Grey Granite and Rufus explored a new route this afternoon. Setting out from Corbie Hill they walked past Philorth Halt and down to Philorth woods, following the path through the woods to emerge at the rather spookily neglected South Lodge. The muddy track skirts The Wilderness then leads along a rhododendron lined avenue of magnificent trees; oaks, horse chestnuts, sycamores and the splendid copper beech pictured above. Unfortunately, it also leads past a large German Shepherd dog. There were huge bunches of ash and sycamore keys along with conkers lying under the trees, presumably casualties of the recent gales.
Shortly before the Lodge a track leads off to the left by Kempen Hillock, emerging from the estate woods East of Mains of Philorth. We explored this track before returning to the main (dubby) track through the woods. During this diversion we heard, but did not se, a clamorous rookery in a group of tall pines at the edge of the wood. This explains the presence of the vast groups of rooks we have seen on the Line and in the harvested corn fields close to this point.
The dookit at The Gash
From the Gash a pleasant tarred road leads past Mains of Philorth and over the fast flowing Water of Philorth enabling the Line to be joined at Craigiewan for the familiar walk back to our starting point.
Late Rosa rugosa and hips in the hedge at Craigiewan, along the line we saw greater bindweed, tansy, rosebay willow herb, hawk weed and pink and white campion. There were pheasants in Wet Fold and a few swallows swooping over Mill Haugh.
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