very rare bug, Hypseloecus visci, which was discovered here and at Tintinhull in 2003 – as a species new to Britain!
The local Mistletoe bug Pinalitus viscicola also occurs, and the scarce fruit bark beetle Scolytus mali breeds in apple trees.
In spring the orchards are dominated by cow parsley, Pink Campion and Hog Weed.
Look out for Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Comma butterflies feeding on rotting apples in autumn – and lots of wasps!

Pond / canal / moat

The canals and ponds attract large numbers of Common Frog and Palmate Newt, and produce myriad flies on which many Swallows feed. The local water beetle Helochares lividus also breeds in the moats.

Birds

The old parkland trees have lots of hollows for nesting birds and are well used by Nuthatch.
Spotted flycatcher breeds each summer.

The gardens

The gardens are great for butterflies.
The kitchen garden is well used by the two Cabbage Whites, whilst buddleia bushes, Michaelmas Daisies and other herbaceous border plants attract butterflies like Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell in August.
Also check the Hemp Agrimony flowers along the moat in late July – early August.
The best butterfly seen here was a Long-tailed Blue in August 1996, in the Gertrude Jekyll garden!
The organic kitchen garden is also good for Asparagus Beetle – which isn't entirely welcome there!
Two scarce mining bees have been found: Melitta leporina, which occurs in the Jekyll garden, along with its cleptoparasite Nomada flavopicta. The Wool Carder bee Anthidium manicatum also occurs.

Tintinhull

© NTPL / Nick Meers
Insects

This small garden revealed a mistletoe bug new to Britain in 2003 - Hypseloecus visci – which was later found at Barrington Court!
Also in 2003, an invertebrate survey discovered a local barklouse, a scarce false soldier beetle (Dasytes plumbeus), a thriving colony of the rare digger wasp Crossocerus distinguendus (first record for Somerset), the local bee Colletes daviesanus and a local cuckoo bee (Sphecodes crassus).
All sorts of butterflies and day-flying moths wander in to the garden for nectar, such as Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Hummingbird Hawk moth.

Other animals:

Smooth Newt breeds in the ponds, and Spotted Flycatcher occurs.

Montacute
The garden at Montacute
© NTPL / Neil Campbell-Sharp
The garden and park are remarkably rich for wildlife.

Bats, birds and amphibians:

There is a large colony of Lesser Horseshoe bat, and Whiskered bat has also been recorded.
Breeding birds include Stock Dove and Spotted Flycatcher.
Common Frog and Common Toad breed in the pools

Insects:

Some scarce beetles have been recorded, including Lesser Stag beetle and a rare woodworm (!) that breeds in ivy – Anobium inexpectatum.
Other scarce insects include the digger wasps Crossocerus distinguendus and Stigmus pendulus.
The old bullet holes in the sunny side of the house should support some interesting spring bees but need surveying.

Dunster Castle
The garden at Dunster Castle
© NTPL / Charlie Waite
Bats:

The house supports a superb array of bats, including the very rare Greater Horseshoe and Grey Long-eared bats.
Bat-watching evenings are arranged (contact Dunster Castle to book)

Insects:

The Rivil Avil has Banded and Beautiful blue Demoiselle (damsel flies) and Gold-ringed Dragonfly.
The buddleias attract many butterflies and day-flying moths.

Ferns:

There are nice ferns in the moist rocky places, such as Scaly Male Fern, Broad Buckler Fern, Common Polypody, Wall Rue, Hartstongue Fern and Maidenhair Spleenwort.

Hardy's Cottage
The Garden at Hardy's Cottage
© NTPL / Eric Crichton
This small cottage garden is very good for wildlife, and we are keen to find out more about life in Hardy's garden.

Moss:

The rare Thatch Moss grows on the roof and is carefully looked after.

Insects:

Butterflies abound, including Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock.

Birds:

Birds such as Greenfinch, Gold Finch and Yellow Hammer visit regularly.

Tyntesfield
The garden at Tyntesfield
© NTPL / Stephen Robson
The lawns:

The lawns are good for wax cap fungi (8 species at the last count).
The parterre lawn at the front of the house hosts a large population of Autumn Ladies Tresses (over 500 spikes counted).

The tall grass area has superb displays of wildflowers in spring and early summer, including Green Winged, Common Spotted and Pyramidal Orchids.

Butterflies and moths:

This is a good butterfly garden, with Brown Argus and Common Blue breeding (on Common Rockrose and Birdsfoot Trefoil) and regular sightings of Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Ringlet and common nettle-feeding butterflies.
Over 100 species of moth have been recorded, including several local species (which have come out of the adjacent woods).

Fauna:

Great Crested Newt breeds in a pond adjacent to the garden, but the real thrill here is the bats – the house and buildings support a very rich fauna, including both Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats.

Clevedon Court

© NTPL / Rupert Truman
Small but interesting garden at the foot of the Tickenham Ridge.

The lawns:

The old lawn holds many limestone grassland plants, including Ladies Bedstraw and Birdsfoot Trefoil, on which breeds the Common Blue butterfly.
The lawn is probably good for mining bees and may be good for waxcap fungi.

Flora:

The old walls support Harts Tongue and Rustyback ferns, Maidenhair Spleenwort and Wall Rue.
There is a small patch of Ivy Broomrape at the west end of the Wooded Bank.

Bats and birds:

Lesser Horseshoe and Natterer’s bats breed in the Great Hall roof void.
Spotted Flycatcher nests in the garden and all three species of woodpecker are regularly seen.

Insects:

Purple Hairstreak butterfly is resident, seemingly breeding on Holm Oak.
Mullein Moth breeds on Great Mullein in the garden.
Rose Chafer beetle (Cetonia aurata) is regularly seen and may be breeding in the compost heaps (where Grass-snake breeds).
The digger wasp Cerceris rybyensis nests in the main garden paths (look out for little holes with mini spoil heaps) and the bee-killing fly Psyocephala rufpes also occurs.

The ponds support a breeding population of Great Crested Newt.
Otter have been known to eat Koi Carp in the carp pond!

Bats:

Daubenton’s bats hunt over the ponds at night.

The Meadow:

The hay meadow in the old orchard has Common Spotted Orchids, Yellow Rattle, Cowslip and Meadow Cranesbill, and supports butterflies such as Meadow Brown, Marbled White and Common Blue.

The pool:

All species of newt, including the protected Great Crested, breed in the Bathing Pool (round concrete pond), and also Common Frog and Common Toad.
Look out for spawn.

The orchard:

The orchards have relic hay meadow features, including Primrose and Red Campion.

Insects:

The lawn banks support mining bee colonies, and there are also Mason bees nesting in the old walls (the spring bees need surveying).
The only scarce bee currently known is the Harebell Carpenter bee, which is numerous at bellflower flowers.
Gwynne’s Mining bee (Andrena bicolor) also occurs.
The Trust is creating a wildflower area along Huntingdon Avenue, which will attract insects.
A good range of butterflies and moths occur. Of note are colonies of Holly Blue butterfly and Scarlet Tiger moth, the latter is rare in the north Cotswolds.
White Admiral was recorded in 2003, along with Muslin Footman moth.
The main herbaceous borders are good for the common butterflies and day-flying moths.

Hit list:

We are particularly interested in discovering more about the following gardens:

Hardy's Cottage, Kingston Lacy, Lytes Carey, The Courts, Great Chalfield, Horton Court and Westbury Court.

The National Trust

Wessex