SUSTAINABILITY

SANCTUARY
Around the regions
Warwickshire
Defence Munitions Kineton
The flora has been just as impressive.
Species such as the broad-leaved
helleborine, dropwort and narrow
buckler-fern have been found as well as
adder’s tongue fern, dwarf spurge and
pickerelweed. Bee orchids and the
common spotted orchid are found near
a borrow pit lake kept in good order by
the fishermen. Nearby, on some
undeveloped land was found the
pepper-saxifrage, cow parsley and
knotted hedge-parsley. The roundfruited
rush has been seen in the
past and efforts are underway to
trace it again.
The chocolate-tip Clostera curtula © Alan Prior
The 1,000ha ammunition depot at DM
Kineton was compulsorily purchased in
1942 as one of the ammunition depots
in World War II. In 2017 it celebrates its
75th anniversary. Originally brick built
store houses, rail served, were scattered
over the three-mile long estate. The
rebuild in the late 70s and early 80s,
with the last of the serious Cold War
money, created two concentrated areas
with reinforced bunkers. Capability and
safety were maintained with more land
returning to a mixture of woods and
500ha of pasture and arable land, the
latter being let to tenant farmers.
The 250 bunkers and repair buildings
had their blast walls built with the blue
lias clay from the old Jurassic sea bed
on which the depot lies. This created
borrow pit lakes and ponds on which
the wildlife and vegetation has thrived.
Classic species such as fallow, roe and
muntjac deer are in good numbers as
are badger setts, 27 at the last count.
Their activities, and those of foxes and
great crested newts, have to be
managed to allow explosive
demolitions, stop damage to the
bunkers and reduce the impact on the
Explosive Licence. We also have little
and barn owls, nightingales,
grasshopper warblers and masses of
cow-slips. Over 85 species of bird have
been recorded although we are looking
for someone to lead on a new survey.
More importantly, it is the smaller, less
sexy, examples of flora and fauna that
have been the focus of the last few
years of study.
In one evening the Warwickshire
Butterfly Conservation group recorded
193 species from 2,500 moths. More
notable species included the dark
smudge, the buff-marked neb, the
chalk rose bell and, probably the most
important find, the black groundling,
a Notable A species.
Also found on site are the May highflyer,
the scorched wing, the orange footman
and the treble lines. Larger types, such
as the lunar-spotted pinion, dark umber
and double dart have been found in
reassuringly high numbers due to the
excellent and relatively undisturbed
good quality grassland. The scarce
silver-lines and the chocolate-tip were
recorded in 2015. Between 2013 and
2015 there have been 350 species
counted from 5,200 moths.
A visit by the Warwickshire Dragonfly
Society found 19 species of dragonfly.
The ruddy darter was found to be
present in substantial numbers as was
the common blue damselfly. The
presence of the beautiful demoiselle
was, no doubt in part, due to the
relatively undisturbed waters and
uncultivated land in the Depot.
Things are certainly looking positive
for the conservation of 1,000ha in the
middle of England. The future of the
Depot is as secure as anything can be in
a changing world. Most important of all
is that the military chain of command is
very much in favour of the conservation
effort, allocating time to its
management, encouraging the
contractors, CarillionAmey to cut the
relevant grassy area after the orchids
are over. Future plans include clearance
of areas of brambles and reed mace to
leave clear spaces for the fresh growth
of dormant plant species whilst
retaining cover for birds to nest and
mammals to take refuge.
Bill Pearson
General Manager
Defence Munitions Kineton
90
SANCTUARY 45 2016