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In the winter, the guided walks are supplemented by a series of indoor meetings. These are mainly of the lecture / slide show form, when Club members or visiting speakers share their experiences with us. Evening meetings are held in the Lower Room of the Holy Trinity Church Hall, Link Top, Malvern, and start at 7.30 p.m.
To give you an idea of the range of interests the Club embraces, this page contains the details of forthcoming events and information on the fascinating things you may have missed!
Follow this link for a Membership Application & Standing Order Mandate Form, which should be filled in and returned to Michael Jupe (see Contacts) and, for the SO Mandate,your bank.
IMPORTANT. Data and Privacy. In becoming a member of the Worcestershire Naturalists' Club, you accept that we will hold personal data digitally or in our files about you. These data are limited to your name, postal address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, copy correspondence and subscription details including any standing order mandate or other payment format. We may send you information about Club business and events, but we keep your data private and do not use the information for marketing purposes or reveal it to any third party.
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All indoor meetings commence at 7.30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish Hall (Lower Hall), Link Top, Malvern. Admission 2.00, to include tea/coffee and biscuits. Visitors are most welcome. Please support each meeting s fund-raising raffle, and bring a raffle prize.
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Arley and Highley: A walk along the banks of the Severn in this area north of Bewdley is always rewarding. Flowers such as flowering rush, purple loosestrife, tansy and arrowhead brighten the water's edge, and there is always the chance of seeing kingfishers. This is also a good place to search for the notable club-tailed dragonfly, and you can usually retrace your route on the Steam Railway!
Bittell Reservoirs: While the larger of these reservoirs near Barnt Green is used extensively for water sports, the smaller one is reserved for wildlife. A sunny day in the winter months is ideal for observing the many types of wintering water-fowl, while spring and autumn give the chance of spotting unusual birds on migration. The large alder trees provide winter food for many small birds, including siskins and redpoll.
Bredon Hill: The huge outlier of Cotswold limestone that dominates the Vale of Evesham is readily approached from the south through Kemerton. The estate management there is very sympathetic to wildlife, and a fine range of limestone flowers can be guaranteed throughout the summer. Fallow deer are always around, though rarely seen, and there is never a shortage of birds, (including resident buzzards) and butterflies.
Castlemorton Common: An extensive area of rough-grazed common land on the east side of the Malvern Hills just south of Welland, looked after by the Malvern Hills Conservators. It contains a range of soil types and habitats, and is rewarding at all times of the year. Specialities include the high brown fritillary, good nesting sites for many small birds, ponds with great crested newts, and flowers such as lousewort, spring cinquefoil and autumn lady s-tresses.
Cleeve Common and the Bill Smyllie Reserve: The western scarp of the Cotswolds provides many areas of great interest, but these, just above Cheltenham and Cleeve Prior in Gloucestershire, are among the most rewarding. The limestone flowers are superb and include a wide range of orchids - musk, frog, bee, wasp, common spotted, fragrant, pyramidal (pink and white), common twayblade, etc., are all found. The butterflies, too, are excellent, including chalkhill and small blues, dark green fritillary, and many of the more common species. If you are lucky, you may see a common lizard, but watch out for adders!
Cother Wood: This is a Herefordshire Wildlife Trust reserve, on the slopes of a north-south ridge of ancient limestone, just to the west of the Malvern Hills. Habitats range form mature oak-wood to ungrazed limestone grassland and encroaching scrub. Many orchid species can be found, including fine displays of the greater butterfly-orchid in May and June. Butterflies used to include the wood white and grizzled skipper, but now you are more likely to see the green hairstreak, dingy skipper and marbled white. In the long-abandoned limestone quarries, ancient fossils can be found.
Eades Meadow: Worcestershire is fortunate to retain several ancient hay meadows that have not been ploughed within living memory. This fine example is looked after by the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, which holds special open days in spring (for the green-winged orchids) and in autumn (for the autumn crocuses). At other times access is restricted in order that the traditional hay and grazing can be protected.
