Crossing the Canal Bridge of Sighs

13th October 2024. A day amongst mosses and mammoths, pirates and petals...

Although there are many things I am good at, I cannot say, even with the best will in the world, that orienteering is one of them. And the signs were there early on – according to my high school geography teacher, who concluded that I had “an adequate knowledge” of the subject and “a fair understanding” of how to do research. Nothing to do with the fact that her teaching style involved shouting at you if you didn’t understand something and consistently terrified me, of course. Well, Mrs E, if you happen to be reading this, you might be pleased to know that I have since gained a PhD (so, my research skills are now a bit better than ‘fair’) – but my geography skills are still woeful.

I am great at remembering places once I’ve found them but getting there is an entirely different matter. A few Sundays ago, for instance, I set off with my trusty flask, phone and field guide, wanting to visit a new nature reserve, and everything was going swimmingly well until the last mile. When I found myself inching down a narrow track and into a farmer’s front yard, which was also signposted as some kind of water company. Confused but undeterred, I chalked this one up to experience and re-set the map. I knew there was another reserve in the neighbourhood.

Ten minutes later, I was scratching my head again, totally baffled by the vertical barrier blocking not only the road ahead, but most of air space. The sat nav was most insistent I had arrived, but I disagreed. So, I turned around, pulled into a layby and re-typed the address. Just to spite me, the sat nav basically said I should do as I was told and go back to where I had stopped. Slightly seething with irritation, I obeyed and then saw that the obstruction had gone. The car park was just over the canal bridge, which was now horizontal. At this literal juncture, I didn’t know if I was more ashamed by my stupidity or relieved that no one was there to laugh at me.

Two chocolate digestives and a parked car later, I was somewhat readier to face the reserve. It was fantastic to be out in a completely new habitat.

Whixall Moss is one of three Mosses covering 948 hectares of north Shropshire and north-east Wales, which cumulatively place them third on the list of largest surviving raised bogs in the UK. It’s an incredibly diverse area, rich in ancient history, flora and fauna, which you can explore along the canal or guided paths. For the lucky observer, there are Bog Cranberries and Sundews to be seen, as well as polecats, adders and short-eared owls. To name but a few.

I started with the Mammoth Tower trail and was subsequently greeted with an archway telling me that I was entering one of the rarest habitats on Earth. Which naturally pleased me. Equally pleasing was the tower that gives the trail its name and is located nearby. The steps are lined with verse and ascend to a height of 5m, giving you a rather spectacular view of the Mosses. Unfortunately, I didn’t linger for as long as I would have liked because of the raucous pirates that had taken over the decking... I’m not sure what was going on, but costumes aside, I decided that this was always going to be a day of surprises and made my way - peacefully - around the trail.

Sunshine hovered behind the clouds all afternoon and only briefly made itself known, but that didn’t matter to me. There was plenty of brightness in the bracken and heather, along with the occasional splashes of Corn Spurry and Tormentil – two of my favourite wildflowers. I may have said that before... Have a great week and see you next time.

Corn Spurrey: is usually found on open arable land, coastal grassland or in sandy soils but also grows in slightly acidic soil. A member of the pink family, it somewhat unusually dresses in a whorled skirt of fleshy thin leaves – and opens its five white petals in the afternoon. True to form, I photographed it open at 3.30pm but was fortunate to do so. Corn Spurrey typically flowers in the summer months, and I saw it in the last days of September. The flowers are less than 1cm in size and gather in clusters, making it tricky to count them over large areas. Counting matters because Corn Spurrey is in numerical decline and has the unhappy status of being ‘Vulnerable’ or ‘Near threatened’, on three separate plant lists. Indeed, it would be a great shame to lose this plant, given its heritage and potential. For example, Corn Spurrey was once used for culinary and medicinal purposes, either as a flour for making bread and thickening soups, or as a treatment for respiratory and digestive problems. Not only wholesome in use, this plant is wholesome in character too – historically and contemporarily associated with resilience, endurance and perseverance.

Tormentil: has been described as “the lawn daisy of the upland wild” and it’s easy to see why. I’ve found them in different habitats around my local counties, not just on this occasion, and usually in small pockets of abundance. Tormentil is a looky-likey or has a looky-likey in the name of Creeping Cinquefoil, but can be discerned by the count of four lemon petals, rather than five. In contrast, the leaves consist of three softly toothed lobes and have two tiny leaf-like shapes (i.e., stipules) at their base. As an aide-memoire, you could think ‘two-three-four, yellow and no more’. This plant is another fan of acidic soils but just as comfortable living in heathland, moorland and roadside verges. Its bright petals are a cheering sight on a gloomy day and have the potential to make both insects and humans happy. Firstly, due to the rich supply of nectar and secondly, due to its application as a toothpaste, schnapps and as a treatment for wounds and inflammation.

References

Natural England (2022) [Leaflet] Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve. Natural England; England

Nature Back From the Brink (2019) Corn Spurrey. https://naturebftb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Spergula-arvensis-Corn-spurrey.pdf

Neil Fletcher (2010) Pocket Nature. Wild Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Limited; London

Rachel Hamilton, Chris Gibson and Robert Still (2024) British and Irish Wildflowers and Plants. A Pocket Guide. Princetown University Press; Oxford

Sarah Raven (2011) Wild Flowers. Bloomsbury Publishing; Great Britain

The Wildlife Trusts (not dated, but I assume 2024) Tormentil. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/tormentil

Wild Flower Web (2024) Corn Spurrey. http://www.wildflowerweb.co.uk/plant/472/corn-spurrey