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A Suffolk Lane

~ A diary of my life in rural north Suffolk.

A Suffolk Lane

Tag Archives: moss

A Walk Round the Garden

21 Wed Feb 2018

Posted by Clare Pooley in Rural Diary

≈ 85 Comments

Tags

bee hive, bee orchids, cornelian cherry, crocus, discs of ice, February, garden, hazel catkins, ice, ivy, Jelly Ear fungus, landscaping, lichens, moss, pond, scrub clearance, seedheads, snowdrops, Suffolk, tree surgery, Viburnum, wild cherry, willow, witch-hazel

We had a bright but chilly day recently, so I took the opportunity to photograph a few interesting things I saw on a stroll round our garden.

Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

We have two wild cherry trees and I noticed the buds beginning to swell on this one.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)

There is a rough patch of land beyond our compost heaps, in-between us and one of our neighbours which has patches of snowdrops.

Hazel catkins (Corylus avellana)

The catkins were blowing about in the strong breeze and I gave up trying to focus on them.  The female flowers were just beginning to show as well but again, my camera wouldn’t take a clear picture of them.

I liked the look of the Ivy (Hedera helix) growing up this Horse Chestnut (Aesculus Hippocastenaceae ) tree trunk

I like the colours on the ivy leaves and the pattern of the veins.

As you might be able to see, there are any number of lichens growing on this tree trunk.  I couldn’t get a clear shot of any of them so I copied the photograph above and then cropped it.  The result wasn’t too bad though not good enough to identify the lichens.  This was only a very small area of the original photo.

Lichens and green algae on a tree trunk

Jelly Ear fungus ( Auricularia auricula-judae)

A few dead trees have been blown down in recent storms and I found this fungus growing on one of them.

More fungus.

This moss was shining in the bright sunlight

One of our neighbours has started keeping bees.

Just after Christmas we had a landscape gardener come and cut back this willow which had grown lots of suckers and had spread too much.

The little island in the pond was given a haircut too.

This is the island where the Greylags have always nested.  Last year the nest was abandoned after it was attacked by something.  We had hoped that by clearing the island the geese would have better visibility and would have earlier warning of danger from otter or mink.  They have usually visited by mid February but there has been no sign of them yet this year.  After a very wet winter the pond has re-filled and the reeds that were threatening to take over have been swamped.  They will survive under water so we will have to dig them out eventually if we wish to retain the pond as it is.

Discs of ice

The pond had been frozen but the sun had melted most of the ice.  Just these tiny discs of ice remained.  Out of focus again, I’m afraid.

Ice disc  

These papery seedheads belong to the Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera) that grow in our garden.

I was pleased to see the green rosettes of new leaves at the base of the old flower stalks.

Another view of the pond. Richard has been working hard clearing most of the brambles and other scrub plants from around the pond during the last week. The dead grass and brambles in the foreground of this photo are no longer there!

Our corner pond still has plenty of ice on it.

Not many days before this photo was taken I had seen newts swimming in this pond.   The water is cleaner here than in the other larger pond as there is no chemical run-off from the agricultural fields.

The Witch-hazel I have growing in a tub near the front door is blooming.

As are the crocus…..

Yellow crocus
Yellow crocus
Yellow crocus
Yellow crocus

The pink Viburnum flowers look good against a blue sky. They smell wonderful too!

Cornelian Cherry ( Cornus mas)

This tree is awaiting the right time to plant it out into the garden – it is in a large pot.  Meanwhile, it has decided to flower in a small way!

We have been told to expect some more cold weather during the next week or two so many of these flowers will suffer, no doubt.

I leave you with a favourite song from Enzo Enzo – ‘Juste Quelqu’un De Bien’.

Thanks for visiting!

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Black Forest Holiday – Part 2

08 Mon Aug 2016

Posted by Clare Pooley in family, holidays, walking

≈ 57 Comments

Tags

birds, Black Forest, Ernest Hemingway, fungi, holiday, lichen, memorials, moss, Nutcracker, Otto von Bismarck, red squirrels, Triberg, waterfall, wildflowers

On our second full day on holiday we thought we would go and see the Triberg waterfall which we were informed is the highest waterfall in Germany.  (In fact, it isn’t as Rothbach Waterfall in Bavaria is the highest with a single, vertical drop of 470 metres.)  We had a short walk through the town to the nature park entrance where we were able to get free entry by using the guest-card that the hotel had given us on our arrival.

P1000741Waterfall

Just a few minutes walk brought us to the waterfall.

P1000743Waterfall

The waterfall is a series of seven cascades falling 160 metres into the valley.

P1000744Waterfall

The waterfall can be heard in the town.

The paths and bridges have been carefully designed to enable everyone to see the falls clearly.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I didn’t just photograph the waterfall.  There were plenty of plants that interested me, some I recognised and others I still cannot put a name to.

P1000740Touch-me-not Balsam

Touch-me-not Balsam (Impatiens noli-tangere)

P1000742Fungus

Fungus

P1000745Lichen

Lichen

P1000751Yellow flower

Unidentified yellow flower

P1000754Slime mould

Slime mould

Moss
Moss
More moss
More moss
P1000764Hoof fungus

Hoof fungus (Fomes fomentarius) ?

P1000765Fungus

Orange-coloured fungus.

P1000778Indian Balsam

Indian Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)

P1000779Figwort phps

Wood Sage (Teucrium scorodonia)

P1000780Figwort phps

Wood Sage flower spike

We also saw glimpses of Red Squirrels, which are not rare in Germany, but they were too quick for me and I was unable to photograph one.

I was very pleased that I managed to photograph a Nutcracker, a bird from the crow family.  They are one of the smallest crows at 12.5 inches long, even smaller than a Jackdaw, and they were moving about quickly in the undergrowth feeding newly fledged young.

P1000767Nutcracker

Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) on a tree-stump

P1000767Nutcracker - Copy

This is the above photo which has been cropped

P1000768Nutcracker

Nutcracker

P1000769Nutcracker

Nutcracker

P1000771Nutcracker

Nutcracker

Only one of those photos was cropped though I had to use the zoom on my camera to its fullest extent for the rest!

There were a few commemorative plaques placed on the rock face; this one is for Otto von Bismarck.

P1000758Bismark plaque

Bismarck commemoration

This one is for Ernest Hemingway

P1000749Hemingway plaque

On the right are his dates of birth and death under a note saying that Ernest Hemingway visited Triberg in the Black Forest in August 1922 where he indulged in his passion for fishing. There is a quote from ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’ on the left where he talks about a trout-fishing trip to Triberg.

We enjoyed our walk through the forest and before returning to our hotel, indulged in some more coffee and cake!

Thanks for visiting!

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All Change!

