Moody's Gore

 Ramsons in Moody’s Gore.

Ebble at Faulston

The River Ebble beside Faulston House.

Almost a castle

There's a rather grand dovecote in the garden of Faulston House, a circular tower of bands of dressed stone and squared flint. Although a dovecote now, the wall suggests a long history of alteration and a series of phases of use. Indeed, the tower is one of four build in the 14th century when the owner was granted licence to defend his manor house with dressed stone and squared flint crenelated walls, towers, moat and drawbridge. Almost a castle. By the mid 17th century after the Civil War the moat was filled, the walls and 3 towers pulled down, with only the tower we see today still standing.

Bluebell wood

Bluebells reign through Knighton Wood and Reddish Gore. Is there any sight more uplifting than the countryside in spring; our temperate land blesses us with  springs of unassailable verdance and gentle beauty. 

Eh chuck

The first burgeoning of Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) I've seen this season. I was quite taken aback spotting the unmistakeable sulphur polypore in the cracks of a weathered trunk deep off in the stands.  It's the right season, though I'd thought it too dry to see any fungi action. Nice to be wrong.

Floods

 

Not a sight we've seen as much as we should've, a forest stream overflowing into the forest around it. It was a particularly dry winter and continues a particularly dry spring too. And although a force nature today, Black Water will be back within banks by tomorrow; the water's running off the land so quickly not because the ground is saturated, rather it's so dry.

Ants

The ants are out, with frantic energy innumerable Wood Ants (formica rufa) busy themselves around their nest. Aggressive little buggers.

Frame Wood

 

Frame Wood

Knightwood enclosure

Knightwood enclosure, early doors.

Broomy

 Broomy enclosure. The season of dappled light approaches.

Good morning

So far this year the mornings out in the forest have been near consistently lovely. It's worth remembering that it's not always like that. We're enjoying a good run, we've been lucky.

The Flat Oak

The Flat Oak stands out as ancient amongst the younger veteran trees of Wood Crates. We always say hello if we're passing through this region of the forest. Well, it would be rude not to.

Up and away

A Heron (Ardea cinerea) rises gracefully through the canopy above Highland Water. Herons are becoming a more and more common sight along the forests streams and wet places, a testament to the streams growing health and fecundity. We're blessed, there are plenty of signs of good health in the forest.

Portable antiquity

 

Glancing down whilst walking the edge of a ploughed field on the ridge of the Kimmeridge Bowl, something caught my eye. A prehistoric flint scraper. Common in the tool kit of the Neolithic farmers who first settled Purbeck. This example appears well worn, with signs of damage, possibly both ancient and plough. As finds go, flint is a particular favourite of mine, it feels such a personal artefact. That feeling of being the first soul to handle a prehistoric flint since the person who probably crafted it never dulls. I'll record it under Portable Antiquity Scheme; an item like this may seem insignificant, though it adds to our broader understanding of our ancestors who walked this land before us.

Kimmeridge

 

I've said it before, the Isle of Purbeck stands outside of time. A landscape appearing to have avoided the worst ravages of modernity; I imagine for the most part unchanged for centuries. Mere minutes from the sprawling urban expanse of BCP, it's an entirely different world, a natural wonder. A landscape rich in monuments, the stories of a millennia of human activity carved into the fabric of the isle, so much so that every walk can be a walk through time.

 

Tyneham valley

Laying out her tapestry of vibrant seasonal hues, Spring has arrived in the Tyneham valley. Stunning.

Blackthorn blossom

 

Where ever you look the Blackthorn are in blossom, bringing hedgerows and woodland fringes to life, and it's now that you realise just how common this thorny shrub is. Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) comes into flower throughout early spring, though really comes into its own around now.

Camel Green

 

Bathed in spring sunshine Highland Water wends through Camel Green, the stream through here was restored to its' former course some years back, the landscaping scars from which have almost vanished, almost. It's a lovely stretch of river. For my money Highland Water is by far the most consistently attractive stream in the forest, from Ocknell where it begins to where it becomes the Lymington River. 

The opportunist

Nature, the great opportunist. How long do you reckon it would take for nature to completely obscure the works of man if left unchecked. I'd wager not so long.

Elcombe Down Holloway

 

After Sundays' walk I returned home minus a piece of kit. I thoroughly searched the car and thoroughly searched my rucksack, then thoroughly searched them both again. Nothing. No matter how forlorn a hope I make a point of searching for any items I loose, and the Gods are often kind. So we where back in Cranborne this morning walking with a purpose. Sundays' walk had been just over 13 miles, so there were plenty of places to look, and a handful of distinct possibilities. Halfway through we made our way along the holloway snaking up Elcombe Down to one of those possibilities, the spot we'd stopped for lunch. Nothing. In fact nothing all round, and I returned to the car empty handed and disappointed. I really do hate losing things, though sat in the car I accepted it as a lesson I obviously needed to relearn, and hoped someone found my piece of kit useful. Then for no conscious reason I reached into the door tray, where surprised I pulled out aforementioned missing item. I had to laugh.