Maureen Simmons
It was another beautiful sunny day when we
visited Foxley Wood, which is well signposted off the A1067 Fakenham to Norwich
Road. This is Norfolk's largest remaining ancient woodland and was recorded in
the Domesday Book of 1086.
These ancient woods have been unchanged for
hundreds and hundreds of years and provide the perfect natural habitat for so
many diverse species. In fact there are
over 350 plant species recorded in Foxley Wood, many of which were in bloom
when we paid our visit. The most spectacular, of course, are the bluebells
making a deep blue carpet through the trees, interspersed with white wood
anemones and pale lemon primroses – an absolute dream! We were lucky to see
lots of other wild flowers including water avens, wood sorrell, red campion and
sweet violets, to name just a few. Wild
strawberries were beginning to stir and some were even in flower. We had never
seen so many huge bumble bees at one time, visiting the early spring flowers
and catkins.
We heard so many different bird calls
throughout the woods and it would have been lovely to have an expert with us,
but we did recognise the robins, wrens, chiff chaffs, chaffinches and
woodpeckers.
Some of the pathways are extremely boggy at
this time of year and because of this we did make a big diversion to drier
ground. However, this led us to some
remarkably large early purple orchids we would otherwise have missed. How lucky
was that! The photograph shows one of them just about to come into flower and
looking rather like a fat asparagus shoot.
This is a wonderful place to visit, but
remember to take your wellies if you are going soon. Next week – weather permitting – we are
taking a boat trip on Ranworth Broad.
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