Cotton grass

I was out walking with our local walking group today, completing Stage 9 of the Two Moors Way.  We were in the heart of Devon between Dartmoor and approaching Exmoor, walking from Witheridge to Knowstone.  It was a fairly cloudy but warm day and relatively easy walking.  

The most exciting part was coming across the Knowstone Moors (Outer and Inner) and the nearby Hares Down which together form Devon's largest remaining block of rare culm grassland that once covered much of  North Devon.  The book stated that this type of grassland has an extraordinary ability to absorb water, five times the rate of ordinary grassland.  I can confirm how wet it was as I knelt on one knee to take this shot of Cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) and realised on standing up that I had a very wet patch on my trousers. Normally you are aware how wet the ground is as you sink into it and see the water but not so on this rough grassy and mossy area. The Cotton grass is a member of the sedge family rather than a grass.

We finished in the very quiet village of Knowstone which has a 15th century church and a 13th century thatched pub.  The pub has a 1 star Michelin rating, unfortunately the prices stopped me browsing the menu.

Many thanks to BikerBear for continuing to host Flower Friday, the twist this week is 'technology' which I didn't manage to achieve despite taking several shots of flowers with wind turbines in the distance.  I just preferred the Cotton Grass.