06 Sun Mar 2016

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, family, Norwich, plants, Rural Diary, trees, walking, weather

≈ 70 Comments

Tags

Crockham Hill, Dog's Mercury, family life, funeral, fungus, House renovations, Kent, lesser celandine, lichen, Lords and Ladies, Minsmere, moss, Norwich Railway Station, Peterborough Mosque, plants, presents, The Fens, trees, Tyrrels Wood, woodland

We have had a very busy few weeks here with very little time for relaxation.  We are all rather tired and stressed and could do with a holiday (or a few weeks at home with nothing to do!), though there is little chance of that just yet.

All the planned work in this first phase of house renovation has been done and we are very pleased with the results.  The new windows, doors and garage doors are looking good and the house and garage are feeling much warmer.  We still have a little sorting out to do in the garage and a few more trips to the tip and charity shops with the things we no longer need.  There is a little room at the back of the garage which had a toilet and wash-hand basin in it which we never used.  We had the plumbing removed shortly after Christmas and Richard painted the room last week.  He has bought some shelves for it and we hope it will be a good storage room for the bird-seed and fruit and vegetables.  It has a window which we hope to brick up and put in a vent in its place.  For now we will put a screen against the window to prevent the light getting in.

DSCN0246

Potatoes chitting on the garage window-sill. Note the new window!

We worked very hard to get the house ready for the work and it was worth the trouble we took.  Most of the time there was just one window fitter – a very pleasant, hard-working man who was so proficient and tidy it was a pleasure to have him here.  He let us know which rooms he would be working on during the following day so we prepared by moving furniture and covering everything we could with dust sheets.  While he worked on one room we got the next ready and so we progressed round the house.  He was here for five days and on his last day with us he was joined by a colleague and together they replaced the Velux window in Elinor’s room.  It was unfortunate that the weather wasn’t very nice that day with snow, sleet, hail and rain showers and it took some time for Elinor’s room to warm up again.  We supplied the men with plenty of hot tea to help them keep warm!

I washed, dried and ironed lots of pairs of curtains and also took the opportunity to launder other furnishings too.  I feel I made a good start to my spring cleaning!

Elinor took her two mock maths GCSE exams the same week that we had most of the window work done.  (She is re-taking her maths because the grade she got last year wasn’t good enough).  She also handed in her art project work that she had been working on since Christmas.  She got a pass mark for the art (there are only two marks she could have got – a pass or a referral) and she got a ‘C’ for her maths which has pleased us all.  If she gets a ‘C’ grade when she takes her exams for real in the summer it will mean she has the minimum grade all colleges and employers demand.  She won’t ever have to go to a Maths class again or take any more maths exams.  (A sigh of relief from Elinor!)

DSCN0207Crockham Hill

View from Crockham Hill churchyard.

I now feel I must say how much I appreciated all your kindnesses when I spoke of the death of my aunt – I was most touched; thank-you.  The funeral went very well and was a very satisfying celebration of her life.  It was good to see my brother, sister and all my cousins and their families and to re-visit Kent and Crockham Hill, the village where my Aunt Marie and Uncle Fred lived for so many years.  Aunt Marie had moved away into sheltered accomodation after Uncle Fred died.

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Aunt Marie and Uncle Fred

It was sleeting and snowing as I set off for my brother’s house that morning and that continued until my brother had driven us to the Suffolk/Essex border when the clouds began to break up.  When we got to Westerham in Kent where we stopped for coffee, the sun had come out.  My cousin had arranged a lovely buffet meal for us all after the funeral in The Royal Oak, Uncle Fred’s local pub.

The Fens in Cambridgeshire seen from the window of the train I took to Sheffield.

The Fens seen from a train window
The Fens seen from a train window
The Fens seen from a train window
The Fens seen from a train window
The Fens seen from a train window
The Fens seen from a train window
The Fens seen from a train window
The Fens seen from a train window

I travelled to Sheffield by train so that I could see Alice in her production of Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’.  The play was excellently performed by all the cast and I enjoyed it very much.  I stayed at Alice’s house overnight and met one of her housemates and also Alice’s cat, Mona.  Alice and I breakfasted in the city next morning before I caught my train back home.

DSCN0221Peterborough

The Mosque in Peterborough seen from the train

DSCN0208Norwich Station

Norwich Railway Station

DSCN0211Norwich Station

These life-size figures stand outside the station and are rather a disparate group.  Admiral Lord Nelson on the left; born in Norfolk and was a great Naval commander during the Napoleonic Wars and was killed during the Battle of Trafalgar – Edith Cavell; born in Norfolk and was executed during WW1 for helping allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium – Stephen Fry; born in London though grew up in Norfolk and is an actor, writer, presenter, activist and ‘National Treasure’.

I saw quite a lot of my mother during the middle of February as she had a number of appointments to keep ( two hospital appointments in Norwich and two with her local doctor) and a fair amount of shopping to do.  Elinor and I had a meeting at her college to discuss her support needs for her next academic year and to deal with any support problems she has this year. I had been looking forward to Elinor’s half-term holiday but as the window replacement carried on into that week and as we had other duties to perform it wasn’t as restful as I’d hoped.  Elinor had a hair appointment on the Thursday and we had planned to go with her and have lunch out in the city.  Unfortunately, I woke with a migraine and had to spend most of the day in bed.  Richard took Elinor to Norwich and they had lunch in a café.  Richard brought me back a lovely couple of presents.

DSCN0227My presents

My presents!

I love the design on the tote bag!  It is by the artist Amelia Bowman and is a view across the roofs of the market towards the castle. The book is also just what I need for my visits to the churches in the city.

We have managed two short walks; one at the RSPB reserve at Minsmere and the other in Tyrrels Wood which lies to the north of Diss and Harleston in Norfolk.  Neither of the walks were particularly interesting but we were out in the fresh (very fresh and cold!) air and were taking some exercise.

Minsmere trees
Minsmere trees
Minsmere trees
Minsmere trees
Minsmere trees
Minsmere trees
Minsmere trees
Minsmere trees
IMG_2611Minsmere

Richard at Minsmere

IMG_2621Minsmere

Minsmere reedbeds

A slideshow of some small but quite interesting things!

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Our walk in Tyrrels Wood was less pleasant as it was so very muddy and we were disappointed by the state it was in.  There was a quantity of litter in the wood, especially near the entrance and it was obvious that the wood is used by dog-walkers.  We had to watch where we walked!  In this country it is illegal to allow one’s dog to foul a public area and not clean up after it.  I am surprised that a large organisation like the Woodland Trust is happy to leave the wood in this condition.

DSCN0247

The spotted leaves of Lords and Ladies/Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arum maculatum) next to Dog’s Mercury (Mercurialis perennis)

DSCN0248

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) also with Dog’s Mercury

DSCN0250

Tyrrels Wood

DSCN0251

An ancient coppice stool. This group of trees was once one tree but through repeated coppicing (cutting back the tree to near ground level to let new shoots re-grow) it has become a group of trees with a shared root system.

