Purbeck

 

Walking the Purbeck ridge this morning was wonderful, we'd last walked here back at the beginning of October last year, before the winter lockdown. The wooded hillsides and exposed chalk grassland are waking from their slumber, nature's boundless potential stirs as spring warms. A thick carpet of lush green leaves announce a sea of Ramsons and Bluebells are on their way. The first leaves are unfurling to greet the strengthening sun, whilst the main flush of canopy builds in branches of restless buds.  There's a lot of movement too, from the ground up to the crown. A deer crosses the track and quickly vanishes, melting back into the woodland, whilst numerous squirrels scurry about their business. All accompanied by a wonderful array of birdsong from above. We sat a while amongst the Ash and Oak of King's Wood as it opens into the rough chalk grassland of Kingswood Down. Transitional places have a certain atmosphere to them, two worlds meeting and all that. And I lost myself in natures song, so much so that I was tempted to give up our walk in favour of just sitting. Purbeck: beautiful, magical.