The wooded banks of the River Allen are one of the few places I find myself returning to year after year in search of wild plants (we all have those places, don’t we?). Typically, we follow a familiar route from the National Trust car park at Allen Banks as far as Briarwood Banks, before turning back satisfied with whatever the day has offered.
This spring, though, I was keen to try something a little different. Starting instead from the far end of the gorge at Cupola Bridge, we set out to explore some of the quieter wooded corners we’d somehow overlooked on previous visits. Our usual trips here come a little later in the season, often in search of Bird’s-nest Orchid Neottia nidus-avis, but there was no reason to think an earlier visit would be at all dull.
Cupola Banks
Decanting at Cupola Bridge, the first stretch of our walk saw Matt and me enjoying a leisurely hour exploring Cupola Banks. It is surely one of the finest fragments of ancient woodland in the area, with a reputation for harbouring several local specialities, including Mountain Melick Melica nutans and Wood Barley Hordelymus europaeus. Spoiler: we missed both, though in fairness, we were probably a little early for the barley.
Among the highlights here was Wood Fescue Drymochloa sylvatica, a particularly elegant grass of humid cliffs, shaded overhangs and steep banks where competition from the ever-present Great Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica is reduced. We encountered several fine clumps along this opening stretch, pausing to inspect tussocks for the tell-tale purple-tinged stem bases. Scarce and seemingly in decline, this species is something of a specialist of steep-sided woodlands such as this, often confined to the most inaccessible ledges, making any meaningful monitoring a challenge.
Elsewhere, the supporting cast of woodland grasses was equally pleasing, with plenty of Wood Melick Melica uniflora, alongside Giant Fescue Schedonorus giganteus and Hairy-brome – all good indicators of long-established woodland habitats.
On the floral front, the path edges and wooded slopes were rich with interest. Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum, Water Avens Geum rivale and Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium were all present in good quantity, joined by welcome splashes of colour from Wood Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica, Bitter-vetch Lathyrus linifolius and a supporting cast of familiar woodland species.
Less eye-catching, perhaps, but no less noteworthy, were the lingering remains of last season’s Bird’s-nest Orchid. A reminder that we’d arrived a little early, and that a return visit later in the month will be well worth pencilling in.
Of course, I can scarcely go anywhere these days without giving due attention to the ferns (a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective), and the steep, wooded banks at Cupola proved well worth investigating. The usual suspects were quickly accounted for including Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas and Lady-fern Athyrium filix-femina, while a few fine clumps of Borrer’s Male-fern Dryopteris borreri were a welcome bonus. Hard Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum and Polypody Polypodium vulgare were also present, though both were to be expected.
The real highlight came a little higher up the slope, where we were delighted to find neighbouring populations of Beech Fern Phegopteris connectilis and Oak Fern Gymnocarpium dryopteris. Both are scarce locally, and it is always a pleasure to encounter them, particularly growing side by side as they so often do in the damp, humid, rocky woodlands they favour.
To round things off, a small, shaded hollow beside the path held a modest colony of Wood Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum, its delicately branched foliage easily separating it from other species liable to occur.
Stawardpeel Wood
The next leg of our walk carried us through Stawardpeel Wood, tracing the banks of the Allen and skirting the edges of a sizeable clearfell area. Botanically, much was familiar, with many of the same woodland species continuing along the route. One plant, however, did give us pause: a particularly handsome Dryopteris which, on closer inspection, revealed itself as Western Scaly Male-fern Dryopteris affinis subsp. affinis. A satisfying find, and well worth a closer look.
The more familiar species were in particularly good form along this stretch. Dog-violet Viola riviniana was abundant, joined by swathes of Ramsons Allium ursinum and patches of Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca – all classic woodland plants.
A final point of interest before reaching Plankey Mill came in the form of a robust member of the pea family scrambling through scrub at the edge of the clearfell. This proved to be Wood Vetch Vicia sylvatica, a Rare Plant Register species in South Northumberland, though on this occasion it was still some way from flowering.
Plankey Mill & Briarwood Banks
The final leg of our small expedition proved to be the most rewarding. Plankey Mill itself offered little of note, aside from a patch of what was likely Upland Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea x intermedia (one to revisit later in the season), but nearby Briarwood Banks and the pockets of calaminarian grassland in the vicinity were far more engaging.
Venturing back into the woodland, we made a point of checking on a small colony of Early-purple Orchid Orchis mascula that had delighted us on previous visits. Encouragingly, two plants had escaped the attentions of passing feet and were still standing. Nearby, Bugle Ajuga reptans formed carpets in the shade, while a thriving population of Wood Stitchwort Stellaria nemorum was just coming into flower – another northern speciality.
Close to Briarwood Banks, several pockets of calaminarian grassland have developed on soils contaminated by heavy metals and other less savoury residues. These unusual habitats are a joy to visit early in the season thanks to the abundance of Mountain Pansy Viola lutea, which flowers here in April and May.
A short detour brought us to one such clearing, where the pansies were at their peak, forming a kaleidoscope of colour across the turf. Try as we might, we couldn’t pick out any of the pure yellow forms (a personal favourite), but with almost every other variation on display, it was hard to feel disappointed.
And that was that, a thoroughly rewarding spring wander in what must surely be one of the most scenic and botanically rich woodlands in Northumberland. There’s clearly plenty more to come here as the season unfolds, and I’ll have to make a point of returning to Cupola later in the year to seek out some of the species that were still waiting in the wings.