Many thanks to Jenny Galton Fenzi for sharing what’s going on beneath the railway bridge. We may never have noticed! Can you spot the mallards in the photo?
(Samphire Hoe: a new piece of England at the foot of the White Cliffs near Dover, created in 1997 out of spoil from the Channel Tunnel.)
Until fairly recently, the river Hems in the centre of Littlehempston ran through both arches of the railway viaduct. One arch gradually became blocked by silt, and this area was reinforced by Network Rail to give greater stability to the line.
Within a short time, this new piece of land has been colonised by about 35 types of wildflowers. There are large patches of Jack-by-the-Hedge (garlic mustard) and charlock (or possibly rape), both preferred plants of the orange tip butterfly, and pairs of them could be seen dancing around. Otter spraint has been seen on the edge of the land, and it’s a favourite sitting place for the village mallards. It’s easily accessed by stepping over the railings; it would be a great spot for picnics, or just for watching for dippers and kingfishers, with the occasional excitement of an express train thundering overhead!