Rare orchids set to return

A field of rare wildflowers, including varieties of orchid, are set to return to an area of Itchen Valley Country Park thanks to the efforts of the Council’s Countryside team over many years.

Around five hectares of meadow at High Hill Field have been carefully managed and successfully restored to flower-rich grassland which has now been nationally classified as ‘priority habitat’ by the Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre.

Rachel Hardy, Countryside Manager, explains: “Over the last 15 years, our Countryside Land Management Team has organised late summer hay cuts to remove coarse grasses at High Hill Field,