A 6.5 miles stroll from Hurstpierpont up and around Wolstonbury Hill, West Sussex, England

Wolstonbury Hill from Hurst'.  These are all pictures from Thursday 16th April 2015, when I walked this route in preparation for Sunday.

 Take the footpath.

 Lady's smock and primroses.

Follow the route along the path of a Roman road

 Past Randolph's farm.

 Head along the path to the wood.

 Where Early-purple Orchids are bursting into flower.

Yes!  Early-purple Orchids are in flower.  And this Sunday morning you can join me on a 6.5 miles walk from Hurstpierpont to see these lovely Spring flowers.

Keep to the bridle path to the hill.

.Along the way, the blackthorn was full of blossom, hover flies and bees including the Tawny mining bee female below.

The Tawny Mining Bee is a common, spring-flying, solitary bee, which nests underground, building a little volcano-like mound of soil around the mouth of its burrow. Nests can often be seen in lawns and flowerbeds in gardens and parks, or in mown banks and field margins in farmland and orchards. The Tawny Mining Bee is on the wing from April to June, which coincides with the flowering of fruit trees like cherry, pear and apple. The female collects pollen and nectar for the larvae which develop underground, each in a single 'cell' of the nest, and hibernate as pupa over winter.  Ref; http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/tawny-mining-bee

 The cattle have done a great job in keeping the grass short for the orchids to follow.

 Over the style to the summit.

En route look out for kestrels, buzzards and skylarks.

Kestrel 

Skylark posing on an ant hill.

 Primroses in Welcome Bottom.

 Ash flowers.

 Look out for the exquisite, tiny Town-hall clock flowers on the way.

 Jack & Jill windmills and pub.

Lady's smock or Cuckoo flower with a bumblebee, perhaps a male Common carder bee.

 Celandines.

 Views of the hill on the return to Hurst'.

This is a glorious time of year to be in the English countryside. If you are used to walking this distance ( six & a half miles over hills) and love nature, join us on Sunday.  Details at www.midsussexramblers.co.uk