Walk 4 on our search for flowers for early bees – a winter walk along the edge of town where there were once several plant nurseries.

There are old and new hedgerows, a variety of trees and birdsong. In summer this is a good walk for butterflies.

Flowers in January: (all good for insects)

Hazel catkins
Viburnum tinus
Clematis cirrhosa
Alexanders (not recommended in a garden)
Daphne    probably bholua
Christmas Box /Sarcococca
Mahonia
Snowdrops
Crocus buds.  (wild species come earlier than the Dutch crocus).
Green Hellebore corsica

Route

From Cradle Hill Road keep walking in the same direction up this old route across the down. Cross at Coxwell Close onto the tarmac footpath past the Hazel catkins.

Double hedgerows are always busier with birds and more sheltered for insects. Evergreen Viburnums attract  hoverflies.

At the top corner before the Poplars turn right into the field. Follow the new hedgebanks along the edge of the town to the end of the old nursery meadow (next to Old Nursery Close).

Turn right through the hedge into the edge of the meadow by the wood to go down to the Alfriston Road.

Cross over to the junction with Alfriston Park Rd. More of the land around here was a nursery (with different shrubs down the path to Chyngton Farm).

Find the path beside the grass into Landsdown Road. There is birdsong here, a magnificent Silver Birch and winter flowers.

Continue to the end of the road to the gap by the bus stop.  Watch out for flowers here and along the path to Seafield Close and the edge of another old nursery. There was another nursery further down the valley in Vale Rd. Cross over Alfriston Rd and return to Cradle Hill Road still watching for flowers.

Melene