Monkwood: A large mixed wood west of Hallow, which used to supply the wooden handles for Harris paint brushes, but is now administered jointly by Butterfly Conservation and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Special butterflies include wood white, white admiral and purple hairstreak, and the woodland management is aimed to encourage fritillaries. Some small artificial ponds are havens for several dragonfly and damselfly species, including the magnificent emperor dragonfly. From the bluebells, lilies-of-the-valley and early-purple orchids of the spring, through to the colchicums and violet helleborines of the autumn, there is plenty to satisfy the botanists, and there is always a good range of fungi as winter approaches. Alongside is Monkwood Green, an ancient common and Site of Special Scientific Interest, with an exceptional selection of animals and plants, including the last remaining population of petty whin in the county, yellow-necked mice and barn owls.
Upton Warren: A series of small lakes south of Droitwich, partly owned by the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. This is one of the foremost bird-watching sites in the county, providing year-round possibilities - you never know what strange birds might appear! As well as birds, it is good for dragonflies, and there are areas where halophytes (salt-loving plants) thrive on the brackish oozings from underlying salt deposits.
Wyre Forest: This area of ancient woodland, to the north of Bewdley, has an excellent visitor centre and many other points of access. Apart from the whitty pear or sorb tree, which has featured many times in the WNC Transactions, the wood shelters much fascinating plant and animal life. One local resident has made a special study here of adders, and a flock of crossbills regularly visits an area of conifers. In summer, the silver-washed fritillary is frequently seen.
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We are also greatly indebted to Mary Munslow Jones who, in 1980, published The Lookers-out of Worcestershire. This fascinating book tells many stories of the first 100 years of the Club s existence, setting out the events against the context of the social scene of those times, and providing entertaining insights into many of the personalities involved.
Another valuable record of the Club s Victorian period is found in the first volume of the WNC Transactions, printed in 1897, which meticulously records a great deal of the Club s activities throughout its first 50 years. Succeeding volumes of Transactions have provided faithful records of all in which the Club has been involved, right up to the present day.
The Centenary of the Club was celebrated in 1947 by a special issue of Transactions entitled simply The Worcestershire Naturalists Club, 1847 - 1947. This issue was dedicated to the memory of Carleton Rea, a very eminent amateur botanist and mycologist who, besides contributing in many ways to the WNC, was instrumental in founding the British Mycological Society. This special issue not only summarises the founding of the Club and many aspects of its activities, but also provides a sort of "Who s Who" record of over 20 of its more notable members.
To celebrate the Club s 150th Anniversary in 1997, a small exhibition was mounted in prominent public places around the County, ranging from several Public Libraries to the Countryside Centre in Worcester and a couple of shows at the Three Counties Showground near Malvern. The exhibition was mainly photographic, illustrating the wealth of natural history around us as seen through the cameras of Club members.
Finally, in 1997 a marvellous discovery was made by Jacquie Hartwright in the depths of the Worcester Library archives - one of Edwin Lees original note books! This was entitled The Journal of Natural History and covers his excursions and observations during the year from July 1825 to August 1826. Besides giving an informative view of the Worcestershire countryside of over 170 years ago, this record provides a fascinating insight into the energy and enthusiasm of our founder, and of his great knowledge and love for all things natural.
The following section provides a time-line record of a selection of the more important happenings relating to the Club s long history.
1800 | Birth of Edwin Lees on 12th May | |
1833 | Foundation of Worcestershire Natural History Society | |
1834 | Charles Hastings publishes Illustrations of the Natural History of Worcestershire | |
1841 | Edwin Lees publishes The Botanical Looker-Out..... | |
1843 | Edwin Lees publishes his Botany of the Malvern Hills | |
1847 | Worcestershire Naturalists Club founded by Edwin Lees (President), William Mathews (Secretary and Treasurer) and James Buckman | |
1856 | Edwin Lees publishes his Pictures of Nature Around the Malvern Hills | |
1862 | The original whitty pear or sorb tree in Wyre Forest is burnt down | |
1867 | Edwin Lees publishes his Botany of Worcestershire | |
1869 | A portrait is presented to Edwin Lees to commemorate his work for the Worcestershire Naturalists Club and the Malvern Naturalists Club | |
