Head For The Hills

The recent changes in the rules for social contact regarding Coronavirus allow my brother and I, as single person households, to now visit each other and travel together to take exercise. So we headed off a few miles to the Pegsdon Hills, the most easterly part of the Chilterns.

There were few people around as we climbed up the steadily rising lane, eventually reaching the top of the scarp slope, overlooking the plains of Bedfordshire. These deep valleys were cut at the end of the last Ice Age by the meltwater.

Chalk hills like this form the basis of "England's green and pleasant land" - nothing too spectacular and dramatic, but all gently rolling grasslands studded with a few trees.

Benches wait at the top of almost every slope to reward the walker with wide-ranging views to the north.

Or down into the vales where the sheep graze. I'm always fascinated by the tracks that sheep make across the land and one day I shall manage to photograph some sheep actually using them!

Hoo Bit is a small meadow surrounded by woodland and maintained by the Wildlife Trusts for wildflowers like this Common Spotted Orchid.

Sunlight came and went as we turned back towards Deacon Hill. Can you see that suggestion of red on the field in the middle distance?

From the top of Deacon Hill we could see it was a field of poppies. I got out my map and could see that, while it was not exactly on our intended route, it could nevertheless be reached by a reasonably short diversion.

But first we could enjoy the view down into the valley of Knocking Hoe, another spot renowned for its orchids and which I visited last year. This time I decided to concentrate on flowers that were much more plentiful and showy...

…..poppies!

Although poppies grow wild and sometimes appear in huge numbers where wheat fields are left unsprayed, these seemed to be a commercial crop, but were no less striking for that.

There were a few people there taking photographs, including one family with a small daughter who was not performing for the camera as she should - and her name, believe it or not was Poppy. 

I spent rather longer than I intended taking photos too, but it was the sunlight and cloud shadows that I wanted to co-operate rather than small children.  

We completed our walk, but alas we can't have our customary pub lunch just yet. 

Take care.