Geograph - photograph every grid square

This information board is located off Peters Lane HP27 0RP at the south east end of Brush Hill near the junction with Kop Hill. It has been erected by the Chiltern Society and has the following wording:

Welcome to Brush Hill, please enjoy the varied habitats and wildlife of this
Nature Reserve

Left column
Brush Hill is situated in an area of the Chilterns which is rich in history.
Overlooking ancient spring-line settlements and the pre-historic Icknield Way,
it was cultivated in more recent times by local people until the outbreak of
World War One.
1868 photograph of Whiteleaf Cross and Brush Hill
Brush Hill became a Local Nature Reserve in 1997 to promote species richness
and diversity by maintaining a variety of habitats of different ages and
compositions.
The reserve's semi-natural woodland is an important landscape feature, part of
a continuous woodland belt from Coombe Hill to the Bradenham Estate. The Chalk
Grassland is a Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitat and is grazed annually
to conserve the diverse mix of herbaceous wild flowers, recover "lost" species
and support the dependant butterfly population. Butterflies, an important
indicator of habitat quality, abound at Brush Hill.
Volunteers maintain the site and have created new paths through the Lime
plantation towards the Dell viewpoint and Pheasants Path.
The Chiltern Society would like to acknowledge a significant donation to be
used for the conservation of Brush Hill Local Nature Reserve from Mike Mobbs.
Mike donated funds in memory of his parents John and Joan Mobbs, shortly before
he passed away.

Right column
Photos from left to right
species rich (nut hatch)
a habitat for birds (black cap)
flowering plants (bluebell)
and butterflies (speckled wood)
grazed to aid regeneration (herdwick sheep)

Map of Brush Hill Nature Reserve

what to look for
i) in Spring
Bluebell
Yellow Archangel (pictured)
Lesser Stitchwort
and Lesser Celandine
ii) in Summer
Buttercups
Knapweed
White Helleborine (pictured)
Salad Burnett
Herb Bennet
Herb Robert
and Wild Carrot
iii) in Autumn
Yarrow
Violet Helleborine
Agrimony
Common bird's foot trefoil
Meadow Sweet
Self Heal (pictured)
and Fungi

Sections at bottom of the board
i) The ancient Black Hedge, a Saxon estate boundary, forms a section of the
southern reserve boundary. A charter from 903AD describing this land is the
oldest surviving boundary document in England.
ii) The Ridgeway Nature Trail-
is an 85 mile linear walking route established in 1972, following the chalk
escarpments between Avebury in Wiltshire and Ivinghoe Beacon and Dunstable
Downs in Bedfordshire. Sections follow the ancient Ridgeway south of the Thames
and the Icknield Way north along the Chilterns. This ancient trading route
linked East Anglia with Wessex and the West Country and is probably our oldest
road.

The section on the lower right of the board
Chiltern Society
Help us to care for the Chilterns today
Explore the Chilterns - we look after a growing number of heritage sites and
nature reserves all open to the public.
Volunteer - from footpath clearing and nature conservation to leading a walk -
there is lots you can do.
Enjoy the Chilterns - by taking part in our year round programme of walks,
events and cycle rides.
Join us - by becoming of the Chiltern Society you are helping to conserve and
protect the Chilterns.
Heritage, Conservation, Environment, Wildlife, Leisure