DSCN0254

The bark patterns on this tree are interesting.

And now for my music selection!  A little trip down memory lane to the summer of 1978 when I was nearly 20 years old and fancy-free.

Thanks for visiting!

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A Week of Winter

22 Fri Jan 2016

Posted by Clare Pooley in churches, plants, Rural Diary, trees, weather

≈ 58 Comments

Tags

Aram Khachaturian, buds, flowers, frost, hoarfrost, ice, Masquerade Suite, moss, music, snow, winter

After the warmest December on record and a mild New Year we have, at last, had a little cold winter weather.  Some of the flowers that were blooming in the mild weather have been frosted and turned brown. Others don’t seem to have been bothered by the frost and ice and have continued to flower.

IMG_2547Big pond

The first ice starting to form on the big pond

We have snowdrops in the garden that don’t look anywhere near being ready to flower but some in tubs have buds that may open in a couple of days.  Strangely, a golden crocus which usually flowers in March has appeared in the grass near the end of the drive.   The garden is unusually colourful for this time of year.

IMG_2544Hyacinths

Slightly stunted pink Hyacinths.

IMG_2543Grape hyacinths-001

Grape Hyacinths.

IMG_2545Miniature iris

Miniature iris

IMG_2550Horse chestnut

The ‘sticky-buds’ are swelling on the Horse Chestnut tree.

Those four photos were taken the morning after a severe gale when lots of rain, then sleet and wet snow fell.  The snow settled for a while but most of it disappeared the next day when the sun came out.  The wind had blown the snow almost horizontally and when I went out the following morning I saw walls and tree trunks with snow and ice stuck to them but hardly any snow on the ground.

IMG_2557Snow on tree

Small amount of ice on an apple tree.

IMG_2546Ice

Melting ice on a window sill

IMG_2549Big pond

It was a beautiful day

IMG_2552Big pond

The water-level in the pond has risen quite a lot recently but not as much as we’d expected. Probably ditch clearing and drainage works done locally have meant less water entering our garden. The reeds and brambles need to be cut back here!

IMG_2555Fungi

Colourful fungi on a dead log.

IMG_2558Corner pond

Even the pond at the front of the house had some ice on it

We continued to get hard frosts at night and then a light sprinkling of beautiful powdery snow on Saturday night.

IMG_2559Big pond

The big pond

IMG_2560Big pond

I like the patterns the snow made on the icy pond

IMG_2567Hoar frost and crabapple tree

We had a hoarfrost yesterday morning but the sun soon came out and the frost melted.  I wish I could have got outside earlier!

IMG_2570Pyracantha

Pyracantha leaves

IMG_2571Cherry

Cherry tree buds

IMG_2572Winter honeysuckle

Winter-flowering Honeysuckle

IMG_2574Thyme

Thyme

IMG_2576Origano/marjoram

Marjoram/Oregano

IMG_2580Moss and lichen

The moss and lichen garden on top of the brick pillar at the end of the drive

IMG_2581Moss and lichen

A close-up of the moss with its frosted capsules

IMG_2582Crabapples

Crabapples.

I am pleased we have had a few frosts because the birds will only eat the crabapples once they have been frosted.

Richard went to a PCC (Parochial Church Council) meeting on Wednesday evening and came home with two pieces of good news.  The first is that we are a stage nearer to getting the screen put in between the Tower Room and the main body of the church at Rumburgh and the second is that when our Rector retires in 2017 we will (eventually) be getting a replacement for him.  For some time now, we have thought that we would have to do without a priest when Richard (the Rector) goes.  We have a large but sparsely populated benefice and even though we would have tried to keep things going on our own and with the help of retired clergy and the priest from our neighbouring benefice, it would have been very difficult and might have meant that some, at least, of the churches would have had to close.  We will have to put up with at least a year’s interregnum before the replacement priest arrives but if we know that we will get a Rector eventually we will cope better.

The piece of music today is a great favourite of mine and very romantic in style.  It is quite long (just over 16 minutes) but is in five short movements so you don’t have to listen to it all in one go!  This music makes me happy – I really don’t think anyone could help being cheered by it!  It goes from a fast ‘Waltz’ to a very romantic interlude – ‘Nocturne’; then to another fast movement – ‘Mazurka’ followed by a slower ‘Romance’.  The piece ends with a ‘Galop’.  It was originally written in 1941 by Aram Khachaturian as incidental music for a new production of a play called ‘Masquerade’ by the Russian poet and playwright Michail Lermontov.  The satirical-romantic play was written in 1835  and has a similar storyline to ‘Othello’.  The run in 1941 had to be cut short because of the invasion of the USSR by Germany.  Khachaturian later (in 1944) turned the incidental music into a Suite.

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

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A Walk in Whinlatter Forest

05 Mon Oct 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, Insects, plants, Rural Diary, walking

≈ 40 Comments

Tags

bolete, butterfly, cat's-ear, Climbing Corydalis, common ragwort, Forestry Commission, Fox-and-cubs, fungus, heather, lady's-mantle, lichen, moss, pixie-cup lichen, ringlet, walking, Whinlatter Forest, wild flowers

Alice came to visit us on the last day of our holiday in the Lake District.  We met her off the train in Penrith at about 10.00 am and took her back to our rented cottage for a cup of tea.  After catching up with all her news we took her to Whinlatter Forest which we had visited briefly earlier in the week, as Elinor wanted to show it to her sister.

IMG_5237Whinlatter Forest

This is another Forestry Commission forest and is mainly planted with non-native trees.

Not only are there a number of tracks through the woods for walking and mountain biking but they also have segways for hire too.  There are trails designed to appeal to small children and zip wires and swinging on ropes for very active people.

We walked.

IMG_5238Whinlatter Forest

Whinlatter Forest

Alice is a fast walker so she and Richard went ahead.  I am forever on the lookout for interesting plants and insects and take lots of photos and Elinor can’t walk fast or far so we both kept together.

IMG_5239Alice and Richard in the forest

Alice and Richard waiting for Elinor and me.

IMG_5240Forest glade

Elinor liked this forest glade.

IMG_5243Bolete fungus perhaps

A Bolete fungus.  I cannot identify this one.

IMG_5244Underside of the Bolete

Looking at the underside of the toadstool.   The photo shows that Boletes do not have gills but spongy tissue with pores in. This fungus has been eaten by something.

IMG_5245Climbing Corydalis

Climbing Corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata)  Not a very good picture.

IMG_5247Heather

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) in bud with a faded Cat’s-ear (Hypochaeris radicata)

IMG_5249Lichen

Lichen

IMG_5254Fox and cubs

Fox-and-cubs (Pilosella aurantiaca) with yellow Cat’s-ear

IMG_5250Lichen perhaps Cladonia pyxidata

I believe this lichen is Cladonia pyxidata – Pixie-cup Lichen

You can see how small these little cups are by comparing them with the pine needles next to them.

