Our Royal Reserve

Hertfordshire is bursting with wildlife, history and beauty, and if you’re lucky you’ll find all three at once. In the west  of the county lies such a place writes Herts and Middlesex Trust senior reserves officer Paul Thrush.

- Paul Thrush

ALDBURY Nowers is a special place. At more than 11 hectares on the Chiltern escarpment in the west of the county, the nature reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It comprises two areas of hillside linked by the Ridgeway – an ancient trail – and supports splendid wildflowers and more than 30 species of butterfly. The warm south-facing slopes host the small but beautiful flowers of chalk grassland including common milkwort, common rock rose, clustered bellflower and lady’s bedstraw. Aldbury has one of the best remaining areas of chalk grassland habitat in the county and therefore one of the finest butterfly habitats in Hertfordshire with Essex skippers, marbled whites, green hair streak, brown argus, and scarce grizzled and dingy skippers. It is also very good for other invertebrates such as solitary bees and wasps.

ROYAL CONNECTIONS

Part of Aldbury Nowers was formerly named Duchie’s Piece – the eponymous Duchie being the nickname of the original owner’s mother. In 1991 the reserve was presented to the Queen Mother to celebrate her 90th birthday and was given the new (although perhaps less catchy) title of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s Nature Reserve. The Queen Mother formally opened the newly-named reserve and following the ceremony she enjoyed a picnic under the trees with Herts and Middlesex

Wildlife Trust staff members and volunteers. Her connection to Hertfordshire was strong as she spent much of her childhood in the village of St Paul’s Walden, near Hitchin, where the Chilterns begin their rise.