Sussex Scrapbook
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Nature walks throughout the year
Friday 2nd July 2010
Amberley Station - Rackham Hill - The Burgh - North Stoke - Amberley - Amberley
Brooks
10 miles
If you look through
our
archives you'll soon see that this is without doubt one of our favourite walks.
The undulating route takes you through some of the best that Sussex has to
offer: whatever the time of year and whatever the weather. Whenever we get a chance to
take friends out walking for the day, then this is one of the places we tend to
take them.
Today it was Wayne's turn to check out Rackham Hill, The Burgh and the "steps of
insanity" for himself, although unfortunately we'd managed to pick possibly the
hottest day of the year for him to do so. Luckily there's extra water to be
found at both Amberley and North Stoke Farm and blimey did we need it!
Everywhere the vegetation is tall and lush and there's a myriad of hedgerow
and downland plants in flower. The grasses are all several feet
high too and up around the Burgh area the newly-planted hedgerows are already taller than
a man. Some of the downland views have been obscured by the new growth, but
for the wildlife of course it's a blessing, bringing more places to nest, hide,
hunt and feed.
Skylark at Downs Farm.
Wayne settles in for some serious snapping! See the results
here.
At Springhead Estate looking over Amberley and towards Bignor and Glatting
Beacon.
One of the reasons to keep the dog on the lead up here ...
... a Lapwing chick keeps stock still and waits for us to make a quick but
careful exit.
A view west on the South Downs Way at Rackham Hill.
A female Broad-bodied Chaser.
A handy water tap at North Stoke Farm.
A Swift looking at us from its nest under the eaves of Amberley church.