IMG_5251Ringlet perhaps

This butterfly flew next to us for some way along a sunny track. I tried to photograph it countless times and this time thought I had managed it….

The reason I really wanted to get a photograph of it was that I thought it looked like a Ringlet butterfly but they usually have eye-spots on their wings.   I have since done some research and I believe it is likely to be a Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) as sometimes they are seen without eye-spots.  What is confusing is that all references to Ringlets state that they aren’t found in the north-west of England!  I am sending my inadequate photo to ukbutterflies.co.uk to see what they make of it.

IMG_5252Moss

Yet more moss!

IMG_5256Lady's-mantle

Lady’s-mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris agg) behind more Fox-and-cubs

IMG_5258Common Ragwort

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

IMG_5255Fell view

View of the surrounding fells (hills)

IMG_5253Skiddaw

This fell is Skiddaw

We returned to the carpark and went into the café and had a drink and a sandwich.  We took Alice back to our cottage for a while until it was time for her to catch her train to Sheffield.  We spent the rest of the day cleaning the cottage and packing for our journey  home the following day.

Thanks for visiting!

 

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Dobgill Waterfall

02 Fri Oct 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, plants, Rural Diary, walking

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

Dobgill, Dobgill Wood, foxglove, fungus, heath bedstraw, larch trees, liverwort, moss, Phytophthora ramorum disease, tree-felling, walking, waterfall, wood sorrel

After leaving Elinor in the car to rest (see previous post Thirlmere Reservoir) Richard and I began the steep climb up to see the waterfall.

IMG_5210Ramorum sign

The sign that was attached to the gate leading into the upper wood.

This is yet another disease that is killing our trees.  I have found an interesting and informative article on a Forestry Commission site about Ramorum disease and I include it here.  It includes a video in which an expert goes over a diseased tree and points out and explains the symptoms.

IMG_5211Oozing tree

Almost the first tree I saw showed symptoms of a bleed.

IMG_5212Dobgill wood

Tree-felling in Dobgill wood.

I don’t know why the stone wall was here.  Perhaps it had been constructed before the trees were planted.  Just behind the trees in the photo is a sheer rock face.

IMG_5213Dobgill wood

There was a marked difference between the wood below the car-park near the lake and this part of the higher wood.

IMG_5214Dobgill wood

The trees struggle to grow up between boulders. The native deciduous trees have been left standing.

IMG_5215Chewed fungus

Chewed fungus

IMG_5216Path up through wood

This is the steep stony path we took up through the wood.

IMG_5217Dobgill falls

Dobgill Falls

IMG_5225Dobgill falls

Dobgill Falls

IMG_5227

Dobgill Falls

The climb was very tiring because so steep and rough under-foot and I’m not sure that the falls were really worth the struggle to get to see them.  However, Richard and I were very pleased with ourselves at having managed to get to the top.  After a short rest to get our breath back we began to walk back down the hill.

IMG_5223Heath Bedstraw

Heath Bedstraw (Galium saxatile)

IMG_5224moss

Hypnum cupressiforme moss / Cypress-leaved Plait-moss

I love this moss.  It looks as though it is made from plaited silk.

IMG_5228Wood Sorrel leaves

Wood Sorrel leaves (Oxalis acetosella)

IMG_5230Fungus on dead tree

Fungus (I think) on dead tree

IMG_5234Liverwort

Not a very clear photo of some liverwort

IMG_5236Dobgill wood

Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) in Dobgill Wood

I found walking in this upper wood rather a sad experience with disease and death all around.  Because most of the trees in this part of the wood are non-native there are fewer insects, birds, wild flowers and plants than in the lower wood.  Those non-native trees are now being killed by an incurable disease (also known as Sudden Oak Death).  I hope that by destroying these trees the spread of Ramorum can be slowed down and that one day a cure can be discovered.  It would be nice to think that the native trees in the wood that are unaffected might now be able to grow and spread and native wildlife might return.

Thanks for visiting!

 

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Thirlmere Reservoir

29 Tue Sep 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, Insects, plants, Rural Diary

≈ 38 Comments

Tags

Dobgill Wood, fungus, Helvellyn, insects, moss, plants, slime mould, Thirlmere Reservoir, wild flowers

This post marks the return of posts about our holiday in the Lake District in July.

We spent an afternoon at Thirlmere, a reservoir which was created in 1894 to provide water for the city of Manchester.

IMG_5174Thirlmere

Thirlmere Reservoir. You see here the typical stony, grey edge of a reservoir. I think the fell on the left is Helvellyn.

Thirlmere was originally two smaller lakes and in flooding the valley, the two villages of Amboth and Wythburn were submerged.  Many people protested about the construction of the reservoir, the philanthropist John Ruskin being one of them, but theirs’ was a lost cause.  The citizens of Manchester’s need of fresh water was thought to have been more important than the loss of a couple of villages and a community’s way of life.

IMG_5145Thirlmere reservoir

Thirlmere

Thirlmere is 3.76 miles long and about half a mile wide.  It is surrounded by 2000 acres of coniferous forest, mainly spruce and larch, planted in 1908.  More deciduous, native trees are being planted now.  There was protest at the planting of the forest because the fells were traditionally tree-less and bare.

IMG_5139Woods at Dobgill on banks of Thirlmere

Woods at Dobgill on the banks of Thirlmere.

We parked our car in one of the car-parks off the road that skirts the lake and then walked down to the lakeside through a pretty wood.  It was so green and mossy in that wood!

IMG_5141Moss

This moss was about 8 inches tall.

I think the moss may be Polytrichum commune.  I read that it has square capsules with pointed lids.  These capsules can be seen if you look carefully at my photo.

IMG_5142Possibly Amanita

This may be Amanita franchetii

IMG_5144Slime mould

I believe this is a slime mould. It’s bright yellow colour caught my eye.

We soon got to the lake shore where there was a lot more to see.  There were plants living amongst the stones ….

IMG_5146Marsh Pennywort

The leaves of Marsh Pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris).  Marsh Pennywort is an atypical umbellifer.  The flowers are tiny and pale (either green or pink) in small umbels on reddish stems.

…and plants at the edge of the wood.

IMG_5148Betony

Betony (Stachys officinalis)

IMG_5152Wood Sage

Wood Sage (Teucrium scorodonia)

This plant tastes and smells like hops and in some areas has been used as a substitute for them.

IMG_5154Wood Sage

Wood Sage

IMG_5158R and E at Thirlmere

Richard and Elinor enjoying the view.

While they sat and relaxed I wandered about looking for plants and other interesting things.

IMG_5159Mossy outcrop

A large mossy hummock or outcrop

This rock was covered with many different types of moss and lichen.

