Fields & Farms

Wild plants growing in the Cheddar Gorge area in Victorian times.

Update 16th September 2012 - This is Brenda's third update the the last for the current year. She has managed to find a further four plants, and will resume her quest in 2013. Yoy can read it HERE

Wild plants growing in the Cheddar Gorge area in Victorian times.

Update 26th June 2012 - This is Brenda's second update where she describes her discovery of a further five plants, noting that some have changed their name during the intervening years. You can read it HERE

Wild plants growing in the Cheddar Gorge area in Victorian times.

Update 28th May 2012 - The Purple Gromwell is alive and well and living somewhere in Cheddar Wood! See Brenda's first update by clicking HERE

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Wild plants growing in the Cheddar Gorge area in Victorian times.

I obtained an extract from Steven's Guide to Cheddar 1869 in which some walks are described, and including "BOTANICAL NOTES" listing some of the plants to be found in the vicinity of Cheddar. Some of the botanical names have changed, as have some of the common names, but I will endeavour to find these plants and keep you posted. The earliest to flower, according to my book, is the purple gromwell, Lithospermum purpureocaerleum, in April/June. Watch this space!!

Brenda Anderson

For the full text of this article, including a full list of the plants, please click HERE.