Creative Writing

The Hurst - Wednesday 31st May 2017

Prologue

The Hurst is the former home of John Osborne, the playwright. The house sits in extensive grounds bordering Sowdley Wood near Clunton. The grounds consist of woodlands, a lake, meadows and gardens. The house is now run as a training centre and retreat for writers. 

On with the story ...

Chapter 1, The Car Park

There are two car parks one by the house and the other a little further away. The house is approached along a drive which then divides. 

Which way to go?

There is a sign to the house. We followed it, failing to notice the additional sign that had been put there for us indicating that we should take the other branch. 

Out of the eleven of us visiting, seven went the wrong way! So much for our observational skills.

Eventually we all arrived at the correct car park, met our host for the day (who had put out the sign) and got ready.

As nearly always the car park proved to be a place of interest. The stream running through it at one end was an immediate attraction as we set about trying to identify the plants. There were also insects.

Chloromyia formosa - Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Rhagio scolopaceus - Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Green-veined white - Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Chapter 2, The Meadows

We tore ourselves away from the car park and entered a meadow.

Mating dock bugs were discovered, on dock. To preserve their modesty here is a picture of another.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

We saw the first of many desmoiselles and damselflies but these will feature later. In the middle of the meadow stood a forlorn, lichen and moss encrusted tree.

A stream ran down the side of this meadow (and on through the car park) which divided it from a second meadow. As we crossed it we looked at some of the loose stones in the water.

And found one covered in caddis larval cases.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Chapter 3, The Dovecote

At the top of the second meadow stands a dovecote and this was the natural feature to gravitate towards.

This meadow is considerably larger than the first and looking around it occupied us until lunchtime. Here are some of the things we found.

A male Beautiful desmoiselle:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

A "prey's eye" view of a female Beautiful desmoiselle:

Photograph: David Williams

 The hoverfly Eristalis horticola:

Photograph: David Williams

 Garden chafers busy making the next generation:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Red-headed cardinal beetle:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Common blue butterfly: 

Photograph: David Williams

 The hoverfly Volucella bombylans:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

When we eventually arrived at the dovecote we witnessed Rhagio scolopaceus flies apparently involved in a "ménage à trois" 

It was lunchtime.

Did we stop for lunch?

No.

We pressed on.

Chapter 4, The Lake

We passed though a short section of woodland to the lake. Here some sofas made of iron at the lakeside provided an excellent but not too comfortable place to have a break for sustenance.

Whilst dining we kept our eyes open and cameras ready to immortalise any unwary little beasties.

A large red damselfly:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

The tortoise beetle Cassida viridis:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

A Gold swift moth:

Photograph: David W

Whilst others examined, intimately, the statues

For lichens, of course.

Chapter 5, The Quarry

Beyond the lake well hidden among the wood lies a damp and gloomy quarry. In here fungi were the reigning life force.

One tree lay across the quarry floor. Towards its base a Dryad's saddle was growing.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Other smaller fungi abounded. Unfortunately I do not know the species names but I am sure someone will tell me in due course.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Somewhere nearby a long horn beetle came into view and was photographed.

Rhagium bifasciatum - Photograph: David Williams

Chapter 6, Time To Go

Thus far we had looked at a tiny fraction of the grounds. We soldiered on but time was running out. We walked down the lane and then into the margin of the woods below and to the west of the house. One last find was a Clay triple lines moth.

Photograph: John Bingham

We took our leave of this intriguing site after another excellent day out.

Annex

I have two more photographs. Unfortunately I do not know where these were observed so I could not include them in the story, which, believe it or not, I do try to reflect what really happened, although some of the timings may be altered for dramatic effect (and poor memory)! 

These are excellent photographs of two insects that have not featured before.

A digger wasp Argogorytes mystaceus:

Photograph: John Bingham

 A robber fly Neoitamus cyanurus:

Photograph: John Bingham

Acknowledgements

My thanks to The John Osborne Avron Centre for granting us permission to survey the site; to Rob Rowe for being our host and guiding us around and to the photographers - Jim Cresswell, David Williams and John Bingham for providing the majority of the photographs.