Swift's Hill SSSI facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Looking down from Swift's Hill nature reserve
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| Area of Search | Gloucestershire |
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| Coordinates | 51°45′33″N 2°10′44″W / 51.759299°N 2.178886°W |
| Interest | Biological/Geological |
| Area | 9.15 hectare |
| Notification | 1966 |
Swift's Hill is a special place in Gloucestershire, England. It's a 9.15-hectare (about 22.6-acre) area that's protected because of its amazing plants, animals, and interesting rocks. It was first recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1966.
This beautiful hill is owned and looked after by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. They bought it in 1967. Even though the Trust sometimes calls it "Elliott Reserve," most people know it as Swift's Hill. In 1989, a small field nearby was also added to the reserve.
Swift's Hill is on the eastern side of the Slad Valley, not far from the town of Stroud. It's a common land, meaning people can freely visit and enjoy it. The hill is one of the smaller, very old Cotswolds commons. From the top, you can see amazing views of the Slad Valley, which was made famous by local writer Laurie Lee in his book Cider with Rosie. The name "Swift's Hill" might come from the many swifts (a type of bird) that fly around overhead in the summer.
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What is Swift's Hill Made Of?
The hill itself is mostly made of a type of rock called Oolitic limestone. This kind of limestone is special because it's made up of tiny, round grains that look a bit like fish eggs.
Discovering Fossils
There's a small quarry (a place where rock is dug out) on the north-west side of the hill. Here, you can see exposed "ragstones," which are rocks packed with fossils. This quarry is a very important spot for scientists who study the Middle Jurassic period, a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth!
You can find two main types of rock here: "ragstones" (full of fossils) and "freestones" (which have smaller pieces of fossils). If you look carefully in the loose rock, you might even find fossilized remains of ancient sea creatures like bivalves (like clams), brachiopods, corals, and even the occasional ammonite (a spiral-shelled creature).
Amazing Wildflowers and Orchids
The soil on Swift's Hill is thin and drains water well. It's also "calcareous," meaning it has a lot of lime from the limestone. This kind of soil is perfect for a huge variety of wildflowers.
A Home for Orchids
Over 130 different kinds of wildflowers have been found here, including an incredible 13 different types of orchids! Swift's Hill is especially famous for its beautiful orchids. Some of the orchids you might see include:
- Pyramidal orchid
- Fragrant orchid
- Early purple orchid
- Bee orchid (which looks like a bee!)
- Frog orchid
- Autumn lady's-tresses
Other Beautiful Flowers
Throughout spring, summer, and autumn, the meadows are filled with many other colorful flowers. These include:
You can also find Viper's bugloss flowering in the quarry area.
Trees and Bushes
The quarry area also provides a home for some trees and bushes. You might see common whitebeam, ash, hawthorn, and hazel growing there.
Cool Creatures: Insects and Reptiles
The rich plant life on Swift's Hill supports many different kinds of insects and other small animals.
Reptiles Basking in the Sun
In the sunny quarry area, you might spot some reptiles warming themselves. These include the Common lizard, the slowworm (which looks like a snake but is actually a legless lizard!), and sometimes even an adder (a type of snake).
Butterflies and Moths
The grassland flowers are a great food source for many butterflies. Over 29 different species have been recorded here! Some of the beautiful butterflies you might see are:
- Small blue
- Green hairstreak
- Dingy skipper
- Marbled white
You can also spot day-flying moths like the six-spot burnet and the cinnabar moth.
Grasshoppers Galore
Grasshoppers are very common on the hill. You might hear or see stripe-winged and rufous grasshoppers. The rufous grasshopper is especially interesting because Swift's Hill is one of the most western places it can be found in the UK.
Birds of Swift's Hill
As its name suggests, swifts often fly in circles above the hill during the summer months.
Birds of Prey
You might also spot birds of prey like the Kestrel and buzzard soaring high overhead, looking for food.
Ground-Nesting Birds
Swift's Hill is also home to birds that nest on the ground, such as the skylark, tree pipit, and meadow pipit. The green woodpecker is often seen here too, as it loves to feed on the anthills found in the grassland.
Protecting Swift's Hill
Swift's Hill is a special "unimproved meadow." This means it hasn't been changed by modern farming methods, unlike the greener fields nearby. You can often tell it apart by its unique yellow-green color.
Traditional Grazing
For hundreds of years, animals have grazed on this land. This traditional grazing has helped create the amazing variety of plants we see today. To keep the hill healthy and full of wildflowers, the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust continues to use traditional grazing methods.
The special plants on Swift's Hill need the thin, limey soil. On the dry slopes, they don't have to compete with bigger, faster-growing plants. It's important to keep the grass short, and since many of these plants grow slowly, they need to be disturbed as little as possible to thrive.
