18th May 2013
With a reasonable day ahead of me, it was off to find some bluebells to round out spring. Eventually settled on Gartson Wood, with a walk to the Royal Cranbourne Wood (well it was once a Royal Forest in Norman times - today it would be called Drow Coppice). Garston Wood is within about 20 km of Salisbury, so a veritably short drive of half an hour - of course, Mr Fry (AKA TomTom) took me the most direct route via Broad Chalke (anti-clockwise from Salisbury in the map below). I saved 2 miles driving, it cost me 5minutes extra, and gave me more experience at driving on narrow two way single track country lanes with the locals doing 50-60 mph.
I'll pretty well let the photos do the talking:
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| This was the initial path - covered on both sides with bluebells and wild garlic (the white ones). There was a definite garlic odour in the air |
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| Yay - I found some bluebells - in fact, just outside Garston Wood is Mistleberry Wood, which is awash in a sea of bluebells - absolutely fantastic - the photos can't do it justice. |
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| A sea of bluebells and wild garlic. This is near the Iron age fort, and it's fascinating that the ditch around the fort only has wild garlic, but just before that the area is only bluebells. |
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| This plant is called "butcher's broom". The "leaves" are so tough it was apparently used to sweep out the sawdust used by the butcher. The leaves aren't actually leaves, but more like squashed stems (and very sharp). How do I know all this? I met a lovely couple on my walk - Jo and Graham, who were very knowledgable and friendly. In the background (and out of focus) is the ditch wall of the iron age fort. You can make out the blue to the green of the ditch which is where the bluebells just stop. |
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| As you come up over the fort wall, dike, whatever, you are met with another sea of bluebells |
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| Jo was kind enough to take a photo of me inside the fort. |
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| Along the way were also some wild orchids (hmm - for a sugar flower artist maybe?) |
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| There were also some "white"bells . . . well, what else would you call them? |
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| Spring is still here!! There were even some non-wilted daffodils on the roadside near Broad Chalke |
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| Along the way I spotted a deer, and had to do some stalking. It paid off as I managed to get some reasonably good shots - although I had to make do with sticks in the way! |
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| I'll let the sign speak for itself - another kind of shooting - just as well I had on a red-ish coloured shirt |
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| These stiles have a special name in England, but I can't remember what it is - they're great for accessing paths through the farm fences. |
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| Yay - I also managed a photo of a local flutterby |
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| This one's for Cal - I know how much she likes lambies. I like them too, but in a different way . . . yum yum. |
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| Finally, to finish off, behind me, as I took this photo, was one of the woods. In front of me was a farm scene. It's fascinating to see the boundaries between village, pasture and woodland - so well defined! |
