Ullesthorpe Stewardship Farm
Details
Wildlife Highlights
It has a very rich flora which includes species such as Wild Clary, Sainfoin, Marjoram, Wild Basil, Salad Burnet and Hop. These in turn bring an abundance of insects, particularly day flying moths such as Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion and Shaded Broad-bar, but the species that makes this site very special is the Green Hairstreak butterfly which can be seen in numbers at one part of the site in late April and early May
Description
The stewardship farm site at Ullsthorpe is a relatively undiscovered nature hot spot, perhaps because it is not easily visible from any road. The site itself is based around a raised area of disused railway track which provides easy walking, whilst other attractive short walks run off to either side into fields and more wooded areas. Because this is a stewardship farm site it is managed with wildlife in mind and the public are welcomed.
Latest Records
| Common Name | Latin Name | Date Recorded | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne Bug | Adelphocoris lineolatus | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Small Tortoiseshell | Aglais urticae | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Skylark | Alauda arvensis | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Artichoke Gall Wasp | Andricus fecundator | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Knopper Oak Gall Wasp | Andricus quercuscalicis | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Rough Chervil | Chaerophyllum temulum | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Fat-hen | Chenopodium album | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Kidney-spot Ladybird | Chilocorus renipustulatus | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Chicory | Cichorium intybus | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Dock Bug | Coreus marginatus | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Carrion Crow | Corvus corone | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
| Broom | Cytisus scoparius | 02/09/2011 | David Nicholls |
Getting There
The one slight disadvantage to this site is that there is no parking provided and it's a case of finding somewhere suitable on the roadside. We have discovered two access points so far:
The first and probably the easiest access is to to turn off the A5 for the village of Willey on Main street, and park at the roadside as soon as it is safe to do so. Then walk back across the A5 and follow the footpath sign across one field before walking up on to the embankment of the disused railway that is the start of the site proper.
The second access is off Manor Road, Ullesthorpe walking through the yard of Lodge Farm and then across two fields to reach the disused railway and other areas of the site. The parking here is also by the side of the road. A word of warning for the faint hearted, there are often bullocks in the first of the two fields, but we haven't lost anyone to them yet!
