Lower House
Farm is a Jacobean timber-framed farm house dating
from 1614. The building is thought to be the
second oldest house in Hereford city. When acquired
by HNT in 1995 it was in a run-down state, but
it has now been fully restored to its original
condition. The farm house is the headquarters
of the Nature Trust.
The gardens have been landscaped with wildlife
in mind and attract a wide range of interesting
species. The aromatic herbs and scented flowers
of the border in front of the building draw
in large numbers of nectar-seeking butterflies,
including Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted
Lady and Gatekeeper. The pond, although small,
has been used as a breeding site for Southern
Hawker dragonflies, while Club-tailed and Emperor
dragonflies have visited. During autumn and
winter the bird feeders host small numbers
of Goldfinches as well as an array of more
usual birds. The grassed areas contain a variety
of spring bulbs and are cut in mid-summer.
The orchard area behind the farmhouse contains
a mixture of old and newly planted fruit trees.
The original orchard was extended in 1998,
by planting an additional 20 old Herefordshire
varieties of apple, pear and plum. One of the
most distinctive old trees is a fine Huff Cap
pear whose white blossoms make an attractive
feature in spring. Parties of Fieldfares and
Redwings may be seen here in autumn, while
Yellowhammers breed along the boundary hedges.
Rickyard Pasture consists of seasonally flooded
wet grassland bounded to the north and east
by the Lugg Rhea. Reed Buntings call from the
willows along the Rhea and wildfowl, Snipe
and gulls visit in winter. Lapwing and Curlew
have occasionally been recorded in other seasons.
Bank and Wood Meadows form a strip of semi-improved
grassland separated from Upper Lugg Meadow
by the Lugg Rhea. Bank Meadow slopes quite
steeply up from the Rhea towards the Tupsley
housing, and much of it remains relatively
dry in winter. In contrast, Wood Meadow is
regularly flooded when the Lugg and Rhea overflow
after winter rains. Yellowhammers breed in
the boundary hedges and Meadow Pipits forage
in the grassland in winter. The meadows contain
a good variety of typical meadow flowers, such
as Ladies Smock and three species of buttercup,
but lack the plant diversity of adjacent Upper
Lugg Meadow.
Baynton Wood lies on a steep embankment north-west
of Lower House Farm. The western edge abuts
onto the Tupsley housing estate and the wood
is frequently visited by children and dog-walkers
from the estate. To the north it adjoins the
Broadlands Local Nature Reserve, while to the
east the wood slopes steeply down to overlook
Upper Lugg and Wood Meadows. Historical information
and physical features of the site indicate
that the wood is a plantation on an ancient
woodland site, therefore making the wood at
least 500 years old.
The present-day wood comprises scrub habitat
dominated by Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Gorse and
Bramble together with some of the original
broad-leaved trees. Sycamore, Hazel, Small-leaved
Lime and Field Maple also occur, while the
invasive alien Japanese Knotweed has a foothold
in many parts of the scrubby areas. Some 73 plant species have been listed for
Baynton Wood, including Bluebell, Wood Avens,
Bitter Vetch, Musk Mallow, Meadow Vetchling
and both Red and White Campion - quite a variety
in view of the wood's close proximity to large
human populations. Breeding birds include Mistle
Thrush, Collared Dove, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler,
Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher.
Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Bullfinches are
regular visitors and Bramblings have been seen
in winter, feeding on Beech mast.
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