Kingley Vale Part Two

Nowadays Kingley Vale is an SSI. The wood is set at the bottom and then there's a steep walk up Bow Hill but it's well worth the effort as you are greeted with the sight of several different styles of Bronze age burial mounds. These are known as the Devil's Humps or the Kings' Graves as, so the legend goes, the good men of Chichester took on and beat the Vikings and their Kings are buried here [ don't let the fact that the tumuli predate the Vikings by ten minutes or so spoil a good story now will you!] At night time supposedly the trees move around and the ghosts of the Kings haunt any foolhardy soul who visits after the witching hour.

This is the view back down from the summit of the hill. That's a dew pond which is full of white water lilies that you can see in the distance. The darker trees are the yews.

One of the things I loved about this walk was seeing all the flora and fauna. Most of the butterflies didn't tarry long enough for me to get a shot so I was quite chuffed with my shot of this female Common Blue which I took with my little press and point camera. Mr GBT took all the other shots.

White Campion

Mallow

Woundwort

White Bryony

Cinnibar Moth

This is such a special place. It only has a small car park which can get busy at times but there is no charge. If you're visiting the county it's a real hidden gem.

Arilx