We walked south towards Sheepdrove Farm.
Field with a hint of poppies
Looking south to Lambourne (you can just see the church) and the mast at Membury Services on the M4
Sheepdrove Farmhouse has lovely gardens
Peter and Juliet Kindersley bought Sheepdrove Farmhouse in 1970, shortly before co-founding pioneering publishing house Dorling Kindersley in 1974.
“The Sheepdrove story began over 40 years ago, when we bought an off the grid dilapidated farmhouse on the top of the windswept Berkshire Downs to practice our dream of self-sufficiency.” [source]
The Kindersleys established Sheepdrove Organic Farm during the late 1990s after the acquisition of land neighbouring their home at Sheepdrove Farmhouse. The holding was put through organic conversion under Soil Association UK certification and uses an organic rotation system with a broad range of livestock and crops and has a policy of environmental sustainability. The farm is situated on 900 hectares of chalk downland in an area that crosses the boundary of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, near the village of Lambourn. [Wikipedia]
We stoppped for coffee by the Red Barn, (and the Natural Burial Ground)
The view from the barn
Walking west though Nutwood Down
And looking up towards the Ridgeway
Lunch at Gramp’s Hill, just off the Ridgeway, with view north and towards Devil’s Punch Bowl
more views in the gallery
Local signage says look out for Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)
A “swarm” of Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus)
But pride of place must go to this fellow (seen at the coffee stop), just for the name alone. I give you the Nodding Thistle Receptacle Weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus)
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One reply on “Photos from walk on June 18th from Sparsholt Firs”
Nice collection of photos that captured the walk today
Thanks David