Another Rainy Day

A day off and it is raining again. With the kids still on their easter break I decided to take them up the road to Ulgham. I want to sing the praises of a little documented Northumbrian river, the Lyne. It begins it's journey near Fenrother between the A697 and the A1. It flows gently through farmland then it reaches Ulgham where the landscape around it becomes more interesting. The best wooded stretch is the dene between Ellington and the river's end at Lynemouth but the most attractive part is where it flows past Ulgham. Due to the dedicated efforts of local people Ulgham meadows and woods became a Local nature reserve three years ago. I am a part of this team and I help out with the maintenence of the reserve. It was or still is the smallest LNR in England. It is a very important botanical site and comprises of a wet meadow which is grazed in the winter months and a small wood which still has a healthy population of English Elms which cling to the steep sided sandstone outcrops. I cut my natural history teeth here. We never referred to this river as the Lyne as it was always known locally as Uffa burn. Anyone reading this entry ouside of the region Ulgham is pronounced 'Uffum.' Despite the small area over 300 species of plant have been recorded here. I took a picture of Hard shield Fern which I believe is the best spot in the county to see them in any numbers. Also pictured is the bracket fungi Coriolus versicolor growing on a Beech stump. Sounds like it's name refers to the many colour forms that occur. Plenty of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing in the wood