There is a
farm track that runs around the edge of Stonyfield Wood to the bottom of Longbottom Bank. Climbing back up the valley, between Gag Plantation and Rochester Forest, leading out to Halling Wood, through Bushy Wood, Brazenden Wood, Scrubs Wood and eventually to the top of Wrenches Shaw by Bassett's Seat. There is a public footpath that short-cuts the journey up and down the valley by going straight through Rochester Forest, but I prefer to "go off-piste" as the edges of the woods offer much more by way of wildlife to see than the rather gloomy woodland interior.
This is my favourite walk, and the secluded rides are home to sometimes spectacular numbers of summer butterflies and a huge variety of woodland plants, not to mention the spectacular views across the valley towards Luddesdown and Cobham.
The cold snap in March has set the woodland butterflies back a bit, so I was a bit surprised to see something flying strongly down the path from Stonyfield Wood. This turned out to be a moth rather than a butterfly, but still none the less interesting for that...
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| Speckled Yellow moth... |
There weren't too many butterflies about, but this Green-Veined White was enjoying a drink from some Bugle blossom...
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| Green-Veined White butterfly |
The Columbines were out, in various colours...
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| Pink Columbine (Aqualegia) |
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| Blue Columbine (Aqualegia) with wild strawberry (small white flower, upper right) |
Other wild flowers were putting on a good show. All common species maybe, but it's good to be able to put a name to them as old friends...
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| Common Fumitory |
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| Common Mallow |
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| Creeping Buttercup |
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| Doves-Foot Cranesbill... |
The hawkweeds are common wildflowers related to the dandelion, but comprise of numerous different species that are difficult to tell apart. I think this one is Smooth Hawks-Beard, but someone more knowledgeable than me may know better...
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| Hawksbeard (?) |
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| Sanicle |
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| Yellow Pimpernel |
The leaves of Greater Burdock were becoming apparent everywhere in the woods...
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| Burdock... |
Looking out across Cutter Ridge valley from Bassett's Seat, it was striking how the farmland was greening up, even compared with
only a week ago...
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| To Luddesdown, from Bassett's Seat... |
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| To Cobham, from Bassett's Seat... |
Down on Cutter Ridge Road, this member of the Viburnum family was in bloom in the hedgerows...
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| Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) |
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