Saturday 25th May 2019

Bank Holiday weekend.

Mega-orchid hunt planned.

And with the shopping down the day before, we could have breakfast, then go out straight away, and, well, do whatever we, or me being the orchid hunter, wanted.

I have been hearing about a place called Ranscombe Farm, so thought we might visit there, as there were said to be orchids. And being dumb, I didn't check on the place before hand, thinking we could just stumble on orchids as we went, I mean, how large could the farm be?

I'll spoil it here and say that it is huge. The circular walk is four and a half miles.

But first, there was a single spike of a rare orchid, the Lesser Butterfly, at Stockbury. A site I know well, so again, how hard could it be?

Being bank holiday, we were out quite early, but not too early as the plan was to visit a church afterwards, and that did not open until two. So we did not want to be sitting around outside for it to be open.

We needn't have worried, the walk took over four hours.

Anyway, we go to Stockbury, just missing the massive traffic jams heading for the garden show at the showground. Just how I'd like to spend my Saturday, shuffling round looking at pot plants with tens of thousands of others. Such places would be fine if it were not for other people.

We park in the wood, and wander round the reserve, I was worrying I wouldn't be able to find the orchid, but i told myself, its white, over twelve inches high, of course you'll see it.

I began to doubt myself when it wasn't where expected, but further along, I saw a spike, topped with angel shaped white flowers.

Bingo, bango bongo.

So, as the gentle rain, unforecasted rain, falls, I get my shots, taken them from all angles, and we go back to the car for the short drive over the Medway.

Ranscombe Farm is on the top of the Medway Valley, near to Rochester, you get to it from a small car park. But first, there were trains to snap, as the nearby main road had great views down the line and the viaduct that carried HS1.

We waited 20 minutes for one of the new Eurostars to come flying along, from France of Belgium. And once I had snapped that, we walked back to the car, where I changed cameras and lenses, and we carried on into the reserve.

Jools grabbed a leaflet which told us which way to go, and what we might see.

The path took us up the down, into a wood and along a while. We saw a couple of Early Purple spikes, but that was it for a while.

The walk went on, and after an hour, as we stood on the edge of a large field, we talked about going back or going all the way round. We were about 40% round.

Best carry on I sighed.

Damn these orchids and butterflies.

So we did walk on, and having forgotten water or any refreshments, we were hot, bothered and hungry.

We walked down from the highest point to the Garden Meadow, which the leaflet said was one of the best wildflower meadows in England. That might be true, but in May, they were still growing out of the bone dry ground.

Sigh.

We walk on, up the other side of the meadow, through a gate, ad to the crest of a hill, and the Medway Valley opened out before us, a mis of fields and wooded areas, all covered in dappled shade caused by the clouds, creating an almost infinite number of shades of green.

We sit down to admire the view.

My legs and back ache, but there was only thing we could do; press on.

So into the wood, where Jools spots a singe White Helleborines spike in flower, then we see more and more, all in a small stretch of woodland.

A woman comes over and asks us if we're ween the Fly Orchid? I saw it nine years ago and its not there now.

Indeed.

The final stretch is along the bottom of a dry field, littered with flints. It was hard going, but we could now see the Medway bridges, so knew we were near to the car park.

We arrived back and drowned the emergency water in the boot, though it was warm having been baking in the car for several hours.

Down the valley towards Maidstone, we stop off at a garage to fill up and get some food. We eat burritos and drink iced tea in the car, with the gentle breeze blwoing through the open windows.

Time to go home, then.

We drive home, back to the M2 and east to Dover, traffic getting lighter all the time, arriving back so I could watch extra time in the first play off; yes, football is back!

So later we could dine on a selection of party food, even though there was no party.