1876 | John Amphlett elected President; Carleton Rea (age 16) admitted as member | |
1880 | Demise of the Worcestershire Natural History Society; its museum passes to Worcester Corporation | |
1884
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Death of founder member, Professor James Buckman | |
1886 | G E Mackie publishes The Malvern Field Handbook and Naturalists Calendar | |
1887 | Death of founder member Edwin Lees on 21st October, aged 87; buried at Pendock | |
1892 | First Fungus Foray on 28th October; now an annual event | |
1895 | Ladies admitted as Ordinary Members for the first time | |
1896 | First issue of the Club s Transactions, covering 1847 - 1896 | |
1896 | Carleton Rea founds the British Mycological Society | |
1897 | 50th Anniversary of the Club, celebrated by a two-day trip to the Elan Valley | |
1901 | Death of founder member William Mathews | |
1909 | First lectures to the Club by lady members | |
1909 | John Amphlett and Carleton Rea publish their Botany of Worcestershire | |
1918 | Death of John Amphlett on 23rd June, aged 73 | |
1920 | Annual subscriptions doubled to 10/- due to post-war inflation | |
1931 | Election of Mrs C Urquhart Stuart as the Club s first lady President | |
1934 | An outbreak of Dutch elm disease is recorded - not too severe this time | |
1938 | Ginkgo biloba tree planted by Malvern Library in memory of R F Towndrow, a well-loved local naturalist (and grocer) | |
1939 | Club membership drops to 79, its lowest level for over 50 years | |
1945 | Fred Fincher joins the Naturalists' Club | |
1946 | Death of Carleton Rea, internationally renowned botanist and mycologist, aged 85 | |
1946 | Publication of Birds of Worcestershire by Anthony Harthan, sometime Club Secretary | |
1947 | Centenary Booklet published, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Club | |
1948 | Last recorded nesting of corncrakes in Worcestershire | |
1954 | The first wintering black-caps recorded locally | |
1960 | John Bishop joins the Club as Chairman, | |
1961 | Mrs M Palmer-Smith elected President, a post she held until her death in 1997 | |
1961 | Collared doves, immigrants from Asia, breed for the first time in Spetchley | |
1962 | Michael Pettigrew, a relative of John Amphlett, joins the Club; he is now President and Hon. Field Secretary | |
1968 | Last recorded nesting of red-backed shrikes on the Malverns | |
1980 | The Lookers-Out of Worcestershire published by Mary Munslow Jones, recording the first 100 years of the Club s activities and personalities | |
1990 | Discovery of a copy of the lost 1869 portrait of Edwin Lees | |
1997 | 150th Anniversary Exhibition travels the County | |
1997 | Re-discovery of Edwin Lees 1825 notebook | |
1999 | WNC internet website launched | |
1999 | 150th Anniversary walk and dinner held on 18th September (only 2 years late!) at Pewcroft Farm, Suckley | |
2000 | Death of Bob Bishop, a fine naturalist who was WNC Secretary for many years and a regular contributor to Transactions | |
2014 | Death of Justin Smith, distinguished and renowned mycologist who led many Fungus Forays for the Club | Death of Dr Tony Hughes, Honorary Secretary and Press Secretary of the Club from 1994, an outstanding naturalist and scientist who contributed to knowledge in several fields, notably on wild orchids |
2016 | Death of Mary Munslow Jones, doyenne of the Club, at the age of 100, author, former Transactions editor and exceptionally knowledgeable self-taught naturalist |
The first volume of the Transactions was edited by Carleton Rea and issued in 1897, a large volume, covering Club activities over the 50 years since its foundation in 1847. Rea continued to produce issues sporadically for the next 50 years, each one covering several years events. Subsequently, several editors have continued to maintain the high standards he set. From 1967 a new format, the 6-monthly Newsletter of the Worcestershire Naturalists Club, was introduced. This ran until 1979 when annual issues of the Transactions were resumed, and in 1990 the current style was adopted, which has been under the editorship of Dr Chris Betts since 1997.
All recent issues of Transactions contain the usual information such as the Club s Officers and Council Members, a report on the latest AGM and the accounts for the previous year. The remainder is much more interesting, comprising an editorial section, reports on Field and Indoor Meetings, a section of brief articles in News and Notes, longer Articles by members, and the occasional Book Review and Obituary.
The Club holds a small stock of copies of recent issues of Transactions which are available for sale at modest prices. Please address requests to The Secretary (see Contacts section).
The Editor (see Contacts section) is always pleased to receive items for forthcoming issues of Transactions, not later than 31st October each year. Contributions should be e-mailed to editor@wnc.org.uk
You can get it by following this link THE PERRY FOREST LINE
Another free download we are pleased to host for Grimley Parish Council and local residents and friends is the survey of the trees on Monkwood Green. Just click or tap this link to download it: MONKWOOD GREEN TREE SURVEY