Dallow Downs and Winsdon Hill SSSI
Site postcode: LU1 1NX
Google map link ro Dallow Downs and Winsdon Hill
Terrain and walk information
- Tarmac path leading from Longcroft Road down to Runley Road.
- Other informal routes around the site.
- Kissing gates at locations.
Facilities and accessibility
- Park sensitively in adjacent residential.
- Dogs allowed under supervision.
- It's a hilly site.
History of the site
Dallow Downs and Winsdon Hill SSSI stretches from the M1 in the west to Downs Road in the east and includes Winsdon Hill on the opposite side of Longcroft Road. The site:
- forms part of the outer valley of the River Lea on the western side of Luton
- is sometimes called Runley Downs after the old woods and field of that name
- lies between the interwar houses of Runley Road (built on the site of the ancient Runley Woods) and the later development of the Farley Hill estate on the plateau above
At the western end of the site, close to the M1, strip lynchets or terraces of probable medieval origin can be seen under the trees. This wood grew up in the 19th century on this steep and difficult ground alongside the original Runley Woods, which have since been lost.
It was known to earlier generations of Lutonians as Daffy or Palm Wood, for the daffodils and the leaves collected for Palm Sunday crosses Beyond this mature woodland is a large area of younger woods and scrub, with a good range of species.
Stretching from here along the length of the hill is a very substantial hedgerow, with bank and ditch, which formed the medieval boundary between the manors of Farley (upslope) and Dallow (downslope). This has grown into a wide wooded feature that is visible from the other side of town, but narrows towards the east.
At the foot of the slope above Dallow Road is a pair of disused chalk pits, which were used to produce lime from the 19th and early 20th centuries. These are now quite overgrown but provide rich habitats of scrub and grassland.
Between the pits and the hedgerow is a broad swathe of chalk downland of high quality with large numbers of orchids and other scarce plants. This was the original Dallow Downs. Above the hedgerow is a mosaic of mixed grassland and small copses on former fields called Lower Thirty Acres and Eleven Acres, which is now split by Longcroft Road.
All in all, Dallow provides Luton with a spectacular range of historical and natural features of interest.
Interesting wildlife
The woodland trees include:
- hornbeam (carpinus betulus)
- ash (fraxinus excelsior)
- beech (fagus sylvatica)
- wild cherry (prunus avium)
A national priority species of orchid, the white helleborine (cephalanthera damasonium) grows here, along with the delicate moschatel (adoxa moschatellina).
Unusually for Luton, whitebeam (sorbus aria) and spindle (euonymus europaeus) are quite common here too. The Dallow Downs have good populations of a wide range of downland flowers, including common spotted orchid (dactylorhiza fuchsii) and the nationally scarce great pignut (bunium bulbocastanum).
Horseshoe vetch (hippocrepis comosa) and kidney vetch (anthyllis vulneraria), which are good for the blue butterflies, are quite commonly found.
The woodland and dense scrub of Dallow Downs provides cover for larger mammals including foxes and the introduced muntjac deer.
Hedgehogs and shrews hunt for slugs and worms, while voles and mice are all found in the more open habitats, where their burrows are usually found in the long grass.
Sparrowhawks and kestrels hunt the smaller birds and mammals, while red kites are now a common sight.
The crop of berries on the bushes attracts fieldfares and redwings in winter, while various finches may be seen at any time of year, but especially as the seeds ripen in autumn.
Slow worms (anguis fragilis) are sometimes spotted basking here.
Butterflies of Dallow include:
- small blue (cupido minimus)
- chalkhill blue (lysandra coridon)
- dark green fritillary (argynnis aglaja).
Site management
- Gradual clearance of scrub and bushes by conservation volunteers to expose grasslands.
- Burning of arisings to prevent enrichment by decay and treating of stumps to prevent regrowth.
- An autumn hay cut after flowering and seeding to maintain the grassland.
- Removal of all hay from site to prevent soil enrichment.
- Maintaining path network with occasional trim.