Cheddar Pinks at Cheddar Gorge

 

Cheddar Pink  - Dianthus gratianopolitanus

Having seen the Cheddar pinks recently at Bristol Botanic Gardens, I realised that when I  had visited the Gorge previously, it would have been either too early or too late to even catch a glimpse of the flowers.  Yesterday I did, and I reckon they will be even better in a week's time as there were still many in bud. 

 

Half along the eastern edge of the gorge, we happened to come across a ranger whom I asked about the Cheddar Pinks.  I think he was a little wary of pointing them out and he did caution me to take extreme care as they are at the top of the very highest cliffs.  They are just over the lip of the cliff up to about one metre down. Mr S was panicking, but I advanced prostrate, crawling on my belly to spread my weight, and also to avoid the strong wind being funnelled up the side of the cliffs. 

I had taken my smaller camera a Canon IXUS 12x, but it is probably better at the macro pictures that the other camera.  It was extremely windy at the very edge of the cliff and these are the best I had.

On the way down towards Jacob's ladder, the rock roses were just starting to open.

In the shady damper areas there was an abundance of Valerian just coming up to flower, it is the pale flowering native Valerian Officinalis that is coming out.  In a week or two the scent will be all around.  On some of the cliffs Centranthus ruber has gained a foothold and again both pink and white flowers were out.

Coming down Jacob's Ladder, we got into conversation with a young man and soon the Creole was flowing...the second Mauritian I have met in a matter of days.  This young man who is an accountant in 'defiance' of his family's medical heritage, was born in England to Mauritian parents, but going to and fro to visit Grandparents and family, had picked up Creole! 

                             

We walked back up to the car which was parked up at the top of the gorge, up the central road and as it was after five, the road was fairly quiet.   I did use my stick to wave down some cars that were being driven far too fast, certainly for the feral goats and Soay sheep who had their young with them and were crossing the road or even browsing the grass on the road side.

One gets more spectacular views of the Gorge from walking along the road, in either direction, far better  from either of the cliff top walks, but from those there are splendid views across the surrounding country, down onto Cheddar reservoir and beyond. It was amusing to see people driving down or up using their cameras to capture the changing cliff faces along the zig zagging road. If only they would get out of their car to enjoy the walk.