Dibbinsdale walk

The weather obliged (for once) for our bluebell walk through Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve (part of Dibbinsdale SSSI). Pete Miller, recently retired Ranger for the area led 15 visitors through the woods from Bromborough Rake station - a little-known end of the LNR, but some of the best woodland flora. We were able to see the last of the celandines and wood anemones, and the start of the massed native bluebells, with many other woodland specialities including sanicle, wood sorrel, golden saxifrage, ramsons, barren strawberry, violets and, on the flood plain, bright yellow kingcups. We also met some of the invaders - the relatively innocuous pink purslane, and the real problems of Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam.

Pete had many tales to tell, including the problems of creating new pools in the flood plain, when one large machine had to be rescued from the mud by an even larger one! Age range went from 2-year-old Lucy, who much enjoyed the puddles, to nearly 90 years young. We were very pleased that Caroline Lancelyn Green was able to come along and add to Pete's tales of the history from her own knowledge of the Lancelyn family archives. Did you know that one William de Launcelyn was fined for cutting down trees on his own land, but in contravention of the medieval Forest Laws? The family had to all chip in to pay the fine - plus ca change!