Juniper Bank

Juniper Bank, as the name implies, has an extensive population of Juniper – an increasingly rare shrub of chalk downland. It is thought that most of the Junipers here may have been originally planted by John Spedan Lewis. The reserve has a chalk downland flora typical of north facing slopes, and is home to chalk-loving butterflies such as the Grizzled Skipper and the Brown Argus. Moths seen here include the locally distributed and colourful Scarlet Tiger and the rare Barred Tooth-striped. Regular work by conservation volunteers was needed to prevent the flora being overgrown by scrub, but Manx Loaghtan sheep are now grazing the site and doing much of this job.