Randonnées Pegsdon Hills Nature Reserve

A Chiltern gem, the Pegsdon Hills offers some of the best views in the area. The steep chalk hills and secluded valleys are full of wildlife, with splendid displays of orchids, numerous species of butterfly and lots of nesting birds including lapwings and buzzards. Spring highlights include the rare dingy and grizzled skipper butterflies and moschatel (also called town hall clock, due to the arrangement of it’s flowers). The summer flora is outstanding, with herbs such as wild thyme, marjoram and wild basil and a huge range of plants typifying the variety to be found on chalk hills, including the pasque flower. After dark you might see glow-worms and bats flying overhead and fallow deer are also seen. You might spot the previously cultivated terraces, called strip lynchets, which provide clear evidence of an ancient settlement.