Hardington Moor NNR
Hardington Moor NNR comprises three meadows surrounded by established hedges.
County: Somerset
Main habitats: Lowland Grassland
Area: 9 Ha
Site map: Nature on the Map
.
The site covers partly calcareous clay-rich soils on sloping ground.
View a map of this reserve: (89kb)
.
The meadows are examples of species-rich unimproved neutral grassland, which is now nationally rare.
The rare French oat-grass is very abundant on the site and the fields are home to a wide variety of plant species, most notably adder's tongue, corky-fruited water-dropwort and large numbers of green-winged orchid.
Invertebrates found at the site include butterflies such as gatekeeper, small tortoiseshell and common blue. Less commonly seen are large skipper, green-veined white and green hairstreak.
The main aim of management at the site is to maintain the neutral grassland interest. Herbage is removed from each field by a late hay cut, followed by grazing.
The best time to visit the site is between early-May and early-July for butterflies and wild flowers.
Location and access
Hardington Moor is 1 km south of the A30, 4 km south west of Yeovil. The reserve is east of, and immediately adjacent to, the minor road (Coker Hill Lane) from Hardington Mandeville to West Coker.
The nearest train station is in Yeovil, served by South West Trains and local bus services from Yeovil along the A30 are provided by First Group.
Two trails pass near the reserve, Monarch's Way and the Liberty Trail.
The site is near Regional Route 30 (South Somerset Cycle Road) of the Sustrans National Cycle Network and close to its junction with National Route 26.
Facilities
The nearest toilet and refreshment facilities are in nearby villages.
Information panels are available for visitor information and a number of well-defined paths cross the site.