IMG_5156Moss

Moss

IMG_5157Moss

Mosses – the larger one may be Hypnum cupressiforme

IMG_5160Moss

Moss – this one may be Thuidium tamariscinum

IMG_5161Moss

Not a good shot but this moss may be Pseudocleropodium purum

IMG_5162Lichen and moss

Lichen in amongst the moss.  Not at all sure which this lichen this is!

IMG_5163Mosses

Mosses

IMG_5164Moss

Moss

IMG_5166Moss

Moss

IMG_5167Moss

Yet more mosses!

IMG_5168Lichen

Lichen – for a change!

IMG_5170Moss

Moss

IMG_5172Thirlmere

Thirlmere

IMG_5171Lichen

Lichen with a reddish-brown fruiting body at the bottom right of the picture

IMG_5175Lichen

Lichen

IMG_5176Lichen

Lichen

IMG_5177Lichen

Lichen

IMG_5179Lichen

Lichen

IMG_5178Lichen

Lichen

IMG_5180Fell by Thirlmere

View of a fell from Thirlmere

IMG_5173Marsh Speedwell

Marsh Speedwell (Veronica scutellata)

IMG_5181Water Plantain perhaps

Lesser Water-plantain perhaps? (Baldellia ranunculoides)

IMG_5187Spiders

These spiders look like Lesser Wolf Spider females carrying their egg sacs

IMG_5188Spider

Another spider

We then walked back up to the car-park but by a different route.

IMG_5190Fern

Possibly a Male Fern (Dryopteris felix-mas)

IMG_5192Fungus on log

Fungus on a dead tree

IMG_5193Mossy wall

A mossy wall

IMG_5194Hedge Woundwort

Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)

IMG_5196Hedge Woundwort

Hedge Woundwort flowers

IMG_5197Yorkshire Fog

Yorkshire Fog (Holcus lanatus)

IMG_5198Moss

Moss

IMG_5202Spores on fern

Spores on fern

IMG_5205Walking through bracken

Walking through Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum).  Bracken gets very tall – this was over 5.5 feet tall.

IMG_5204Unknown beetle

I don’t know what this beetle is though it does look a little like a Click Beetle (Athous haemorrhoidalis)

IMG_5206A gill

The Dobgill

IMG_5209Fern

Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes)

We returned to the car-park where we left Elinor to rest but Richard and I continued walking as we wanted to see the Dobgill waterfall.  I will include that in a different post.

If anyone sees that I have made any mistakes with my identification I would be really grateful for any corrections.  If anyone can identify any of the organisms I have been unable to name, again, I would be very pleased to know.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

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Aira Force – Lake District Holiday

28 Tue Jul 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, plants, Rural Diary, walking

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

Aira Force, arboretum, beck, cascade, fells, fungi, Lake District, lichen, liverwort, moss, plants, pool, Ullswater, waterfall, wish tree

We had a slow start to our first day in the Lake District.  We were tired after our long journey of the day before and the weather wasn’t good enough that morning to tempt us out early.  By midday however, the rain had stopped and the clouds had lifted and we thought we would have a short excursion to Ullswater and look at Aira Force.

Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District and last Easter we took a boat trip on it.  I wrote about our Lakes holiday last year but unfortunately that post has gone missing.  I have been sent copies of my missing posts by my friend Heather (thank-you Heather!) but haven’t yet copied them back into my blog.  (Unfortunately, all your wonderful comments have gone for good 😦 ).

Aira Force is a waterfall situated in woodland on the northern shore of the lake and is now in the care of the National Trust.

After a short drive we found the National Trust car park and then started to walk up through woodland towards the force.

IMG_4934Aira Force (640x480)

Not easy to see, but this is the Aira Beck as it flows through woodland at the bottom of the hill. It will shortly enter the lake.

IMG_4935At Aira Force (480x640)

Richard and Elinor walking ahead of me up the path.

This area was once owned by the Howard family who still live in Greystoke Castle near by.  In the 18th century they renovated an old hunting lodge (a former pele tower) and created a sporting estate around it.  They landscaped the area around the force, planting over half a million native and non-native trees.  They made paths and bridges through the woodland and used the place as a pleasure garden.

IMG_5007The path (480x640)

Stone slabs used as a bridge across a streamlet

IMG_4974Aira Force (480x640)

Wooden bridge over a narrow chasm

IMG_5017Aira Force (480x640)

Steps and viewing platforms. We didn’t go down the steps as Elinor finds them difficult to manage.

IMG_4936Aira Force

Typically for me, the one shot I wanted to come out clearly, clearly hasn’t! I haven’t down-sized this one in an effort to make it look a little better. I only had my little camera with me and the sunlight was causing such a glare too. That’s probably enough excuses.

The main force drops about 70′ from below a footbridge.

IMG_4942Aira Force (480x640)

Further up in the woods are smaller cascades.

IMG_4943Aira Force (640x480)

The sound of the falling and rushing water was glorious.

IMG_4949Aira Force (640x480)
IMG_4950Aira Force (640x480)
IMG_4951Aira Force (640x480)
IMG_4953Aira Force (640x480)

This pool was good to sit next to.

IMG_4952Aira Force (640x480)

IMG_4958Aira Force (640x480)

The water is amber-coloured.

IMG_4955Elinor sketching (480x640)

Elinor did some sketching while we were there.

IMG_4983Aira Force (640x480)

This was my favourite place along the beck

IMG_4973Aira Force (480x640)

There was thick moss everywhere….

IMG_4945Moss (640x480)
IMG_4948Moss (640x480)
IMG_5005Liverwort and moss (640x480)
IMG_5009Liverwort(640x480)

…and liverwort too.

IMG_5012Stone parapet (640x480)

A stone parapet to a bridge was covered in lichen.

IMG_5011Map Lichen perhaps (640x480)

I think this may be Map Lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum).

IMG_4937Enchanter's Nightshade (480x640)

Enchanter’s Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana) grew everywhere.

IMG_4937Enchanter's Nightshade (2) (530x640)

It has tiny flowers which produce burs once pollinated.

IMG_4944Bracken (640x480)

Bracken and ferns were growing alongside our path. I like the way the sunlight caught this fern.

IMG_4960Chrysolina beetle (640x480)

A Chrysolina beetle of some sort.

IMG_4970Common Cow-wheat (640x480)

A flower I had never seen before – Common Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense)

IMG_4972Common Cow-wheat (640x480)

There was rather a lot of it!

IMG_4980Foxgloves (480x640)

Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea)

IMG_5028Foxgloves (640x480)

A bank of foxgloves

IMG_4986Common Valerian (640x480)

Common Valerian in bud (Valeriana officinalis)

IMG_5038Common Valerian (640x480)

Common Valerian in flower

IMG_4998St John's-wort (640x480)

I thought this might be Trailing St John’s-wort (Hypericum humifusum) but the ID description tells me the leaves should have translucent dots and I didn’t see any dots.

