Booking a Trip with HOS
As a member you are welcome to join any trip, although bear in mind you must register with the leader and many trips fill up. Thank you to all the leaders who have volunteered their time Many members have intimate knowledge of orchid sites – many of you volunteer for work parties, participate in orchid counts, look over and protect orchids, or have visited favourite sites for many years. At the same time many leaders and members have multiple natural history interests, so you will meet other members on our trips who have knowledge of, for example, birds, butterflies, dragonflies and other plants – and perhaps even insects, slime moulds or snails too. Thanks to your involvement in so many voluntary organisations, we are increasingly welcomed by reserve wardens. Once again, two wardens will lead walks for us on nationally important sites.
You must make your decision whether you are fit and healthy enough to participate in any walk. General indications of difficulty are below, but on the day weather and underfoot conditions may make the trip more difficult. In general, you should prepare as for a remote country walk and expect uneven ground. The general principle is: participants are responsible for their own safety. Prepare as if you were going walking with friends. Do communicate any concerns you have to the leader and your fellow participants as early as possible on the day or, better still, beforehand. The leader does not carry any first-aid or emergency equipment. The leader’s role is to help you find your way around the area and help you to see more orchids than you would if you went on your own. It is not to ensure your safety – you are solely responsible for that. Areas visited often have no mobile signal.
We normally collect a voluntary donation to any non-government organisation, such as a Wildlife Trust, that maintains a site visited. Every year recently we have collected several hundred pounds for conservation – thank you. Our insurance only covers our own members, so it is not normally possible to take a non-member friend with you. Family membership can include children too. You cannot bring a dog unless the trip leader explicitly agrees to this. Inevitably some trips will have to be rescheduled, or perhaps even cancelled, if the orchids do not flower or are affected by the season. Please be sympathetic. It seems every season throws some weather-related surprise.
Register for any trip by emailing the trip leader. The leader's email can be found in the Spring 2026 issue of the Journal of the Hardy Orchid Society. Include your HOS membership number (or perhaps a small apology if you have lost it!). Any enquiries, ideas, problems, queries, please write to the Field Trip Co-ordinators – fieldtrips@hardyorchidsociety.org.
Please remember that you must be a member of the Hardy Orchid Society to book a field trip.
You can join here
Field Trips in 2026
Tuesday 26th May: East Kent
Leader: Colin Sillence
Parkgate and Denge Wood (“Bonsai Bank”) to see Monkey, Lady, Fly and Greater Butterfly orchids. Up to twelve orchid species are possible. Less than two miles of easy walking. This trip requires car sharing as only limited parking is possible at the reserves. A great day out in England’s “orchid garden” and there are many other sites you may wish to visit later in the afternoon, or on an adjacent day.
Thursday 28th May: Warburg Reserve, Henley-on-ThamesLeader: Keith Boseley
Warburg is a beautifully situated BBOWT reserve in the Chilterns. This famous reserve still has many orchids although like other orchid sites in lesser numbers than in the past. Fly, Bird’s Nest, Early Purple, Greater Butterfly orchids should be present along with the more Common Twyblades, Pyramidal and Common spotted, but the Lesser Butterfly-orchid has not been seen since 2022. Broad-leaved, Violet and Narrow-lipped Helleborines should be in leaf. The walk leader has volunteered at Warburg for ten years and will take the group to the best sites there. Visitors need to be reasonably active as Warburg has steep inclines and we will need to walk up these to view the orchids.
Saturday 30th May: Box Hill, Surrey
Leader: Richard Kulczycki
Across Box Hill and on to Brockham Quarry. This trip is on foot and will be about ten miles of downland walking, some quite steep. So this is a strenuous walk. We should see about ten orchids. Meet close to Box Hill and West Humble train station, but the walk is a loop, so you can park at the start. It will also be possible to join mid-afternoon to visit Brockham Quarry, the last part of our walk.
Thursday 4th June: Folkestone and several sites in East Kent
Leader: Ian Hadingham
We will start with Ophrys fuciflora. After that we will see Orchis purpurea, including the var. alba, possible Ophrys insectifera, possible Platanthera bifolia, possible Neottia nidus-avis, and hundreds of Neottia ovata. After that we will go to Monkton Nature Reserve for Orchis anthropophora including possible var. alba, Dactylorhiza praetermissa, and Ophrys apifera. Finally on to Sandwich and Sandwich Bay for England’s best sites for Himantoglossum hircinum. An apt place for a bread snack. This trip involves a lot of driving, so please ensure you are comfortable navigating by phone or SatNav or bring a navigator with you. You cannot just rely on following the lead car.
