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The next part of our walk takes you through the upper levels
of Whitlingham Wood.
We've come up the hillside, skirting along the edge of
the woodland as it runs near the A47. As the path
sweeps to the left you will see a sheer drop, also on your left hand side.
This is the top of a chalk pit, which was worked until
around the 1920s. It's now left a steep hillside with a drop of about
30 metres to the valley floor below.
The land now has almost complete coverage from woodland
flora, but in years gone by you would have seen the gleaming white sides
of the chalk pit.
Looking down the slope of the woodland hill path back
towards the wildflower meadow |
Woodland flora and fauna
As you continue on the woodland path you will see another
chalk pit area on your left, which makes for quite an interesting wildlife
feature.
This part of the wood includes a number of hornbeam trees.
On the edge of their natural range (they don't grow any
further north than East Anglia and the Midlands), the wood from hornbeams
is extremely hard and in the past was used to make coach wheels due to
its toughness.
The ground base of the former pit makes an ideal climate
for trees like Ewe and Birch which require chalky soil, but just a few
metres away up the bank to your right, you have giant Scots Pine and Silver
Birch which require a really sandy soil in which to live.
Archaeological finds
The wood and surrounding area have yielded a number of
historical finds.
This includes a bronze pointed-oval seal dated to the
late 13th/14th century, examples of 13th century lead glazed earthenware
and a post Medieval lead disc with a cross of Norwich on its face.
Follow the path further and you will come to a turning
off to the right, marked lime kiln.
Take this turning and go down the steps, turn right
along the woodland pathway to reach the site of the kiln.
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