IMG_5018Woodruff perhaps (640x480)

I think these are Woodruff leaves (Galium odoratum)

I saw so many different plants and flowers, grasses and sedges, many of which I have included in posts from home so haven’t included them here, but some I still have no idea what they are despite researching for some time.

IMG_4968Unknown (640x480)

This plant for example! (The tri-foliate leaf near my hand was not part of the plant).

IMG_5022Coins in log (640x480)

On our way back from the waterfall we found this fallen log covered in coins.

This is a ‘Wish Tree’.  People hammer coins into it with a stone from the site and hope that their wish comes true.  We didn’t have any wishes and anyway, I was more interested in the fungi growing on the log.

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I saw another fungus growing at the base of a tree.

IMG_5021Fungus (640x480)

If anyone can suggest what this or any of the other fungi are I would be very grateful.

Near to the car park we found the Arboretum that the Howard family had planted in 1846.  They planted over 200 specimen conifers (firs, pines, spruces and cedars) from all over the world.  Apparently there is a Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) that is now 118′ tall though I didn’t see it.  What I did see was a Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) that looked like it’s bark was sliding down like a baggy sock.

IMG_5029Monkey Puzzle tree (480x640)

I used to see Monkey Puzzles all over the place where I grew up. Trees that had been planted in the 19th century in parks and gardens were fully mature when I was a girl in the 60’s and 70’s. I don’t ever remember looking at them closely so I don’t know if this is what all their trunks look like.

IMG_5031Moss and lichen on Monkey Puzzle (480x640)

Moss and lichen were growing on one side of the trunk.

IMG_5033Siskin (640x480)

I saw a Siskin (Carduelis spinus) hiding in a plant I was wanting to get closer to but didn’t because of the Siskin!

I took a couple of pictures of the fells as we returned to the car.

IMG_5034Ullswater (640x480)

Ullswater in the distance.

IMG_5035Fells near Ullswater (640x480)

I would love to be able to walk up one of these before I get too old!

Thanks for visiting!

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A Few Things I’ve Seen in my Garden.

21 Tue Apr 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in amphibians, fish, Gardening, plants, Rural Diary, trees, Uncategorized, wild birds

≈ 38 Comments

Tags

bird's nest, birds, Common Frog, cowslip, daffodils, ducks, fish, flowers, frogspawn, garden, Great Tit, ground-ivy, hazel, Hazel bud-gall, horse chestnut, lichen, Mallard, marsh marigold, moss, pond, primrose, primula, spring, Suffolk, sweet violet, tadpoles, trees, Water Mint

IMG_1999Mallard drakes (2) (640x439)

Two very handsome Mallard drakes (Anas platyrhynchos).

IMG_2001Ground-ivy (640x427)

Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea). Many of the newer leaves are purple and the plant has a slightly unpleasant minty scent.

IMG_2002Primroses (640x427)

As I have mentioned before, when we moved to this house there were no Primroses (Primula vulgaris) in the garden at all. We now have a few plants here and there on the banks of our ditches.

IMG_2003Cowslips (640x427)

The Cowslips (Primula veris) are beginning to bloom. We have always had plenty of these!

IMG_2004Primula hybrid (2) (640x459)

A primula hybrid that arrived unbidden about three years ago. I rather like it.

The house next door to us is the former village school.  I am not sure when it closed but a friend of ours from church used to attend it during the 1940’s.  Where our house and garden is now, there was a meadow full of wild flowers and our friend walked across it every day to collect the milk for the school from the farm next door.  These wild flowers we have in our garden are all that’s left of the hundreds that used to be here up to about 50 or 60 years ago.  I hope that we can hang on to these few and perhaps, by not using chemicals, encourage them to spread.

IMG_2005Sweet violet (640x427)

Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)

IMG_4348Parcel box with nest (640x480)

This is our parcels and newspaper box at the end of our drive. We noticed during the winter that it was starting to rot and needed replacing. It appears that we weren’t the only ones to notice the state the box was in. I opened it the other day to find something had made a hole in the back of it ( you can see where the light is shining through just below my thumb as I lift the lid). The next day I found this straw and moss had been put in there. Richard saw a Great Tit (Parus major) flying away from the box so I suspect this is a Great Tit’s nest. I carefully peeped into it a day or so later and found the whole box stuffed full of moss and we can also see lots of straw sticking out from where the box sides are coming away from the base. We have tied up the box and put a ‘not in use’ sign on it and we now await the happy arrival of baby Great Tits.

I knew that Tits nested in holes and I also was aware that Willow Tits excavated their own holes but I hadn’t realised that Great Tits also excavated holes to nest in.

Lichen and moss-covered wall

The top of the brick gate-post at the end of our drive is covered in moss and lichen but because we haven’t had much rain recently, it isn’t looking as good as usual. Birds have been collecting the moss for their nests too.

Lichen on top of wall

This is a close-up of one of the lichens.

IMG_2016Marsh Marigold (640x427)

The Marsh-marigold or King Cup (Caltha palustris) is flowering in the pond.

IMG_2017Marsh Marigold (427x640)

I love its shiny yellow petals.

IMG_2024Daffodils (640x427)

I took this photo of the daffodils round the pond over a week ago and I am glad I did. On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week we had very warm weather (24 degrees C on Wednesday!) and the daffodils that had come out earliest began to wilt.

IMG_2019Hazel (640x427)

Earlier this year I posted pictures of these Hazel (Corylus avellana) bud galls. I went to look at them again last week and noticed tiny flies sitting on all of the galls. I wonder if these flies had hatched out of the galls.

IMG_2021Hazel (640x427)

New Hazel leaves

IMG_2022Mint (640x427)

Water Mint (Mentha aquatica). The new shoots are growing round and in the big pond.

IMG_2025Horse Chestnut (640x427)

Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). This photo was taken about a week ago.

IMG_2030Horse Chestnut (640x427)

This photo of our Horse-chestnut tree was taken on the same day. These leaves are higher and get more sunlight. I was pleased to see that the flower panicles (candles) were growing nicely.

IMG_1997Frogspawn (640x427)

I saw the frogs spawning but unfortunately didn’t have my camera with me. I took this photo of the spawn later in the day. This is the first time I have found frogspawn in our pond and was surprised at how late in the year it was. We have a windswept, exposed garden which may account for it.

IMG_1998Frogspawn (640x427)

There were lots of eggs and I was glad that the fish that live in the pond hadn’t come out of hibernation yet.

IMG_2032Tadpoles (640x427)

I took this picture a week later as the tadpoles were hatching out. The fish still hadn’t woken up!

