# England 10,000 years ago.....



## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

I went to visit the '*Wildwood Project*' earlier this week, their aim is to create a small sample of the wildlife that lived in England 10,000 years ago (before Mankind invented electric-blankets, after the Ice-Age retreated :grin - Set in 40 acres of Ancient Woodland, it was a beautiful day out in the deep wilds of Kent....

The 1st thing I saw was an Adder, Britain's only venomous snake (mostly harmless) - It's the 1st time I've ever actually seen one in 'real life', they're very shy and timid critters....




















A 'Marsh Frog'.....











Where it lives.....











The largest member of the 'Crow' family, a beautiful example of a Raven....











Unfortunately, by the time I got to the park, it was early afternoon and quite a few of the residents were asleep, like this Otter - It's not misshapen, it's cuddling it's tail tucked over it's tum.... :grin:











Another member of the 'Crow' family, a Jackdaw.....











Unfortunately, a lot of the animals pens had wire-netting around them, a necessity for the beasties but a right PITA for photographers :sigh: - This is my best pic of a 'Pine Marten', extremely rare in the UK except in the wilds of Scotland and certain parts of Wales....


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

A crane......











I did manage to snap a visitor to the park (rather than a resident), a local 'Treecreeper' - I was most happy when it turned to smile at me..... :laugh:











Bambi.....











Following recent releases into the wild, boars are now back in some of our woodlands - Not exactly cute, but I suppose his mother loves him...... :grin:











A European Bison, according to Mrs WereBo, it's smaller than the N American Bison - Looks like a good vacuum-cleaning wouldn't go amiss....




















Red Fox are very common nowadays, even in urban areas and cities - This one's a lot smarter looking than my local pack, they look rather scraggy in comparison.....











Cursed wire netting!!! :angry:











A view of one of the pathways and some trees... You can just see one of the animal-pens blending in well, on the right-hand side....


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

I have in-laws in Broadstairs . . I'll pass this on to them!


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Please do so Rich, it's only a few miles from them and it will give 'em a great day out :wink:

They've also got European Timber-wolves (My main reason for visiting :laugh.... - I couldn't resist making the attempt and they actually howled with me, I was over the moon at that :grin:





























There's also a couple of Lynx's there too - This was snapped at mid-yawn..... :laugh:





























Making honey for the park's shop....











Some Wood-Ants....










Lots of Wood-Ants..... :grin:











A really sweet 'Little Owl'......


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I got bitten by an adder when I was 6 and had to go into hospital. I was doing orienteering in the forest and stood on one and it bit me on the leg and my leg swelled up. Never seen one since.


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

WereBo said:


> ...
> 
> They've also got European Timber-wolves (My main reason for visiting :laugh.... - I couldn't resist making the attempt and they actually howled with me, I was over the moon at that :grin:


They were either saying: "Hey long lost cousin - how ya do'n?" Or more likely: "Crap! Is this what we turn into if we get bit by one of them?" :grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

- I suspect the latter is more likely.... :grin:


We left the park approx 4:00pm and decided to go visit the ancient city of *Canterbury*, on the route home. This is as close to the cathedral that we got, they now want £10/tourist just to walk around the grounds!:angry: - If anyone's interested, there's a 'virtual-tour' of the cathedral here (*Link*), there's some excellent 360-degree panoramas, look for the 'hot-spots' :wink




















The last time I visited here (early 90's), the high-street was all 'olde worlde shoppes' with original 'bottle-bottom' windows and half-timbered walls - The walls are still visible, but the shops are now 'modernised' trendy eateries and bars, much to the detriment of the place :sigh:











There are a few buildings still holding ground though, for how long is anyone's guess.....











The Town Library (and museum), with original leaded-glass windows....




















This place must be an archaeologist's dream, the shop is dated 1573, but the upper floor is dated 1998 











At the bottom end of the high-street, the original city-gates are still standing - This was taken from a nearby park, showing the River Stour...











Part of the city wall.... 











A 'mutant' tree :laugh:


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

Now that brings back memories! ! I went out there for a weekend in the early 80's . . I don't remember a charge then! I gotta see if I can find those photos in the shoebox!


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Keep the memories Rich, it's nothing like the Canterbury I remember from my pup-hood, when my parents used to take me there, or even 20ish years ago when I last visited there :sigh:


A nearby stream that feeds the River Stour...











Some of the local residents.....











It was early evening by now and, despite the brilliant sunlight all day, there weren't much gold to the 'Golden Hour' - There was an unusual purplish tinge in the shadows though, as this wonderful old house shows. Called the 'Tower-House', it was built onto one of the wall towers but no-one seems to know exactly when, except for 'a lo.ng time ago'.... :laugh:




















The back of the house, showing the lack of gold.....











Some plants along the River Stour banks.....











Another 'mutant' tree..... It looks like a 'London Plane' from the leaves and bark on the branches (browny-greyish patches, exactly like military camouflage :laugh, but the trunk has been severely 'infected', possibly by 'Gall-Wasps' (they lay their eggs just under the bark and the developing larvae cause the lumpy growths)




















By now the light was starting to fade fast and the shops were closed, including the fish-&-chips shop we spotted earlier :sigh:

We decided we couldn't leave Kent without sampling the local delicacy so I drove back past the Wildwood-Park and visited a small coastal town called 'Herne Bay' (approx. 10 miles West of Broadstairs), where they obliged us by having a fish-&-chip shop open, with fresh locally supplied fish and 'doorstop' chips (not the usual fried matchsticks they pass off as chips nowadays :grin. They were so delicious we were tempted to go back for 'seconds', just out of 'piggery', but common-sense prevailed so we returned home instead :laugh:


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

sounds like a pleasant day all round WereBo - one of these days I must get over to look at Old Blighty before all the "old" disappears into a sea of modern mediocrity.


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Thanks Zulu it was a lovely day, even the weather dropped from scorching to hot so the trees were even more welcome :laugh:

Fortunately, we've still got a lot of our historical sites left and some are protected by law, but new developments are ruining the 'atmosphere' of the areas :sigh: - Rather like building a small town all around Uluru (Ayers Rock), OK there's the Yulara holiday-resort, but at least it's nearly 10 miles away from the rock :grin:


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