ASKHAM BOG (Yorkshire Wildlife Trust)

~ love the wild orchids~there are similar ones growing locally~lovely place to be able to go to!

this is a lovely blog. not too far from me either.

That was a great blog thanks

A lovely blog jbardet and great photos. It reminds me a lot of parts of the Norfolk Broads. It is an astounding success story.

What a lovely blog Jbardet. A BOG BLOG, you could call it!! And some excellent pictures! Really enjoyed the blog!

what a lovely place to walk and so pretty jb, thanx for sharing your pics :o))

Liked the blog and your photos, thanks for showing us.

Thanks for all your kind comments on the A.B. blog. The place has been a great source of inspiration to me over the years. It used to be fairly hidden away but now, with more signage, better car park and a decking board walk, it is more accessible and more people use it, including many dog-walkers. This can only be a good thing if it brings more people in touch with wildlife.

Off the 'beaten track' however, you can still follow the deer-tracks into the wilder parts and rediscover the old magic.

I hope you have all had a great Christmas, as we did and wish you All the Best for 2010

And to you Jbardet! Once again, nice blog and look forward to perhaps seeing more of the bog in spring /summer.

More on the Bog blog. There is a 1979 publication by Alastair Fitter & Clifford Smith, entitled 'A Wood in Ascam' (using the older spelling) which goes into detail of the history and flora & fauna of A.B.

Lovely blog! I think that you are so right to regard this as your other "garden", too. So much inspiration and happiness to be gleaned from such places. :-))

Hi David,
My nephew lives at Gullane in the East Lothian (not too far from you, I beleive). Lovely countryside around there. Must be one of Scotland's best kept secrets! Thanks for the comment, Jb

It must be wonderful to live near such an interesting place. I love to see wild orchids too.

The orchids at A.B. are mainly spotted (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) and marsh (D. incarnata) with the occasional bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) on the drier outskirts. There may well be others but I have not come across them yet. As you say, Hywell, they are always great to see in the summer.

Hi Jb, Yes, know Gullane and area very well. You are right, I really like the scenery of East Lothian and farther south into Northumberland. I can actually see across to there from the top of my road, but, because of the firth of Forth dividing us, it is 60 miles by road via the Forth bridge. Great destination for days out, however, with plenty to see and do. :-))

As lovely in it's way as any garden, how lucky you are to have this on your doorstep. BTW there are several copies of that book available on Amazon.

As some of the pics. show and as the name suggests, Askham Bog is prone to flooding after prolonged rainfall. The high water-table is a major factor in making this place such a valuable habitat.

In one of the pics, the water can be seen lapping over the board-walk which is normally a foot or so above the ground. (Jan. 2009 floods)