Bredon Hill is a prominent outlier of the Cotswold Hills with outstanding views over the surrounding countryside. The 45ha reserve is an internationally important site for rare invertebrates. Main habitats: wood pasture Management: Natural England Access to the site is limited to public rights of way. Features of interest The area of the NNR has been used for sheep pasture for hundreds of years creating a mixture of scrub and grassland. A feature of the scarp slope is the large number of widely spaced trees, many of which are more than 300 years old and direct descendants of the original ‘wildwood’. They are home to a vast array of invertebrates that depend on decaying wood in ancient trees – in fact this is one of the top five British sites for these creatures. Over 230 invertebrate species have been recorded here and the site is home to seven rare beetles, including the very rare violet click beetle, and six rare species of fly. An interesting feature of the reserve is the active landslip. It is an unusual phenomenon in Britain which creates constantly disturbed and changing local habitats. The unimproved grassland is herb-rich with salad burnet, wild thyme, common rock rose, pyramidal orchid and dwarf thistle. Locally uncommon plants found here include chalk milkwort, horseshoe vetch and bee orchid. Glow-worms are frequently seen at the site and butterflies found in the grassland areas include marbled white, brown argus and dingy skipper. The scrub areas, characterised by hawthorn and ivy, with elder and blackthorn, provide important breeding sites for many bird species including whitethroat, linnet and yellowhammer. For detailed ecological information see Bredon Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Directions The nearest train station is in Evesham. A 64 km trail, the Wychavon Way crosses the site. Location map: MAGIC, Google Contact For further information, contact the site manager Aidan Fallon by email: Aidan.Fallon@naturalengland.org.uk or telephone: 07919 995036.