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Diary

PROTECTED ROADSIDE VERGES IN DAMERHAM

General information on cutting of highways verges in Hampshire

Roadside verge maintenance is, in general, the responsibility of the Highways Authority (Hampshire County Council). They employ contractors to carry out the work.

All verges in Hampshire (outside the village centres) are given a ‘rural’ cut twice each year in late April / early May and mid to late August. This consists of a 1m width from the road edge. Damerham is one of the first parishes to be cut each year, since the contractor tends to start the cutting cycle in the Western Downland parishes.

Sightlines may be cut more frequently if necessary, in the interests of highway safety. 

Every 3 years, on a rotational basis across the county, the full verge is cut (if wider than 1m).

Protected verges in Hampshire

The protected verge scheme has been running in Hampshire for several years, and similar schemes are in place for most counties in England. Many verges throughout Hampshire are now part of the scheme, which has created considerable interest from local people. 

The scheme is designed to conserve verges which are of particular value ecologically in the Hampshire context. This is achieved by mowing these verges at slightly different times of the year so that plants of special interest can flower and set seed.

Options for the mowing regime of protected verges in Hampshire have been agreed by the County Council, and are fairly limited. While more complex cutting regimes might be desirable, this would be impractical for contractors trying to cover such a large area. 

The options are:

Option A. Twice yearly cut in late April and September for verges with plants flowering in late summer. This is very similar to the present cutting regime, with the second cut a few weeks later.

Option B. Cut in late April only, for verges with plants flowering in mid-summer.

Option C. Cut in September only, for verges with plants flowering in the spring.

Cutting of the verges in Damerham, April 2004

All the verges in the parish had already been surveyed by a group of interested residents in 2002/3, so a great deal of information was available. A total of more than 200 different plants were found and seven verges had been identified as being particularly rich in wildflowers.

There was considerable concern from local people about the cutting of the verges in 2004, which took place at the height of the season for springtime flowers (such as bluebells). In a number of places sections of verge were reduced to bare soil. Complaints were received by the Highways Authority and Parish Council.

This led to a site meeting on 11 June 2004 with Highways, the County Council’s Biodiversity Officer, the Parish Clerk and members of the verge survey group – to discuss options for mowing in the future.

Recommendations were drawn up and endorsed at a special meeting of the Parish Council on 9 August 2004, and were finally confirmed by the County Council in February 2005.

Protected verges in Damerham

The sections of roadside verge described below are now part of Hampshire’s protected verge scheme and are cut at slightly different times of the year. They are shown on the accompanying maps. All the other verges in the parish are still cut as before.

The change in mowing has already resulted in a notable increase in the flowering of spring plants, like bluebells, wild strawberries and others. Over time it should also benefit later flowering species like scabious and greater knapweed.

Court Hill - (NS117a,117b,117c)

The steep banks have an excellent ancient woodland flora including abundant bluebell, dogs mercury, wild strawberry, barren strawberry, common dog violet, early dog violet, sweet violet, primrose, wood sedge, Forster’s woodrush and goldilocks buttercup. There is one large patch of moschatel on the western bank, and a small patch of native daffodils.

One cut in September (Option C). To allow spring-time plants to flower and set seed. This stretch of verge does not produce tall, lush growth which might require an early cut. 

Court Hill – (NS118)

Near to Court Farm the banks become less steep and shaded, with a good diversity of neutral grassland plants on the southern verge (including yellow meadow vetchling, sorrel, meadow buttercup etc.) together with spectacular numbers of primroses.

Twice yearly cut in late April and September (Option A). Vegetation growth is fairly lush and therefore needs a twice yearly cut. The longer growing season between cuts will allow the many later flowering species to set seed. 

Pound Lane – (NS 114a, NS114b)

The verge on both sides of road has a good diversity of neutral to chalk grassland species, and a woodland edge community adjacent to the hedgerows. The more interesting grassland species include field scabious, greater knapweed, dark mullein, wild basil and bladder campion (all typical of calcareous soils), together with sorrel, agrimony, goatsbeard, yellow meadow vetchling and common vetch. Woodland edge species include good numbers of sweet violet and bluebell, with early dog violet, dogs mercury, foxglove, harts-tongue fern.

