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| Leucobryum glaucum |
Despite the gloom and proximity
of Christmas, 17 turned up for this 2.5 mile walk, taking in deciduous
woodland, boggy clearings and a bit of local history along the way.
We headed SW on grassy paths, muddy and ill-defined at times with little
of note at first. At last some fungi, mosses, lichens and elusive birds were
spotted. Robin, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit,
Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush, Jay, Carrion Crow, Great Spotted Woodpecker,
Woodpigeon and Stock Dove were all present. Leucobryum
glaucum, formed green cushions on ground and logs. If knocked over, this
moss can grow through its base and re-establish itself. Various fungi were
identified including bright Green Elf Cup, pale and gelatinous Beech Jellydisc,
Turkeytail, Oyster Mushroom, yellow and scaly Gymnopilus junonius, and King Alfred’s Cakes.
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| Turkeytail |
Our path descended
to the Cut Walk, a straight track following the line of a road built in 1725
for the Duke of Bolton, Lord Warden of the Forest who lived in Burley Lodge, to
make his journey to Swan Green more comfortable. A short diversion led to the
beautifully arched, brick ‘Roman’ Bridge over Highland Water, also about 300
years old and thought to be on the site of a roman road.
We turned back and
headed northeast along the Cut Walk until we reached the garden wall of Allum
Green House. This small settlement has attractive dwellings where Vera
Brittain, WW1 nurse, author, feminist, pacifist and mother of Shirley Williams,
lived with her family for a while and where a stray bomb killed 4 Royal Army
Ordnance Corps men in 1940. Here we turned north crossing areas of boggy, open ground
back to the road near White Moor then east to James’ Hill. MW/SP
Photographs © Sandra
Peel