About the reserve

Blackness Banks was purchased in 2021 and is made up of three fields of unimproved limestone grassland in excellent condition. A recent survey found more than 65 species of flowering plant including foodplants used for part or all of the lifecycle of at least 30 different butterfly species found within the Golden Valley, seven of which are priority species.

A number of threatened plants and invertebrates were found too, notably autumn lady’s-tresses, and both small and large blue butterflies. Noctule bats have also been found in the area.

As well as acting as a wildlife corridor between Rodborough and Minchinhampton Commons to the Golden Valley, Blackness Backs is just over 1km from GWT’s Stroud Commons nature reserves and multiple other nearby Local Wildlife Sites.

The steep banks at the reserve have made is impossible to traverse with heavy machinery, which fortunately protected it from intense agriculture and overgrazing, and also make it a perfect place to see views across the Golden Valley.