Twice yearly cut in late April and September (Option A). Vegetation growth is fairly lush and therefore needs a twice yearly cut. The longer growing season between cuts will allow the many later flowering species to set seed. 

Browns Lane – (NS115a, NS115b)

Generally a wide verge with an excellent mix of neutral and chalk grassland species, and woodland edge species near to hedgerows. Common calamint (a good population) is notable. Otherwise species are very similar to Pound Lane, and with a particularly diverse bank on the corner with the latter.

Twice yearly cut in late April and September (Option A). Vegetation growth is fairly lush and therefore needs a twice yearly cut. The longer growing season between cuts will allow the many later flowering species to set seed. 

Browns Lane – (NS116a, NS116b)

At the eastern end, near to the village, the verge becomes very steeply banked and shaded, with a good selection of woodland edge species and particularly notable for the large population of harts-tongue fern.

One cut in September (Option C). To allow spring-time plants to flower and set seed. This stretch of verge does not produce tall, lush growth which might require an early cut. 

Channel Hill – (NS113)

The southern verge beyond the Damerham 30mph sign is particularly varied floristically. The verge is relatively wide and includes chalk grassland species such as dark mullein, wild basil, field scabious, greater knapweed and valerian. The verge also contains woodland species including frequent primrose, barren and wild strawberry, with occasional wood melick, sanicle and wood spurge.

Twice yearly cut in late April and September (Option A). Vegetation growth is fairly lush and therefore needs a twice yearly cut. The longer growing season between cuts will allow the many later flowering species to set seed. 

Channel Hill – (NS113)

As the same verge approaches the hilltop and beyond towards Rockbourne it becomes a very narrow bank, with an extremely diverse mix of species typical of woodland habitats and superficial deposits over chalk.  The former include abundant primrose, common dog violet, wild strawberry, sanicle and wood anemone, with three plants of broad-leaved helleborine. Other species reflect the variation in soils, and include greater knapweed, field scabious, wild basil, bladder campion, stemless thistle, salad burnet, glaucous sedge, valerian, burnet saxifrage and stinking iris, good populations of betony, goldenrod and patches of water avens, together with black knapweed, yellow meadow vetchling, bugle and agrimony.

One cut in September (Option C). To allow spring-time plants to flower and set seed. This stretch of verge does not produce tall, lush growth which might require an early cut.

Mill End - (NS119)

• The eastern verge is backed by a ditch and hedge / tree belt adjacent to water meadow.
• It contains a diverse tall herb vegetation with many common species of this habitat, together
• with water figwort, common fleabane, hemp agrimony and frequent common reed, valerian
• and meadow sweet.

Twice yearly cut in late April and September (Option A). Vegetation growth is lush and therefore needs a twice yearly cut. The longer growing season between cuts will allow the many later flowering species to set seed. 

The Common – (NS120a, NS120b)

The western two thirds of The Common is a narrow grassland bank topped by hedgerows and containing a diverse mix of neutral / chalk grassland plants (including field scabious and sorrel) and typical hedgerow species (including greater stitchwort and hedge bedstraw).

The eastern third is more shaded, very narrow and almost vertical. It supports an excellent mix of ancient woodland / old hedgerow plants, including abundant bluebell and dogs mercury, with barren strawberry, wild strawberry, primrose, three-nerved sandwort, raspberry, pignut and a good population of yellow archangel.

Twice yearly cut in late April and September (Option A). Vegetation growth is lush for most of the verge and therefore needs a twice yearly cut. 

Daggons Road – (NS121a, NS121b)

The narrow verge on both sides of the road adjacent to Ashridge Copse has a particularly diverse woodland groundflora, including species typical of ancient woodland. This includes abundant or frequent dogs mercury, wood sedge, remote sedge, dog violet, early dog violet and water avens, together with occasional barren strawberry, wild strawberry, wood speedwell, sanicle and wood melick. There are also good populations of sweet woodruff and wood anemone.

One cut in September (Option C). To allow spring-time plants to flower and set seed. This stretch of verge does not produce tall, lush growth which might require an early cut.