Hambledon: Greensleeves- 28 May 2001

Hambledon: Greensleeves
28 May 2001

Location	Hambledon, Surrey, OS Explorer 133 This is a walk through a varied landscape with sweet chestnut woods, pasture and many wildflowers. I parked by the church in Hambledon and walked to Hydon's Heath before turning towards Hascombe. Then I returned on the Greensand Way through Hurtwood and back to Hambledon.

Weather	Warm and sunny. Hazy at times.

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	A single oak greets me when I set out.

Walking through sweet chestnut woods is pleasant. They let in a lot of sunlight.

	Here are the leaves. Horse chestnuts aren't at all related to sweet chestnuts. But in this picture you can see why the connection between the two was made. The leaves really are quite similar.

I just couldn't resist this rhododendron with the sun shining on the top of the inflorescence and the lower half in shade.

	The unassuming foxglove is an English native with a whimsical name.

A close-up of one "glove" reveals the speckles and the hairs that tickle bumble-bee bellies.

	The hazel is another native. The shape of the leaves is somewhat similar to beech leaves but hazel leaves are much more crinkly.

Light and shadow create patterns on the trail. Walking through the patterns is almost like being caressed by alternating coolness and heat.

	Towards the end of the day, the shadows lengthen.

A bank full of veronicas caught my eye.

	Another shady roadside bank held red campions.

The haze becomes more visible as it's drawing towards evening.

	A closer look. The way the individual trees and wooded ridges are placed makes me think of a stage set.

In the last picture of the day I'm looking back towards the oak that greeted me when I set out.