Orchids at Badbury Rings

Located immediately to the north of Wimborne, Badbury Rings is an Iron Age hill-fort that dates from about 150BC. The fort consists of three concentric banks and ditches, with a ditch along the outer edge of each bank. The sketch to the right shows the present day arrangement of the banks.

Badbury Rings are now cared for by the National Trust, and are managed as grass downland. A number of orchids have established themselves on the banks and nearby. The circular arrangement of the banks ensures that at least two areas on each bank share the same optimum slope and orientation, located on either side of the fort, hence species found in one location on the rings can generally also be found in the mirrored location on the other side too.

The orchids shown here can be found in flower at Badbury Rings during April–July (the best time to see the orchids being mid-June) with the exception of Autumn Lady's Tresses (picture 10) which flowers August–September.