BBS Southern Group meetings 2025-26

The British Bryological Society’s Southern Group meets about once a month during October to March to record bryophytes in Hampshire and occasionally parts of neighbouring counties, including the Isle of Wight, Dorset and West Sussex (often combining forces with our neighbouring groups). Because some meetings are arranged at short notice and may be cancelled due to bad weather we operate an email contact list for the group, so please get in touch if you would like to be put on this list to receive advance notification of meetings and please contact the leader if you think you will attend a meeting (see Contacts page). Beginners are welcome. Meetings start at 10.00 or 10.30 (check details before attending), end at around 3–4 pm and usually take place on weekends. Wellington boots (as well as rainproofs, food, drink, etc.) are advisable for most meetings but stout walking boots may be preferable for those on dry or hilly ground. Don’t forget to bring a hand lens. If you are coming to a meeting for the first time, please take a moment to read the BBS health and safety information.

NEXT MEETING

Ladle Hill, Old Burghclere (VC12), Saturday 21 February 2026, 10.30am-3pm

Leader: Jonathan Sleath. Ladle Hill is a chalk grassland site on the ridge of the North Hampshire Downs that is well known for flowering plants but has not been assessed bryologically. At the top of the hill is a large but incomplete Iron Age hill fort that is well grazed by sheep to provide a wide range of aspects and topography and a short turf. It is potentially very interesting. I paid a fleeting visit in the past and found plenty of Bryum torquescens.

Access is not entirely straightforward. There is parking on a layby on the north side of the road that runs between Old Burghclere and Sydmonton at SU477580. Please park at right angles to the road. We will then need to walk 1km uphill along a track before clambering over a fence to reach the lower part of the site where there is a small wooded area. After recording here we will walk uphill to the hill fort. Please email Jonathan Sleath if you plan to attend. The meeting may be postponed if the weather is bad.

FUTURE MEETINGS

Butser Hill NNR near Petersfield (VC11), Sunday 8 March TO BE CONFIRMED, 10.30am-3.30pm

Leader: John Norton. Butser Hill is a extensive chalk grassland NNR on the western part of the South Downs, renowned for both its vascular and bryophyte flora. It is particularly well known as supporting one of the largest and best examples of the 'Southern Hepatic Mat' in southern England, a name coined by Francis Rose, who used to visit the site regularly to study the bryophytes and lichens. However, the community has declined since the second world war due to a change in sheep to cattle grazing on the South Downs, so we will attempt to record a relatively small area of remaining suitable but sub-optimal habitat in detail in the east of the reserve, and if there is time, move on to another more extensive area to look for SHM species and also Rhodobryum roseum. The SHM habitat tends to occur on higher-altitude north to north-east facing slopes which retain high humidity and therefore favour certain charactersitic liverworts that form mats in short turf or twine through other bryophytes or coarser grassy vegetation, especially Scapania aspera, Porella arboris-vitae, Frullania tamarisci and Plagiomnium affine; also rarely Plagiochila porelloides, recorded once here in the past. Associated mosses include several of the larger pleurocarps and species such as Flexitrichum gracile, Bryum torquescens, Dicranum scoparium, Tortella tortuosa, Neckera crispa and Ctenidium molluscum, all of which we will expect to see.

Meet at the main Butser Hill car park (not the Queen Elizabeth Country Park car park) in plenty of time before the start at 10.30; SU711200. Please email John Norton if you plan to attend and supply your car registration so free parking can be arranged. We will need to walk about 1km due east over rough grassland to reach the survey area (on thankfully flat terrain), but the survey area is on a steep slope so walking boots are recommended. Bring a GPS that records altitude as well as grid references if you have one. The meeting will be postponed if the weather is bad.

Blackmoor, Bordon (VC12), Saturday 28 March 2026, 10.30am-3.30pm

Leader: Jonathan Sleath. Blackmoor is an Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust reserve, just to the west of Woolmer Forest, and they have kindly given us permission to visit. It is managed mainly for the Natterjack Toad, with a number of recently created ponds that have unfortunately become invaded by Crassula helmsii. It comprises mainly wet heath, with some areas of damp woodland that have Sematophyllum substrumulosum and Cephalozia curvifolia. Bryum creberrimum was found on disturbed soil near one of the pools in 2024.

The reserve is very wet in places and Wellington boots are advised. These will need to be sprayed on entering and leaving for biosecurity purposes. Clambering over farm gates and probably fences will be necessary. There is limited parking on the west side of the A325 at SU79103372 by the entrance (do not obstruct the gate) and also a little further north on the east side of the road as well as residential streets in Whitehill. Please email Jonathan Sleath if you plan to attend. The meeting may be postponed if the weather is bad.

Beaulieu River, King's Hat, New Forest (VC11)

This was due to take place in December 2025 but was cancelled due to a period of heavy rain. We hope to reschedule some time in early spring 2026.

Leader: John Norton. The New Forest supports some extensive stretches of ancient alder woodland along the floodplains of the main rivers, much of which has never been properly explored by bryologists. This important habitat is threatened by the possibility of unofficial beaver reintroductions, climate change and potentially tree diseases, so now would be a good time to undertake some survey work to better understand its bryology. There is a good chance of finding new colonies of the European Vulnerable Pallavicinia lyellii which occurs on the river 4km upstream and no doubt there will be good diversity of other liverworts in the humid environment. If it turns out that the woodland is not particularly exciting we can spend more time looking at the adjacent wet heath and pond habitats.

Meet at King's Hat car park, SU386054, at 10.00 am. We will aim to explore the area either side of the footbridge (SU38490530) and then walk north through the wood or up the west side to the crossing at SU38020599. Wellingtons essential. Please book with John Norton beforehand. The going might be treacherous, especially if there has been a lot of rain, so we will need to keep together in close proximity.

REPORTS OF PAST MEETINGS

Summaries of past meetings are included in the downloadable Flora News bryophyte reports. Fuller reports of some recent meetings have been posted on the BBS website (click on Events and under Categories: Local, Southern Group full link).