Ampthill Park

The Dedication Service for Katherine's Cross following its recent restoration was a typical Ampthill affair this morning, and it was a joy to be present. I wonder how Queen Katherine would have felt about a Baptist doing the Bible reading...and singing Greensleeves - a hymn composed by Henry VIII arising from his passion for Anne Boleyn!! After spending some time learning more about the archaeological dig and viewing some of the fascinating items unearthed, I had another look at the plants on the south-facing sandy bank next to the cricket club:



I've spent a couple of sessions doing a plant survey over the past week or two...and discovered an amazing 68 species...if I'd have started this at the beginning of the year the list would probably comprise more than 100 species! It would be great if we could make a feature of this. Here's my list in full:

Silver Birch; Common Nettle; Redshank; Knotgrass; Black Bindweed; Sheep Sorrel; Broad-leaved Dock; Curled Dock; Fat Hen; Many-seeded Goosefoot; Lesser Stitchwort; Common Mouse-ear; White Campion; Creeping Buttercup; Common Poppy; Hedge Mustard; Weld; Dog Rose; Bramble; Creeping Cinquefoil; Hairy Tare; Black Medick; Birds-foot Trefoil; Red Clover; White Clover; Haresfoot Clover; Common Storksbill; Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill; Musk Mallow; Common Mallow; Field Pansy; Rosebay Willowherb; Hoary Willowherb; Hemlock; Selfheal; Red Dead-nettle; Hedge Woundwort; Great Mullein; Ribwort Plantain; Scentless Mayweed; Yarrow; Common Ragwort; Groundsel; Common Fleabane; Creeping Thistle; Spear Thistle; Prickly Sowthistle; Prickly Lettuce; Nipplewort; Dandelion; Common Catsear;Smooth Hawksbeard; Bristly Ox-tongue; Perennial Rye-Grass; Annual Meadow Grass; Cocksfoot; False Oat-grass; Tufted Hair Grass (tbc – wrong soil type); Wavy Hair-grass; Sweet Vernal Grass; Yorkshire Fog; Common Bent; Meadow Foxtail; Hairy Sedge; Sedge sp.;
Soft Rush; Jointed Rush; Field Horsetail.