This field trip is now fully booked
Saturday 13th June: Braunton Burrows, North Devon
Leader: Roger Harding
Walk will be about three hours - not strenuous, but exposed to the weather coming off the sea. Mostly firm and dry, but some damp slacks may need waterproof footwear. We will be guided by one of John and Mary Breeds who have decades of experience as wardens of one of the finest and most extensive sand dune systems in the country. Possible orchid species in early summer: Early and Southern Marsh-orchid including hybrids and coccinea. Also, Bee Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, and Twayblade. There will be plenty of other rare and interesting plants, butterflies, bugs and birds at this nationally-important site for nature.
Sunday 14th June: Waitby Greenriggs, Cumbria
Leader: Charlie Philpotts
Waitby Greenriggs is one of the best orchid reserves in Britain with multiple species flowering throughout the season. Alan Gendle was the voluntary warden for many years. The Fly Orchids should be at their best in early June. The date is dependant on how well the orchids are doing and if there is interest from members wishing to come along to see these. There will be other orchids in flower as well and there other wildflowers to see.
Saturday 20th June: Three sites near Leeds
Leader: Charlie Philpotts
Three varied sites around the east Leeds area, a former mining site, a limestone outcrop, and an old limestone meadow. Orchids to be seen should include Northern Marsh-orchid, Southern Marsh-orchid, Common Spotted-orchid, their hybrids, Twayblades and Bee Orchids, as well as a lot of other wildflowers. This trip is a great opportunity to compare the Dactylorhiza species.
Saturday 20th June: Windsor Hill, near Princes RisboroughRegistrations to fieldtrips@hardyorchidsociety.org
To see Red Helleborine. The orchids are in an enclosure so we can only get within a few metres of them. The total walking is about a mile. While successful flowering cannot be guaranteed, the last few years have produced flowering stems. The exact timing does vary, so the date may need to be moved. Let’s hope we are lucky with flowering once again. BBOWT (the local Wildlife Trust) always has a fee per individual for guided reserve walks and indeed the warden will be on site to explain the history and current conservation policies. We need to collect donations to match these fees and to contribute to the extensive conservation efforts here.
Sunday 21st June: Kenfig Dunes, Glamorgan
Leader: Steve Parsons
While the primary focus will be the Fen orchid, the timing of our visit should be good for high summer and late summer species, like Early Marsh-orchid var. coccinea and many other botanical delights. This is a unique and famous site. The warden should be present to show us round. The trip will involve a fair amount of walking through the extensive dune system.
Saturday 27th June: Ladle Hill, Hampshire Downs
Leader: Simon Melville
To look at/for late-flowering Burnt Orchids, Frog Orchids, Pyramidal Orchids (and possibly f. emarginata), Common Spotted-orchids, Chalk Fragrant-orchids, Bee Orchids. Dactylorhiza x mixta has been recorded in the past. There is a very rich chalk grassland flora. There are stunning views across north Hampshire and west Berkshire - and the only known unfinished hillfort in England! A pretty flat and easy 25 minute walk from the parking to the site. Some uneven ground.
This field trip is now fully booked
Saturday 4th July: Noar Hill, North Hampshire
Leader:Ken & Gillian Elsom
Noar Hill has fascinating medieval chalk workings now with a hugely diverse range of species including many orchids. The site is managed by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Expect to see Musk Orchid, Common Spotted-orchid, Pyramidal Orchid & Chalk Fragrant-orchid along with Fly Orchids, Twayblades and possibly Violet Helleborines depending on the season. There are also many butterflies and bird species. Site has some steep paths which can be slippery if wet.
Fully booked - waiting list only
Sunday 12th July, Cumbria
Leader: Charlie Philpotts
Waitby Greenriggs and Augill Pasture in Cumbria, meeting in Kirkby Stephen. Orchids should include Northern Marsh-orchid, Common Spotted-orchid, Heath Spotted-orchid, Greater and Lesser Butterfly-orchid, Marsh Helleborine and three varieties of Fragrant-orchid. There will also be plenty of hybrids to look at. If time permits we could visit a nearby site and see Lesser Twayblades.
Saturday 18th July: Braunton Burrows, North Devon
Leader: Roger Harding
Our second trip of the season here, walking over a different route and with other orchids at their peak. The walk will be about three hours – not strenuous. Mostly firm and dry, but some damp slacks may need waterproof footwear. Once again we will be guided by Mary Breeds. This walk is two weeks later this year, so we may also see rare Water Germander, as well as lots of non-orchid nature interest. Possible orchid species - Primarily Marsh Helleborine by the thousand and Marsh Fragrant-orchid, Pyramidal Orchid and Twayblade. Early and Southern Marsh-orchids may still be around including hybrids and coccinea.
Please remember that you must be a member of the Hardy Orchid Society to book a field trip
You can join here