Thursday Walk 3 June 2021 Report

[Andy Smith]

This was advertised as a wildflower walk, and the combination of route and time of year certainly made it that, with many different species being spotted and identified, using the extensive knowledge of the participants augmented by technology in the form of identification phone apps.
Thirteen Club members started from Moss Rake. The weather was cloudy but warm and dry with little wind. Distant views were hazy but this did not matter as for most of the walk we were focussed on the area around our feet.
Throughout the walk we saw buttercups, daisies, dandelion clocks, crosswort, plantains, birdsfoot trefoil, cow parsley, vetch, and speedwell. We also saw kestrels, skylarks, a buzzard and heard a curlew.
We headed up Green Dale, noting banks of primroses, ladies smock (cuckoo flower) and a few early purple orchids. We joined Batham Gate, the line of the old Roman Road from the fort at Navio to the waters at Buxton (the name means ‘road to the baths’). Near the top of Moss Rake we saw a hare crossing the old quarry.
The next leg of the walk was across Bradwell Moor where we saw leadwort, hawkweed, mountain pansy, mostly yellow with a few purple ones.
We stopped for our coffee break by an old lead mine shaft.
Continuing to the top of the moor we had to negotiate a stile over an new electric which has appeared in the three weeks since we last walked this path.
At the top of the moor we turned south along the track following the top of the ridge dividing Bradwell from Peak Forest. Along here we saw red campion, star of Bethlehem, comfrey, bluebells, white bluebells, columbine and wild garlic. At the end of the track we turned onto Forest Lane. At Bushey Heath Farm we turned left and soon came to the footpath up to Tideslow. There was an abundance of early purple orchids in large clusters contrasting with the yellow buttercups; there were also many wild violas and some violets.`
On the way down from the top, we stopped for our lunch break.
After lunch we headed down, passing a profusion of leadwort before reaching the road between Moss Rake and the Anchor. The group split here but most of us continued to High Rake mine which has been partially restored. Here were cowslips.
We soon reached Little Hucklow. The lane from there to Coplow Dale was lined on both sides with sweet cicely. From Coplow Dale one of the gates we passed through had a very strong closing spring; not as strong as one of our walkers though, who somehow managed to break it. We passed through beautiful hay meadows, with red clover contrasting with the yellow, white and brown flowers and grasses. Many varieties were spotted including yellow rattle. Meadows around Bradwell are well known for their wild flowers as in the past, the farmland was not fertilised because the landowners made more money from mining than farming.
After a walk along Top Hole Road and up Jennings Dale and Earl Rake, we reached the road just a few hundred yards from the cars.
Distance walked was just under 7 miles.
The walk’s participants are invited to reply to this report, mentioning any wildflowers they saw which we have not included here.
Andy and Rosy

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