We had wonderful weather for our walk at Sherborne on Sunday 2nd March. The sun shone and there was almost no wind. Fourteen of us set off in hope of seeing the snowdrops that Sherborne is well known for.
We did see them, but they weren’t at their best. However, we did see lots of daffodils and crocus. One tree that caught everyone’s attention at the back of the big house was the Persian Ironwood, with its beautiful crimson flowers. There were scarlet elf cup fungi and various alliums in the woods (NIF).
After a sociable stop at the village shop for coffee and hot chocolate, we walked through the village alongside the Sherborne Brook. We were lucky to see a swan, a little egret, mallards, and the flock of Wigeon that are usually there every winter. We were told that there used to be a
sheep dip next to the lovely bridge but no one was sure about how it might have worked. Anne followed up with a bit of research and discovered there used to be a sheep wash there many years ago, where the sheep were washed (without chemicals) before being shorn. More
information can be found on the Gloucestershire History website. Gerry saw a red-tailed bumblebee on the way back to the car park.
Maggie Collins
WEST OXFORDSHIRE FIELD CLUB 