Corringdon Ball

A walk from Moorhaven to Corringdon Ball gate to Owley and back on 11th May. The path south from Ball Gate has fantastic displays of spring flowers and fabulous views.

Ugborough Beacon to Aish

A lovely varied walk around Ugborough Beacon to Three Barrows and back to Moorhaven via Corringdon Ball and Aish.  The grass on the more sheltered eastern face of Ugborough Beacon was full of heath milkwort in colours ranging from ultramarine through white to pink. I checked the bracken above Peek Moor gate to see if…

By the sea in August

In the Isles of Scilly, plenty of flowers that are not found near Moorhaven, starting with yellows like chamomile and fennel; pinks including common centaury, mint (probably false apple mint, a cross between round-leaved and horse mints), purple loosestrife and sea spurry; blue butterflies as well as flowers of heath milkwort and sheep’s bit: and greens, whites and…

Bogs!

The head of Lud Brook is transformed into a magical green and gold world of spearwort, bog asphodel, sphagnum moss and sundew, with tiny frogs hopping here and there.             Delicate bog pimpernel nestles among the grass and sphagnum, with bright red patches of insect-eating round-leaved sundew Other tiny gems are eyebrights,…

Dartmoor and the coast

 I was excited to see a small patch of marsh violets a month ago near Piles Copse. Now they seem to be on the bank of every stream and ditch on the moor. I don’t remember seeing such a display before.       Tiny but distinctive pink flowers of lousewort are showing through the grass, with the ubiquitous…