The Troll Trail

The Troll Trail stretches from Shide to Merstone along the existing cycle track. All along the route we have installed natural art, artistic seating and lasting conservation improvements which include Grey Wagtail nesting boxes under bridges and a House Sparrow palace to help this much-declined species. Other features will help you recognize the sounds, sights and evidence of local wildlife. Improvements to a wildlife meadow at Merstone Station with new wildflowers and specialist management along with hand-carved picnic benches make it the perfect place to take a rest and enjoy the scenery and even have a play in the maze.

Where is the Troll Trail?

From Newport by car to get to Merstone follow signs for Sandown via Blackwater Road (A3020). Continue straight into A3056 then turn right into Merstone Lane. The Station is on the right after the village. For Shide follow signs to Sandown via St Georges Way (A3020), after less than a mile turn right into Shide Road, the Troll Trail is on National Cycle Route 23 next to the river.
By bus to Merstone the nearest stop is Merstone Station, for Shide it is the Barley Mow Stop.
By bike, the project is set along National Cycle Route 23 extending from Cowes to Sandown.

What can you see?

Wildlife

Birds

The Grey Wagtail can be spotted on the Troll Trail, it wags its tail as it’s flying which helps it catch insects. Grey Wagtails have a quiet trilling song, a high ‘tzi-tzi’. The bird has slate grey upper parts and distinctive lemon yellow under-tail. Categorised as being of National Conservation Concern by the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and scarce locally, this heightens the importance of offering extra breeding opportunities to the mating pairs on the Island. Grey Wagtails usually nest near shallow, fast-flowing streams; they build their nests in hollows and they are known to take very kindly to having a hollow provided like the boxes we are installing under the bridges of the Troll Trail.
You will be able to hear and see Buzzards flying overhead; they are recognised by the BAP as being of National Conservation Concern but our local population is thriving and you are very likely to spot them now. You may also see the beautiful Green Woodpecker, either hunting for ants or going into holes. They rarely build their own holes, relying on finding existing ones. Green Woodpeckers are easily recognized by their laughing ‘yaffle’ call and exotic plumage, with a green back and wings and a bright yellow rump. It has a bright red crown and black patches around the eyes. This bird is well known for its extra long tongue which it has to curl up in a spiral but is great for licking up insects from under bark.  You will probably hear the Long-tailed Tit before you see it, the noises it makes are a very noisy and high ’see see see’ and a trilled ‘tsirrup’.
Hopefully you will see flocks of House Sparrows but recent reports state that the House Sparrow population has declined by 50% in the past ten years – the bird is not threatened globally but our populations are definitely struggling. This is why we felt it important to include nesting boxes specially designed for House Sparrows in this project.
Yellowhammers can be seen flying around the surrounding fields and in and out of hedges looking for weed seeds, wild fruits and insect larvae. The male is especially beautiful, with a bright yellow belly and head. Their most distinctive feature is their call which some report sounds like “A-little-bit-of-bread-but-no-cheese”. Yellowhammers are a Nationally Scarce species partly due to their reliance on hedgerows for a large proportion of their food. This highlights the importance of these countryside features and reinforces the need for events such as the Annual Isle of Wight Hedgelaying Competition.

Plants

Flowers you can spot along the Troll Trail include the Scarlet Pimpernel; this pretty flower is normally pink, but is occasionally white or blue, best found on sunny days because if it isn’t light enough their petals curl up.
Common Knapweed can be found around the platform, its striking purple flowers being much-loved by butterflies. Look for Traveller’s-joy (also known as Old Man’s Beard) in the hedgerows, a wild relative of cultivated Clematis - the flowers are almond-scented and loved by bees and birds. In the hedges you will find Hazel, a great tree for our rare population of Red Squirrels, who love the Hazel nut. You can also see Hawthorn whose berries are a vital source of food for wildlife. You can spot the Wild Teasel in the meadow; it has been and is still being used to raise the nap of fabrics such as wool.  In the wetter areas along the margins of the river you can see and smell Meadowsweet, this plant has a long history of medicinal uses, its flowers are a source of aspirin. St John’s Wort can be spotted in open sunny areas, it is well-used medicinally to guard against depression.
Between May and July you can see the beautiful Yellow Flag Iris flowering in wet areas, particularly the pond in the middle of the route. Also between May and July you can spot the bell-shaped mauve or white flowers of Comfrey, a plant also known as Knit-bone because of its ability to help mend fractures and breaks.
Along the Troll Trail you will spot young English Elms. Dutch Elm Disease means that as soon as the tree reaches a certain age and the bark is thick enough, the beetle carrying the disease moves in and kills the tree. The remnants still in the ground sprout and the whole process begins again. We at Island 2000 have fought to stop the spread of the disease but it was too voracious. Now to preserve this habitat type we buy hundreds of disease resistant Elms and are working to replenish the lost trees. These resistant Elms are being planted in the hedgerows of the Troll Trail where Elms have been lost.

Insects

You can see Hawker dragonflies (left) between  July and November feeding on insects, especially in wet areas in the afternoon and evening. You may also spot the Broad-bodied Chaser (right) between May and August near still water.  It also eats insects, and males can be identified by their pale blue abdomen. The Large White butterfly (one of the Cabbage whites) can be spotted between March and October; it varies in colour from cream to pale green with dark spots and can grow a wingspan of up to 7cm. The handsome Speckled Wood butterfly can be seen between February and October near the hedgerows and the scattered pieces of woodland. Instead of flowers it feeds on the honeydew secreted by aphids. You can also look for the Gatekeeper butterfly between July and September feeding off flowers in the meadow.

Art

Throughout the route we have installed many pieces of art, even the seating is art with carvings of the types of animals and plants that you will see while resting your weary feet. Along the river from Shide we will be installing special sensory devices. All along the route we will be asking Island artists to create ‘hidden art’ throughout the trail. Keep watching as you go, see what beautiful things might be revealed when you stop and take a second look!

Funders

www.environment-agency.gov.uk – The Environment Agency were a principal funder of this project

www.southernwater.co.uk – Southern Water helped fund this project

www.awardsforall.org.uk – The National Lottery were a principal funder of this project

Links

www.uksafari.com – For those interested in the wildlife and countryside of Britain
www.butterfly-conservation.org – Great resource for information on UK butterflies
http://www.iwight.com/living_here/planning/countryside/default.asp – Isle of Wight Countryside Section
www.birdsofbritain.co.uk – A great resource for info on Britain’s birds
www.wildonwight.co.uk – Great information on Island wildlife and the Biodiversity Action Plan
www.lift-iw.org.uk – Local Initiative for Transport helped fund this project