Saturday 24th April 2021

The weekend.

The sun shone.

The wind dropped.

It felt warm.

Heck, it was warm.

And there was a whole day to play with, off orchiding or maybe churchcrawling or even both.

The plan was to go to Marden Meadows first, then Stockbury and finally back to Yocklett's, and then see how we felt.

Marden Meadows is a speacial reserve, a freshwater meadow, and filled with Green Winged Orchids and many other rare plants and flowers all through the year. Orchids just at the end of April and into May though. And it is a hike, or a drive.

After coffee, we load the car with cameras, a bottle of squash and two slices of cornbread, and off we set, leaving home at half seven. The drive took us through Dover, to Folkestone, then up the M20, and once past Ashford, we could see the Brexit lorry park which now takes up all of the coastbound side of the motorway. There were no queues, and it seemed to be working well. Indeed, driving through Dover coincided with the disgorging of a ferry, and there were dozens of lorries we passed as we drove along, so some kind of normal has retuend, though some 15% down year on year.

Anyway, less about Brexit.

We turn off at Leeds, not that one, but the Kent one, along the main road that threads its way through the village, past the church and up the down, parked cars on either side making travel both ways impossible, we have to wait until there were gaps before moving off again. There is talk of a relief road, but some places were just not designed for the modern world, and maybe it would be better if we just travelled less? I know I am writing about two people driving across the county in a five seater car to look at some flowers. If there was an alternative, we would use it.

Along the B road that doubles as a main road/rat run, to Linton, then down the long steep hill onto the expanse of the Kent Weald, one fnal leap over the railway, a sharp turn to the left and along for a mile, and there is the reserve.

It is early in the season, but I had seen shots from the day before saying there were a few dozen spikes partly in flower, the remaining thens of thousands would follow in a week or so. We parked up, paid for parking by phone, I got the camera out and we walked into the first meadow, though that was empty, so far, of any orchids.

Into the main meadow, and although I see now spikes showing, I know that a few small ones were there. So I set off on one of the paths across the meadow, and sure enough here and there were splashes of purple, showing were orchid spikes were emerging.

I bend down to take shots of a few, though we are here really in pilgrimage to one of the finest sights in Kent, though it won't be in full effect for about ten days or so. I remember that it is nearly two years since we were last here, as in 2020, travel, like so much, was frounded upon during the early season, but if that was the worse we had to suffer, then we got off light.

Above us was a clear blue sky, the winds were light, and it was warm enough to go without a jacket, which was rather nice.

I emt up with Jools on the other side, we walk back to the gate into the first meadow, and then back to the car. I guess we had been there half an hour, but that was enough, and we will be back.

We get in the car and munch on cold cornbread, which is better cold as it turned out.

Then drive to Staplehurst, then back up to Linton and to Leeds to get back to the motorway so to avoid the one way system around and through Maidstone.

Across the motoway and up Bluebell Hill across Pilgrims Way, turning off down a narrow lane, leaving the thick traffic behnd.

We park at the bottom of the hill, and walk carrying three cameras up the lane to the reserve at the top, limboing under the gate and into a seas of blue.

Truth is, peak bluebell isn't quite here yet, but the sight is so impressive. We take the path through the tickest part of the bluebells, stopping every few steps to take snaps.

A little further on are a few scattered Early Purple Orchids, looking majestic among the bluebells, and mostly fully in flower.

At the top of where the path tumbles down the down, two spikes of pure white bluebells nod in the breeze, perfect to take a load of shots.

Down into the meadow, I find three rosettes of Lesser Butterfly, looking very healthy, and signs that the population is thriving from the single plant there three years ago.

Further along are a host of Lady, but not yet in flower, none even have the top of their spikes emerging from the sheathing leaves.

Soon, my friends, very soon.

Back to the car, and we detour to Faversham as Jools wanted to buy some plants from a place there, so we find it along the A2, I wait in the car while she shops, I would have bought so much more.

Our final run is to Yocklett's, back to the A2 and to the other side of Canterbury, through Bridge and then to Stone Street, down to Stelling, and along the quiet lane, only to find MY parking space occupied, but then it was after lunch, the latest we had ever been to the reserve.

We park at the bottom, which is good, as the bank of what counts as the main road, is a nursary of wonderful wild and escaped cultivars, all on a sun-kissed bank: green alkanet, Yellow Archangle (though the varigated variety), White deadnettle, Greater Stitchwort among others.

Up the Gogway to the reserve entrance, heading forst to the right to the lower meadow, in the hope of seeing Green Hairstreak on the wing, but none seen. And no Fly Orchid in flower either, though some were close, but not lose enough. I do see a few Brimstones and Orange Tips, though none settle to be able to photograph.

We walk back down the hill, over the Gogway to the other side, and up the bank, checking on the Herb Paris, Lady, Greater Butterfly and Townhall Clock Plants. All there, but none in flower. Yet.

At the top of the bank, the air filled with the scent of wild garlic which fills the floor of the woodland just a bit further on.

This is spring.

Butterflies are everywhere, but none settle where I can find them, only for, finally, a female Brimstone lands, only for me to have my camera on the wrong setting, f3.5, so the shots are overexposed and cannot be saved.

Sigh.

We walk through the bluebell wood, down past the badger set, to the cleared area where the Lady are well advanced, but not that far. One Lady had the red top of her spike exposed, but nont in flower. Yet.

We walk back to the road, then down the hill to the car, to drive back to Petham, then to Bridge and onto the A2 to home, arriving home at two, an hour before the football was due to start.

I had managed to jarr my toe whilst chasing a butterfly, so it throbbed, too much like gout for my liking, so I rested up.

Norwich were playing away at QPR, and if Watford didn't win, and we did, we would be champions. City won 3-1, but Watford won by a penalty, so the quest goes on to next week.

Oh well.

That meant Watford are also promoted with us.

So it goes.

I watch some football, can't remember who, so can't have been good. We have caprese and the remainder of the cornbread for supper, and I have a red wine spritzer, to see what happened. What happened is that I didn't finish it, sipping it through the evening.

But I had no ill effects, so all good.

Jools beats me at Scrabble, while I try to watch the Sheffield Utd game, but give up shortly after half time.