Nature on the Line

Heritage railways are a haven for wildlife as they are often undisturbed for long periods of time. Planting and managing hedgerows can create corridors along which wildlife can travel between what otherwise might be fragmented communities that may be too small to survive. This is what might be seen along our line between Wallingford and Cholsey during the Summer months.

Towards the end of June numerous Pyramidal Orchids flower just to the Wallingford side of the crossing. Mostly they are dark pink in bud and lighter pink when the flowers open but there are also one or two white flowered stems and crosses between the two produce a range of pale pink flowers. The white flowered stems seem to have fewer flowers and are generally weaker.

The Ox-eye daisies are at their best along the embankments during the Summer and the leaves of several walnut trees along the line become fully expanded, like beech trees they are the last trees to come into leaf. In June there are numerous flowering Verbascums (V. nigra) in the banks either side of the tracks, these often hybridise with garden Verbascums so the colour and flower size can be variable.