Two days after this the tadpoles had dispersed but I had also seen the fish swimming in the pond and leaping to catch flies.  They were probably feasting on tadpoles too.

I found a dead fish on the path round the pond again – I found one last year that had been caught by the Heron who had been disturbed by one of us.  I don’t know what had caught this year’s fish as there was no stab mark on it.  It is interesting to see the workings of the food-chain.  We are part of it as we get bitten by the flies that the fish eat!

Thank-you for visiting!

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Peak District Holiday 1st to 9th July. Day 3

28 Thu Aug 2014

Posted by Clare Pooley in plants, Rural Diary, trees, Uncategorized, walking

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Back Forest, bilberries, Cedar, Danebridge, drystone walls, enchanter's nightshade, eyebright, ferns, fir cones, foxglove, Gradbach, grasses, Hanging Stone, hart's-tongue fern, heath bedstraw, heather, JW Lees beer, landslip, Lud's Church, marsh thistle, moss, mouse-ear hawkweed, pink purslane, River Dane, sheep, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, spear thistle, stiles, The Roaches, The Ship Inn, tormentil, walking, Welsh poppy, Wincle, Wincle Brewery, wood sorrel

After a gentle day in Buxton (see Days 1 and 2) and another good night’s sleep we felt ready for a little exercise.  We decided to go on a circular walk in Back Forest alongside the River Dane to Danebridge and then back.  We had done this walk before, a few years ago, and had gone in a clockwise direction.  This time we went anti-clockwise and it is amazing how different everything looks coming at it from the opposite direction.

We drove a few miles from where we were staying to the Peak National Park car park in Gradbach.  The day was bright and breezy with not too much strong sunshine – ideal walking weather.  The car park was full – about ten cars – which disappointed us, but once we had got past Gradbach Mill and into the forest we hardly saw a soul.  There is a short walk down the hill to the mill from the car park.  Last year the Mill had still been in use as a Youth Hostel but this year it had been taken over by Newcastle under Lyme University and a lot of renovation work was being carried out.  It is in the process of being made into a Field Study Centre and there were groups of students setting off on walks and school children on field trips having noisy picnics all over the place.  We followed a path away from the mill and down to the river going over and through a couple of stiles on the way.  One of the stiles was a squeeze stile and from a distance this looks an easier option than having to clamber over a wall or gate using wooden or stone cross bars.  Up close one can see that the gap is very narrow, in fact no more than 25cm/9.8″ wide to stop livestock escaping from fields either side of the wall.  There are stone pillars on each side of the gap to protect the structure of the wall.  The dry-stone walls are at least 4.5′ tall and as I am 5’4″ tall and not exactly skinny they are very difficult for me to manage.  I have to put my arms in the air, breathe in and force myself through inch by inch with R standing watching and smirking.  Anyone larger than me would not be able to get through at all.  R is nearly a foot taller than me at 6’3″ and takes longer strides so, though we walk the same distance, I do about two paces to his one.  I also wander about taking photos and lag behind and have to trot to catch up with him.

We crossed the river by a narrow bridge and started to climb up into the forest leaving the river some way below.

011Back Forest (640x480)

Back Forest Wood looking down from the path towards the River Dane.

012Back Forest (480x640)

Back Forest Wood

014Ferns and wood sorrel leaves (640x480)

Ferns and Wood Sorrel leaves

We walked through the woods for about three-quarters of a mile eventually descending back down towards the river again.

015River Dane (640x480)

River Dane

Dane is a Celtic river-name meaning ‘trickling stream’.

016Bilberries (640x480)

Bilberries

018Mosses (480x640)

Mosses

020River Dane (640x480)

River Dane

Walking further on we saw that there had been a landslip which may have been caused by all the rain last winter.

022Landslip into river (480x640)

023Pool caused by landslip (640x480)

A new pool caused by the landslip

024Tree roots on path (640x480)

Tree roots on the path

We then left the wood and started walking along a grassy path through a valley.

028Tormentil (640x480)

Tormentil – potentilla erecta

In wet weather or at night, when the petals close up, the tormentil flower has the ability to pollinate itself.

030Eyebright (640x480)

Eyebright – euphrasia nemorosa

This bright little flower was thought to be good for poor eyesight and an extract from eyebright and the herb golden seal is still used as an eye lotion.  The 17th century botanist William Cole recorded in his book ‘Adam in Eden’ that eyebright was the herb used by the linnet (a little finch) to clear its eyesight.  My source book for this information says ‘Since short-sighted linnets are not easy to identify, few could argue with Cole’s reasoning’.  It is a semi-parasitic plant, only growing where its roots can attach themselves to other plants like clover and plantain.

032Thistle and buttercups (480x640)

Marsh Thistle with Buttercups

We then followed the path alongside a drystone wall.

033Foxgloves and dry-stone wall (480x640)

Lots of Foxgloves were growing by the wall

034Bedstraw (640x480)

Heath Bedstraw was growing in the grass

035Mouse-ear Hawkweed (480x640)

and so was Mouse-ear Hawkweed

036Mouse-ear Hawkweed with flies (640x480)

which was popular with the flies

We passed by a farmhouse with some sheep.

040Sheep (640x480)

Just a little further on over the fields the views were very good.

043View (640x480)

Rolling countryside

We then re-entered woodland.

045Tree trunks (out of focus) (640x480)

I loved these tree trunks so had to include this photo though it is terribly out of focus

By this time we were approaching Danebridge and it was lunchtime.  We climbed over a stile and joined the lane that led to the village.

046Carved stone at stile (640x480)

This was the slab of stone we stepped onto when we got down from the stile. I wonder where it came from and what it had been in a former life.

I immediately noticed a little pink flower at the side of the road.  The photo doesn’t show how pink it was.

047Pink purslane

Pink Purslane – Claytonia sibirica

This is a plant introduced from North America and is widely naturalised.

We walked down to the river thinking we would eat our sandwiches next to it but we couldn’t see anywhere suitable to sit.

049Rock strata River Dane (640x480)

Strange rock strata at the edge of the river

050Rock strata River Dane (640x480)

This shows it a little more clearly

053Enchanter's Nightshade (480x640)

Enchanter’s Nightshade

053Enchanter's Nightshade

I like this plant’s name. It belongs to the same family as the Willowherbs.

Mathias De l’Obel, a 16th century Flemish botanist, in trying to identify a magical plant that Discorides (an early Greek physician) had named after the mythical sorceress Circe, eventually chose this plant.  Enchanter’s Nightshade’s botanical name is Circaea lutetiana – lutetia is the Roman name for Paris, which is where De l’Obel and other botanists worked.The Anglo-Saxons had used this plant as a protection against spells cast by elves.  Their name for it was aelfthone.  This is the only Willowherb that doesn’t disperse its fruit with the help of the wind.  Instead, it has hooks on its fruit that catch onto fur or feathers like burs.  It is pollinated mainly by small flies.  I find it fascinating that plants can adapt to their surroundings like this.

