Penny Hill Bank
Know before you go
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Access to the meadow is by permit only.Best time to visit
May to JulyAbout the reserve
The lime-rich soil at Penny Hill Bank is thin and stony but this sheltered grassland is rich with flowers. About 180 species have been recorded here including bee, pyramidal and greater butterfly orchids, twayblade, dyer’s greenweed, autumn felwort, ploughman’s spikenard rock-rose, and red bartsia. Several mosses that are uncommon in Worcestershire are found on the site.
This rich flora is excellent for insects from grasshoppers to butterflies. Visitors should look out for wood white, brown argus, green hairstreak and dingy skipper butterflies. A large number of moths has been recorded including burnets and lead belle moth. Common footman caterpillars have been seen feeding on lichens. The reserve is rich in snails – a favourite of glow-worm larvae, which can be found here.