The Car Park at Sundon Hills Country Park is our starting point today. It is National Trust owned and completely free! So, that's not a bad start to what promises to be a cracking walk. It is a site of Special Scientific Interest, made up of, Sharpenhoe Clappers, Moleskin and Markham Hills, Smithcombe Hills and Sundon Hills. Part of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding National Beauty. Much of the site is unimproved chalk grassland with many plants which are now rare. We set off in perfect weather walking in an anti- clockwise direction. The Sheep are gathered in the shade close to the hedge-line.
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It is a beautiful setting, with stunning views away to our left. We take the sharp right path towards Holt Wood , moving on towards Fernhill Wood. Continuing to follow the Bunyan Trail. We cut across fields filled with wild flowers, Crimson Clover, Fairy flax and Rockrose are plentiful. The beautiful yellow flowers , although sightly out of place make a stunning sight. We wind our way through Top Farm and link up with the Icknield Way footpath. We covered this part of the walk on our previous visit. We arrive back at the Sharpenhoe Clappers, this time from the reverse side as we walked before. It is clearer today so the views seem even better. The Beech Trees too look incredible in the sunlight. We continue through Smithcombe Hill and Smithcombe Valley. Hopefully you will get something of a flavour from the pictures posted below.
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Beech Trees
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On
the way we encounter a memorial by W A Robertson, (Not to be confused with B A Robertson.....) who gave this
area to the National Trust in memory of his brothers who died in the
Great War.
Money was used to buy Sutton House and eight areas of countryside within
reach of London. William stated that at each site a memorial must be
erected, specified as to size and form, giving its location and details
of his brothers.
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There is no doubt that Sharpenhoe Clappers is a fantastic area of ancient woodland. We make the sharp descent down the steps back to the Barton Road. It is only a short stroll before we are in the lush green Moleskin and Markham Hills area of the walk. Once again owned by the National Trust, a wildlife rich chalk grassland area. More Beech woodland and meadows managed as a nature reserve. We are making the loop back towards the Sundon Hills. Once again the views are superb as we look across the countryside. Chalk grassland is internationally rare, and the Chilterns holds an
important concentration of this habitat. Over the course of the 20th
century, the Chilterns lost 54% of its chalk grassland. Much of what remains is confined to the steep escarpment slopes that have escaped arable cultivation and development pressure.
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Facing the Moleskins
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The now disused chalk quarry established to provide chalk and marl for the Sundon cement works, which operated between 1899 and 1976. A great place for insects, which includes 16 species of Dragonfly. There are also 21 species of Butterfly listed. These include the rare Adonis Blue. The quarry is home to several uncommon beetles, such as Apion astragali. The young (larvae) of this beetle only eat the wild liquorice plant, which is also a rare plant in Britain. We cut across the hills back towards the car park n the walk completed. In total 7.64 miles completed. Just 2 more legs of the Bunyan Trail left to complete.
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