Rudge End Quarry

Stinking Hellebore

Philip Precey

Rudge End Quarry

An old quarry site with an interesting calcicole flora

Location

Rudge End Quarry Nature Reserve
Fownhope
Herefordshire
HR1 4QH

OS Map Reference

SO 587 354
A static map of Rudge End Quarry

Know before you go

Size
1 hectare
P

Parking information

Park in clear area towards end of track, near to Forestry Commission track.

Grazing animals

None

Walking trails

The exposed vertical rock faces have become stabilised by time and vegetation, but are still a hazard for an unwary visitor. Please resist the temptation to remove fossil-bearing rocks from the walls of the quarry, and avoid trampling on the few plants of Stinking Hellebore present

Access

There are no surfaced paths and no wheelchair access at this reserve.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Dawn to dusk

Best time to visit

Spring and summer

About the reserve

The quarry workings at this reserve are believed to date from the second half of the 19th century but have long been disused. Woodland surrounds this quarry and has doubtless helped in the regeneration of the beech, ash and oak with a holly understorey. The botanical interest of the site lies in the calcicole flora, for example stinking hellebore, yellow wort and carline thistle, which grow in the old spoil heaps, while lime-loving mosses and liverworts have colonised the steep rock faces.

Contact us

Pete Johnson

Environmental designation

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Rudge End site map

Rudge End site map

Wood white butterfly at Rudge End

Wood white butterfly at Rudge End

Wildflower meadow of yellow and white flowers with tall hedgerow in background and hills beyond

Davies Meadow Nature Reserve (Paul Lloyd)

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