Orchid Hunting in the Chiltern Hills

Join Leif Bersweden, author of The Orchid Hunter and Where the Wildflowers Grow, for a day of orchid hunting in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of the most orchid-rich locations in the country.

Many of our chalk-loving native orchids hit their peak in May, so the flower-rich grasslands and quiet woodland glades of the Chiltern Hills are the perfect place to encounter our country’s most charismatic plants and learn about their ecology, conservation and habitat management – with plenty of time for taking photographs of course!

We will be meeting in Goring-on-Thames and then walking to Hartslock Nature Reserve, a quiet site on a hillside overlooking the River Thames which boasts an impressive list of orchids. From there we will lift-share to Warburg and Homefield Wood, both of which are a short 25-minute drive away.

During the day we could find as many as ten different orchid species, including the insect-mimicking Fly Orchid and mysterious species like Bird’s-nest Orchid. Leif has a particular interest in Monkey, Lady and Military Orchids, the species he studied for his PhD, all three of which will be found – plus the rare hybrid between the former two.

As well as looking at the orchids there will be a chance to learn the other specialist plants of these habitats, plus discuss management techniques for promoting their conservation.

Please note: we will be walking up a couple of very steep inclines at Hartslock and Warburg.

About the tutor

Leif Bersweden is a writer, botanist and nature communicator with a face-down, bottom-up approach to watching wildlife. He grew up in rural Wiltshire where he taught himself how to identify the local flora and has been championing our wild plants and the joy they bring ever since. He is the author of The Orchid Hunter (Short Books, 2017) and Where the Wildflowers Grow (Hodder & Stoughton, 2022).

Timings and directions

9:45 – 10:00 Meet and welcome. We’ll be parking in Goring for the day, walking to Hartslock, then lift-sharing to Warburg and Homefield Wood. Meet in Goring & Streatley Railway Station car park (Gatehampton Road, Goring-on-Thames, RG8 0EP, map here). In the unlikely event of the car park being full, there is an alternative car park nearby behind The Catherine Wheel pub (Wheel Orchard RG8 9HB). It will probably be busy so make sure you leave plenty of time for parking!

10:00 - 10:30 Walk up to Hartslock (1 mile of slow, steady incline along the road, followed by a short, *very steep* incline up onto the hill)

10:30 - 11:30 Orchid hunt at Hartslock (on a steep slope)

11:30 - 12:00 Walk back to the cars at Goring & Streatley station

12:00 - 12:30 Lift-share from Goring to Warburg (in 3 cars - volunteer drivers would be brill!)

12:30 - 14:30 Picnic lunch and orchid hunt at Warburg (including one *very steep* path)

14:30 - 15:00 Lift-share from Warburg to Homefield Wood

15:00 - 16:00 Orchid hunt at Homefield Wood (on a medium slope)

16:00 - 16:30 Drive back to the cars at Goring

What to bring

• Footwear appropriate for the outdoors (most walking will be on relatively level paths but there are a couple of very steep inclines)
• Notebook and camera (optional)
• Suncream
• To maximise time in the field we will be having a picnic lunch, so please bring suitable food and water with you to keep you going throughout the day.

Please do let us know of any medical requirements/conditions we should be aware of prior to the course.

Other information

The longest walk is from Goring & Streatley Station to Hartslock which is 1 mile each way. At Warburg it's slightly shorter with lots of stopping, and at Homefield it's shorter again.

Toilets are normally available at, or near, Goring & Streatley Station and Warburg.

Course certificate

This course can be used as part of your Continuing Professional Development (CPD). We invite attendees to download their own certificate and complete the numbers of hours spent on the course, as we are aware some attendees spend more time reading up about courses before the day, and writing their notes up and reading aroudn the subject afterwards. The hours on your certificate should accurately reflect this time.