Rock Edge Local Nature Reserve
See also Rock Edge page of Friends of Lye Valley website
which has at the end Judy's article 'The Flora and Fauna at Rock Edge Geological SSSI/LNR'
Also the Rock Edge page of www.headington.org.uk maintained by Stephanie Jenkins
Geology of Rock Edge SSSI - Oxfordshire Geology Trust
See also Rock Edge page of Friends of Lye Valley website
which has at the end Judy's article 'The Flora and Fauna at Rock Edge Geological SSSI/LNR'
Also the Rock Edge page of www.headington.org.uk maintained by Stephanie Jenkins
Geology of Rock Edge SSSI - Oxfordshire Geology Trust
17 June 2023 Rock Edge picnic, followed by a guided walk, led by Judy Webb, who pointed out the different wildflowers in bloom at that time; they included knapweed (common and black), bird's-foot trefoil, ox-eye daisy, field scabious, marjoram (in bloom on the dry bank on Old Road), St John's Wort, yellow rattle, lady's bedstraw, comfrey, wild clary, kidney vetch and tufted vetch. Some meadow browns and a marbled white butterfly were spotted, also bumble bees and common carder bees.
25 August 2022 Photos here (some fuzzy - rain on lens)
include some taken by Judy Webb. Oxford City Council Thursday volunteers carried out scything, seed-spreading and bramble-trimming. Judy Webb (middle of photo on left) now coordinates the activities of this group, on a voluntary basis. This summer, Carl Whitehead, formerly volunteering coordinator & Countryside Ranger for the Open Spaces section of the Council's ODS, left to take up a new post as the first Park Ranger for Witney Town Council (Carl lives in Witney). See also Facebook post by Witney Town Council on 15 August 2022. Carl will be particularly involved with the Lake and Country Park. He will be sorely missed by the OCC volunteering groups, and not just for his organising skills - his ready wit and sense of humour provided much entertainment. His huge contribution to maintaining Oxford's parks and wildlife areas has benefitted everyone who enjoys those open spaces. Witney is lucky indeed! |
21 May 2022
Judy led walks around Rock Edge for some Friends of Lye Valley, looking at what species were to be found there on the day before this year's International Day for Biological Biodiversity. The event was first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993. As well as compiling a list of species (available here), looking at the Jurassic limestone on the former quarry pit and the footprint of the Rock Edge Municipal Restaurant, there was time for chats and much-appreciated refreshments. Photo by Judy Webb More photos available here -- What is biodiversity and how are we protecting it? BBC News, Science & Environment, 19 May 2022. -- Biodiversity in Oxford City, Judy Webb, 3 March 2022 |
9 January 2022 Female blackbird, Turdus merula,feasting on cotoneaster berries at Rock Edge SSSI Photo by Tony Gillie
18 November 2021
Tweet by Tony Gillie, Friend of Lye Valley 'Another great session this morning with Oxford City Council's Thursday Volunteers at Rock Edge LNR. We cleared more scrub from near the rock exposure, removed unwanted saplings and brambles, to create more sight lines to make visitors feel safer; and did some litter picking. Thanks all!' Photos by Tony Gillie |
11 November 2021
Friends of Lye Valley were joined by Oxford City Council's Thursday Volunteers at Rock Edge. They finished scything the flowery scrapes (see bottom of this page for explanation) and spread the cut hay, with wildflower seeds in it, over other areas. They also cleared scrub from around the rock face itself.
Judy Webb (photo on left below) spread seeds of red clover, greater knapweed, small scabious, mignonette and wild basil. She also planted some horseshoe vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, a plant lost from Rock Edge but old records show that it once grew here.
Photo by Tony Gillie - Tony's photos + some by Judy are here
Friends of Lye Valley were joined by Oxford City Council's Thursday Volunteers at Rock Edge. They finished scything the flowery scrapes (see bottom of this page for explanation) and spread the cut hay, with wildflower seeds in it, over other areas. They also cleared scrub from around the rock face itself.
Judy Webb (photo on left below) spread seeds of red clover, greater knapweed, small scabious, mignonette and wild basil. She also planted some horseshoe vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, a plant lost from Rock Edge but old records show that it once grew here.
Photo by Tony Gillie - Tony's photos + some by Judy are here
29 May 2021
Full-size version of this photo taken by Tony Gillie @friendlyevalley who tweeted:
"DYK? The small dip in the grassland at Rock Edge was the site of a "British Restaurant", originally set up during WWII to feed people bombed out of their homes, and others in need. This one was here from 1947 to 1955. Thanks to @HeadingtonNews for the detail.
You can read reminiscences about Rock Edge, the Lye Valley and the British (or "Municipal") Restaurant during the 40s here and more about British Restaurants in general here and here"
Judy Webb replied: "The area of this wartime 'restaurant' has now been re-colonised by rather nice limestone flora from the old quarry area around. Worth a walk to see the flowers just starting"
22 May 2021
Judy carried out a biodiversity survey at
Rock Edge . Most of the wildflowers there have yet to bloom but Judy can identify them from their leaves.
To see what was on her clipboard when the photo was taken - and other photos, click here.
Photo by Tony Gillie
Photo: Rock Edge flowers on 6 July 2019
Different species had been in bloom earlier in the year; for example, cowslips had gone to seed and ox-eye daisies were at the wilting stage.
More of the flowers in bloom at Rock Edge on 6 July 2019 can be seen here
Photo: Rock Edge flowers on 6 July 2019
Different species had been in bloom earlier in the year; for example, cowslips had gone to seed and ox-eye daisies were at the wilting stage.
More of the flowers in bloom at Rock Edge on 6 July 2019 can be seen here
Despite the seed-spreading on 3 August 2013 (see below) the mix of wildflowers at the site remained poor. As a result of Judy's persuasion regarding the benefits to pollinators of improving the diversity of the wildflower mix at Rock Edge, in March 2017 Oxford City Council sent a team to 'scrape' some patches of the grass area to prepare it for seed-sowing. The nutrient-rich turf and nutrient-rich soil had to be removed, as it favoured the growth of grass, rather than wildflowers, which thrive in poor soil.
Seed mix spread 12 March 2017: Common and Greater Knapweed, Cowslips, Field Scabious, Yellow Rattle, Meadow Vetchling, Kidney Vetch, Red Clover, Meadow Buttercup. All the seed came from Milham Ford Nature Park, except for Greater Knapweed and Field Scabious – that seed was collected from flowers already at Rock Edge. For photos, click here
Judy's report on Rock Edge LNR with update for 2014.
Judy's report on Rock Edge LNR with update for 2014.
3 August 2013 13 people turned up at Rock Edge on to sow wildflower seed collected by members of what was then the New Marston Wildlife Group (now Friends of Milham Ford Nature Park) from Milham Ford Nature Park. Judy had previously delivered leaflets to residents near the Reserve asking for volunteers to help with sowing the seed. |