Foxlease Meadows make up part of the Minley Manor Ministry of Defence training area and are part of the Foxlease and Ancells Meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). From 2003, Hampshire Wildlife Trust has a ten year management agreement with Hampshire County Council for about 30 hectares of land south of the M3. 5.48 hectares of this land are classed as SSSI. This is the area we are most likely to work on, and is what we call Foxlease Meadows. The trust's Ancells Farm Reserve lies near the western end of the holding. Grazing animals are an essential part of the reserve's management, but there are times of the year when grazing is not desirable. The meadows will provide valuable adjacent "lay-back" land without the difficulties of transporting the animals.
There are a variety of habitats, which support a range of flora and fauna. Most of the site is species rich, damp acid grassland with plants such as sneezewort and devil's bit scabious. Foxlease Meadows are the best example of this type of habitat in north Hampshire, and was the last stronghold for the Marsh Fritillary butterfly in north-east Hampshire. There are also areas of wet heath, which form a mosaic with mire communities in the wetter areas.
The high structural and biological diversity are probably due to the site's history of light grazing and lack of agricultural improvement. Over 240 species of plant have been recorded, together with many invertebrate species.
Previous tasks have been to clear birch from around ponds important for their populations of small red damselfly, and more general tree clearance to prevent the site drying out. This is a notoriously wet area, with access involving much judicious jumping between hummocks, not always successfully.
Although Ancells Farm and Foxlease Meadows are adjacent, its not easy to get directly from one to the other and so there are two meeting points.
For Ancells Farm, meet at 10am by the reserve entrance on Ancells Road. From the M3 junction 4A, head south towards Fleet on the A327, and then west along the A3013, which runs alongside the railway line. At the Ancells Farm roundabout turn right into Ancells Road and go past Shire Avenue and Hanover Drive. Park on the right hand side of the road shortly after Hanover Drive on the slope going down towards the reserve entrance opposite the playing fields.
For Foxlease Meadows, meet at 10am in Bramshot Lane. From the M3 junction 4A, head south towards Fleet on the A327. After half a mile there are two roundabouts close together. Go right round the second one, turn left into Bramshot Lane and park at the end.
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