054Hart's-tongue fern (480x640)

Hart’s-tongue fern

055Yellow poppy, hart's tongue etc (480x640)

A yellow Welsh poppy has joined other plants growing out of this drystone wall

We stood on the bridge at Danebridge.

056River Dane (640x480)

River Dane

From the bridge we could see the buildings of a local micro-brewery.

057Wincle Brewery (640x480)

Wincle brewery

Wincle is a village just up the hill from Danebridge and a woman walking her dog informed us that there was a pub up the hill just beyond the brewery.  The word ‘pub’ worked as a clarion call to arms and R was up that hill before I or anyone else could say Jack Robinson.  As we powered up the hill I just had time to admire this door set into a wall.

058Door in dry-stone retaining wall (640x480)

I love doors like this. I imagine such a lovely garden beyond this one with stone steps on a winding path up to the house.

We found the pub as we neared the top of the hill.

062The Ship Inn (640x480)

The Ship Inn

064Ship Inn sign (640x480)

The Ship Inn sign

It seemed so strange for a pub, many miles from the sea or even a navigable river, to be called ‘The Ship’.  There was a little information displayed in the pub and I have also looked on-line to find out more about this.  There is a ‘History of Wincle’ site which has been very helpful.  Sir Philip Brocklehurst of Swythamley Hall (a couple of miles away) sailed with the explorer Shackleton on one of his expeditions to the Antarctic from 1907-9.  The pub sign depicts the Nimrod in Antarctic ice ( not the more famous Endeavour of the 1914 expedition).  Shackleton was also Sir Philip’s best man when he married Gwladys Murray in 1913.

Some say The Ship is named after another vessel, ‘The Swythamley’, which was owned by a friend of the squire and sank off the Cape of Good Hope in 1862.  As the pub is also said to date back to the 17th century it is possible that the name is linked with ‘shippen’, a local word for a sheep shelter.  Or the name could be linked with a much earlier boat.  In fact, so far no-one seems to know for sure why it has this name!

059Flintlock on wall of pub (640x480)

A flintlock displayed on the wall of the pub.

There are stories about royalist rebels visiting the pub in the 17th century and the gun belonging to one of them was displayed on the wall until fairly recently as well as a framed article from a Manchester newspaper of the day.  Both these items went missing at some point.  The flintlock now on display was acquired fairly recently and, if I remember correctly, it was discovered that it was made at the same time and by the same gunsmith as the original gun.

We sat outside the pub and sampled their beer.  We asked if they sold the locally brewed beer but was told they didn’t so we had some JW Lees beer instead, which was very good.

060J W Lees beer (640x480)

I only had a few sips of my beer and had to give the rest, reluctantly, to R.  I am not supposed to drink alcohol as it reacts badly with the medication I am on and anyway, I try not to drink much of anything on walks because of the lack of convenient ‘conveniences’.  I have a horror of being ‘caught short’ as the saying goes, and being discovered by walkers, with a dog…

After a pleasant rest we continued on our way.  We went back down the hill to the bridge and found the path we needed which climbed up through more woodland very steeply at times.  I remember that for most of the walk we were listening to wonderful birdsong.  At the top of the path we came out of the wood onto fields again.  Here we rested again and ate our sandwiches.

065Fir cones (640x480)

Fir cones on a tree at the edge of the wood

066View over stile (640x480)

View over a stile

This is one of the many stiles we climbed over that day.  We followed a track by a wall belonging to Hangingstone Farm and then saw the Hanging Stone itself.

067Hanging rock (640x480)

The Hanging Rock

We didn’t have the energy to climb up to the rock to read the inscriptions there.  One plaque is dedicated to Courtney Brocklehurst, the brother of the aforementioned Philip, who was killed in the 2nd World War, and the other is to a pet hunting dog of an earlier Brocklehurst.  This dog was very well loved and when he died was buried under the Hanging Stone.  The dog’s name was Burke, because he was such a good hunting dog.  In 1828, Burke and Hare were accused of killing sixteen people and then selling the corpses to Dr Robert Knox who dissected them during his popular anatomy lectures.

068Thistle (640x480)

A rather lovely Spear Thistle

069Thistle (640x480)

070Tormentil (640x480)

A carpet of Tormentil

072Bedstraw (640x480)

A carpet of Heath Bedstraw

075Grass (640x480)

I liked the delicate grass heads with the heavy blocks of the drystone wall behind

We were now walking over more open moorland.

079Heather (640x480)

The Heather, or Ling as some call it, was beginning to flower

081Heather (480x640)

Little pink-purple bells

082Cedar (640x480)

A good-sized Cedar tree

The more open terrain here meant we could now see the edge of the Roaches, a gritstone escarpment which has spectacular rock formations.  The name comes from the French ‘les Roches’.

085The Roaches (640x480)

The Roaches

087View (640x480)

A gentler view.

089View (640x480)

The fields are all separated by stone walls

We then started descending slowly towards Back Forest again.

090Wall, grass, bilberries (640x480)

The walls are wonderfully constructed. Bilberry bushes are growing against this one.

092Back Forest (640x480)

In the woods again.

We diverted a little way off the path back to Gradbach to see Lud’s Church again.  This is a natural rift which is about 200 yards in length and varies in width from 12 feet to 50 feet wide and is about 59 feet deep.  We didn’t go far along it as we were both getting very tired.  We will go again some time,  walk its length and photograph it.

094Lud's Church (480x640)

It is a very atmospheric place; mossy,cool and quiet.

095Lud's Church (480x640)

The sides of the ravine are covered in ferns and other damp-loving plants.

During the 15th century, according to local legend, Lollards (followers of John Wycliffe, an early church reformer) used to worship here in secret during the time of their persecution.

Many researchers have identified this place as the Green Chapel in the 14th Century alliterative poem ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’.  The author describes this district well.  Gawain rides off searching for the Green Chapel ….

‘Then he gave the spur to Gringolet and galloped down the path,

Thrust through a thicket there by a bank,

And rode down the rough slope right into the ravine.

Then he searched about, but it seemed savage and wild,

And no sign did he see of any sort of building;

But on both sides banks, beetling and steep,

And great crooked crags, cruelly jagged;

The bristling barbs of rock seemed to brush the sky.’

Translation by Brian Stone.

Another legend is that a hunter was killed here and that he still roams about the cleft covered from head to toe in moss and leaves.  He is known locally as the Green Man one of many ‘green men’ to be found in Britain.

We joined our path again and soon reached the bridge over the River Dane and then Gradbach mill.

 

 

 

 

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I talk about what it's like living in a quiet part of Suffolk. I am a wife, mother and daughter, a practising Christian and love the natural world that surrounds me. I enjoy my life - most of the time!

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