V8

I spent an interesting morning exploring a long forgotten corner of the common. When the A275 was re-aligned 30 or more years ago this area of common, which appears to be old clay workings, was cut off from the rest and has remained neglected and unfrequented. At its lowest point its about 5 meters below the surrounding land and has very steep sides. The area doesn't even have a name, being marked only as 'Area V8' on the map. The hurricane in 1987 brought down many of the trees and made access even more difficult. The old cottage and workshops were destroyed. I don't think anyone has been down here for many years, the fallen trees are thick with moss, there are wonderful huge ferns, old milk churns, pots and pans. Even the coal bunker is still half full. It felt like a 'lost world' even though I could hear the traffic hurtling along the road above. I'm planning another visit in a few weeks time to see what spring plants come up.