Turvills Field

Turvills Field is our newest site. It is a field and small wooded area in Totland. It is owned by Totland Parish Council and we started managing it on their behalf in April 2023. The conservation group Isle of Wight Green Gym have already started to work incredibly hard to hugely improve the area for wildlife. Local photographer Esme Ballard making a photographic record of the site throughout the year. We will later post up Esme’s album, but you can see a taster above.

What to look and listen for …

In early spring look for cowslips and lesser celandine, the dandelions are a great early food source for bees. Late spring brings greater celandine, green alkanet and southern marsh orchids. The ground ivy is an excellent cover for birds, mammals and other insects. Foxes and badgers are nocturnal visitors,

You may find a squirrel by listening out for it – they can be heard rustling in the branches. Buzzards mew overhead, and goldfinches, robin, blackbird and pigeon are all to be found. Great Tits are a very vocal species and can be heard year round. They make a range of different sounds. Males of the species are particularly vocal and have a wide repertoire of up to 40 distinct notes. Their sweet chiming songs often consists of two-note repeated phrases eg. ‘tea-cher, tea-cher!’

… and smell and touch

The classic fragrance of the bay bushes – what does it remind you of? Can you smell the bluebells? If so, they will be English ones. Stinking iris loves the wetter environment of the woodland,

Blackberries and sloes appear in late summer, but please leave some for the birds. In summer make a daisy chain and in winter collect pine-cones, holly and ivy to make Christmas wreaths.

Managing the site

We are currently preparing a Management Pan for this site.

How to get there

On car, foot and bike –  The site entrance is on Madeira Road. There is on-road parking outside. Use PO39 0BJ for your SATNAV. There are no cycle racks but there are plenty of places where you can attach your bike.

By bus – War Memorial Bus Stop Routes 7, 12, Island Coaster (seasonal) and Needles Breezer (seasonal) and a 130 metre flat walk along pavements. (Bus Timetables)

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Access

There is no site gate. The site entrance is 1 metre wide. A dog waste bin is provided near the entrance.

There are no formal paths within the site. Paths are mown within the meadow and the wooded area has earth paths that can be damp and are interspersed with tree roots. There are several benches dotted around the site.

The nearest toilets are on Totland Beach, a walk of 400 metres with an incline.

We have written an Access Statement for this site. This includes mobility and sensory issues and opportunities. We welcome feedback from users.

We have produced an audible description creating a mind’s eye view of the area to allow a visually impaired person to enter with confidence. It will describe the entrance, the size of the area, where to find further information or help and any major obstacles or features. Information has been produced by visually impaired people ensuring it is useful and accurate. Access the description by scanning the QR code to the left of this text on your phone or tablet, or by clicking here.

Get Involved

There are various ways you can help improve and maintain our sites. We rely on volunteers to help with many tasks on our sites and also need people who are happy to regular visit the site be our “eyes and ears”, this means we can respond much quicker to issues. Our shop raises money to support our work and needs a team of volunteers. Or maybe you would like to help us with events. Find out more here.

You can also help by becoming one of our regular supporters. Even giving a few pounds each month can make a real difference, with your donation being invested into site management and improvement work to benefit site visitors and look after our precious wildlife. Sign up here.