Month: May 2018

Eastbridge to Minsmere Nature Reserve, Suffolk

Posted on by Rhi Bowen

Hi again! Over the bank holiday I went back to my home county of Suffolk to get some fresh air and enjoy the sun. While I was back, my parents took me on one of their favourite walks on the Suffolk coast (and now it’s one of my favourites too, not least because it starts with a great pub, the Eel’s Foot, in the village of Eastbridge 🙂 ). Coming out of the Eel’s Foot, you walk left, up the road out of the village, until you see a track on the left with a “public footpath” sign. Keep following this track for some perfect examples of Suffolk’s vast, wide-open scenery.

   

Eventually the track leads out to the sea, but before this you get to appreciate the feeling of immense space around here- Suffolk is very flat but doesn’t feel bleak to me, because everything’s so lush and green!

  

Further up the track there’s also the opportunity to take a little detour to see the ruins of St Mary’s Chapel, which also acted at one time as a disguise for the WWII pill box concealed inside. In the same field as the Chapel’s ruins, there are also Highland cattle, and, at the time we visited, Konik ponies! This ancient Polish breed has been released into the area around Minsmere as their grazing habits help maintain the wetland environment. They have a pretty large area to roam around, so they can be pretty difficult to spot.

  

In the distance behind the ruins, you can see the sand dunes that mark the beginning of the beach. A little further down the coast is the village of Dunwich, formerly a large port in the 1500s- now just a small collection of houses, a pub and part of a graveyard which is in the process of falling over the edge of the gradually eroding cliffs. Bones from the graveyard, as well as furniture from houses that have toppled over the edge over the years, have been found washed up on the beach. Erosion happens at an alarmingly fast rate along the coastline here- the area around Dunwich is now falling into the sea at a rate of 1m per year.

  

Once you’ve reached the beach, you can go back on yourself and go through the gate next to the one the track led up to- this takes you into the Minsmere Nature Reserve, home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, and one of the best wetland nature reserves in the country. There are bird hides and easily accessible footpaths all around the reserve’s 2500 acres. You can follow these footpaths through the reserve to make this walk a circular. Owned and maintained by the RSPB, it’s great for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts as well as just keen walkers. I’ll be back to talk more about Minsmere, and other great days out in Suffolk, in more detail at some point over the summer!

Rhi xx

 

South Norwood Country Park

Posted on by Rhi Bowen

Hi again!

In the beautiful weather yesterday, I took the train down to South Norwood to visit the Country Park there, and now I have another new contender for my favourite place… made up of wetlands, meadows and a large lake full of birds such as coots and canada geese (at this time of year anyway), it’s quite different from a lot of the heavily wooded green spaces I’ve visited previously in the series. The park feels very open, and very distant from the city, despite only being a couple of miles out.

   

There’s so many different types of flora and fauna here- it’s also uncommon for a London green space in that the damp conditions created by the lake create a perfect breeding ground for different species of birds. We spent ages birdwatching (and trying to make friends with coot chicks from a distance)!

  

There are lots of wide, even paths throughout the park which make it perfect for cycling, as well as smaller narrower routes great for rambling and meadows for picnics and just generally chilling out. We stopped for a picnic and saw loads of beautiful red and black Cinnabar moths- just one of the 19 species of butterfly and moth that have been recorded in the park (unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo, though).

Around the lake there are a couple of viewing platforms where you can watch the birds and appreciate one of the largest bodies of water in South London.

   

The park is pretty much surrounded by train stations; the closest being Elmers End, from which you can get to Charing Cross or Cannon Street. A fifteen minute walk away is also Norwood Junction, which is an Overground station, so easy access back up to North East London if you need it!

The variety of habitats and flora makes this a gorgeous park for a day trip that doesn’t take much preparation- a gorgeous nature reserve right on London’s doorstep.

   

Rhi xx

Beckenham Place Park

Posted on by Rhi Bowen

Hi again! Yesterday I took a trip to the gorgeous Beckenham Place Park in South Lewisham; the grounds of Beckenham Place mansion, which nowadays is open to the public as an arts facility, as well as housing a cafe, and even a record shop if you fancy a browse! It’s the largest green space in Lewisham, and also makes up a part of the Green Chain Walk which continues throughout the whole of South London.

The park is a lush mixture of specifically planted trees and shrubs, left over from its days as private land, and wilder vegetation as well as ancient woodland. The rolling hills of the park create a lovely vista, as well as a feeling of really having escaped the city for the day.

There are footpaths you can follow through the park, but it’s easy to ramble off the beaten track as well; there are few hard-to-access areas, and most of the land is very open rather than being entirely dense woodland. This is definitely one of my favourite places for a day of chilling in the sun, having a picnic or just a relaxing stroll (the amazing weather definitely helped on this occasion as well)!

As well as the wilder and more open areas, there are also more structured parts of the land which form a garden area, with benches nearby perfect for picnicking, and even tennis courts.

Despite the beautiful weather, the park was pretty quiet when I visited; it seems to be a pretty well-kept secret even from most locals! As much as I love Greenwich Park, it can get a little crowded, especially in the summer! I think this might be my new favourite for a sunny ramble.

Rhi xx

 

High Elms Country Park

Posted on by Rhi Bowen

Hi again!

Last week I took the train down to Orpington to visit High Elms Country Park. This is the first time in the wild South London series that I’ve been somewhere that’s more than just a wild space with walking trails signposted, or a park; High Elms has a visitor centre and regularly runs educational workshops for kids.

Parts of the park were fairly busy when I went, and it’s also very popular with dog walkers- so it wasn’t the most remote place I’ve been! The whole place is very well signposted, and there’s a lot of varied woodland, as well as open spaces great for picnics and games.

The route I took began at Orpington station and took me through the suburbs of the town until I reached the village of Farnborough, which with its quaint cottages and beautiful little church is very picturesque.

The walk goes through the churchyard and out the back, into a wide open space with a stunning view of the hills of Kent. From this point on, it’s very well signposted.

There’s something really exciting about heading towards those hills; it feels like the start of an adventure! There’s then a walk through a piece of woodland, before you cross the road to enter the carpark of High Elms.

There are lots of different trails to follow through the woodland; I was in the mood for open spaces, so I was especially pleased to find this view at the top of a hill!

High Elms is evidently well cared-for, and a local gem for families and ramblers alike. It’s easy to access, with trains straight from Charing Cross and Cannon Street running regularly; and if you don’t fancy the walk through the suburbs that it takes to get to the park from Orpington station, the bus station is right outside, with buses running by the park entrance every ten minutes or so.

Next time I should be exploring deeper into Kent, taking a day trip to Shoreham! Hopefully the weather will improve in time for that…

Rhi xx