A You Are Here map and information board at the entrance to Brown's Hill Quarry Nature Reserve, Holwell.
"The geological interest at Brown’s Hill Quarry consists of an excellent exposure of Middle Lias Marlstone and Upper Lias Paper Shales. Quarrying has left shallow, nutrient poor, lime-rich soils providing ideal conditions for many species of wildflower including both bee orchids and common spotted-orchids. Perforate St. Johns-wort, meadow vetchling, viper’s-bugloss, and the diminutive hare’s-foot clover all add to the rich diversity. The reserve supports important populations of dingy skipper and green hairstreak butterflies, as well as a large colony of common blue, which feed on common bird’s-foot trefoil.
The entrance to old mine tunnels can be seen on the reserve. The constant temperatures and fissured rocks of the tunnels provide ideal conditions for bats. Natterer’s, Daubenton’s, brown long-eared and pipistrelle bats have all been recorded.
The woodland, which was planted in the late 1930’s, is dominated by spruce, larch and ash with an under storey of hawthorn, holly and rowan. It is not old enough to have a large plant diversity but it does support primrose, wood avens and herb Robert.
Holwell Mineral Line has an interesting flora ranging from that characteristic of dry neutral grassland to species of scrub and marsh. The scrub is dominated by sallow with occasional plants of guelder-rose, wild privet and buckthorn.
The rich herb layer includes ragged-robin, marsh thistle, common spotted-orchid, bee orchid and common toadflax. Large areas of snowdrops and violets bloom in spring. In all 142 plant species have been recorded from the reserve. The scrub attracts a variety of nesting birds which have included willow warbler, tree creeper, blackcap, chiff-chaff, lesser whitethroat and spotted flycatcher. Insects recorded from the reserve include brimstone, comma and common blue butterflies. 95 different species of moth have been recorded as well as several species of dragonfly, including the large red and common blue damsels and the brown hawker and ruddy darter.
The major interest of the North Quarry reserve lies in an outstanding exposure of Upper Lias clays, shales and limestone and Middle Lias (Jurassic) Marlstone similar to that at Brown’s Hill Quarry. The grassland which has developed on the quarry banks support cowslips and common spotted-orchid in spring, betony, common bird’s-foot-trefoil and perforate St John’s-wort in summer. The wildflowers attract many butterflies including painted lady, dingy skipper, meadow brown and small skipper.
The wildflower-rich limestone grassland has a variety of plant species including harebell and fragrant wild thyme. The profusion of wildflowers attract an abundance of butterflies including the common blue and dingy skipper.
A new area of native broadleaved woodland was planted in 2008 to join existing areas of woodland at Brown’s Hill Quarry and Holwell Mineral Line to create a larger area of continuous woodland cover."
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