Forever Autumn

Well summer has gone. Definitely. No doubt about it.

Grey, wet and windy today with storms forecast. It would be sensible to stay in or at least find somewhere sheltered. Not a bit of it.

White Sheet Down can be described as many things but sheltered isn't one of them!

 It's a largish site just north of Mere and stands proud of the  rest of the landscape. Quite conspicuous in fact.

There are some spectacular earthworks at the neolithic camp. Sadly they are showing signs of erosion which the National Trust has tried to reduce by cutting steps into the sides of the steeper chalk banks.

Right on the top of the downs are some nice bronze age barrows. It was also surprisingly busy. Lots of men flying their toy aeroplanes.






I admit I failed to see the attraction. By now I was wishing I'd thought to bring hat scarf and gloves!

Time to move on to the iron age hillfort at the far end. Although enclosed the banks are very low, too low really to be defensive so they must have had another purpose for building it. Maybe ritual? There have been several burials discovered here.

One advantage of being so high ( and blown about) was that you can look down. And look down we did, spotting this Kestrel looking for his lunch. He was quite a way away and I wished I brought the long lens.

 This is right on the limits of my general purpose lens so it's a bit pixellated.


This was a very short walk and I was glad to head back to the shelter of the car. On the way down though I had to stop an admire these.

A nice crop of dainty little Fairy Ink caps.

So insubstantial that they were swaying in the breeze even in their sheltered location.