20.
BARTLOW HILLS 25th April, 1976
What was intended to be a Botany meeting
turned out to be a very pleasant "bit of
everything day". Thanks to the particularly
interesting habitat afforded by the now
defunct Bartlow-Haverhill section of railway
and the kindness of Brigadier Breitmeyer, our
day was amply rewarded.
Meeting in the old railway coal yard, it
was sunny and dry with blue skies and scudding
clouds, but a cold Nor' Easterly wind was
blowing. However, the yard is in a well pro-
tected hollow and despite being fairly early in
the season the Botanists were well rewarded
within this very sheltered venue. Birds too
were very apparent here, Great Tit, Coal Tit
and Blue Tits were heard and a single Black
Cap sang and showed itself more than once -
especially during our lunch break.
Our morning walk took us along the old
railway track towards Haverhill, the coalvard
giving way to a cutting and then in turn to a
fairly high embankment with Bartlow Park to the
North and woods and farmland to the South.
Among other plants White Comfrey was found in
full bloom. On the embankment a Stoat revealed
itself running towards our party in full view,
it came quite close until it suddenly espied
us all and then after a short pause and a last
inquisitive stretch of its neck, undulated down
the embankment to the South.
After a picnic lunch we viewed the "Hills"
and by passing over the railway cutting via the
Footbridge which remains, we obtained a bird's
eye-view of ground covered earlier in the day.
Continuing our way we crossed successively the
county border into Cambridgeshire and then a
few yards further on a much depleted River
Granta trickled along to join the Cam. Good