Hanging around

One of the first stretches of forest drain to be restored to it's earlier course, maybe 25 years ago, Blackensford Brook now runs through a diverse corridor of bog woodland flora, tufted grasses mingle between trunk and shrub. The restoration plan is working, the brook now drains the surrounding land more slowly and over the intervening years there's no doubt that the woodland along the environs of the brook are becoming wetter. Trying to walk along the bank of the brook today was like walking through Mirkwood, with every conceivable opportunity to string a web taken, every bramble, bough, tuft, tussock and fern were joined by a filigree of gossamer. A spider waited in the center of each these bejewelled traps.