White Rock Rose on Brean Down. Restricted to the the limestone grasslands of the Devon and Somerset coast it was surprising to see how abundant this nationally rare plant is on the south facing slopes of Brean Down. |
 Cowslips just above Cheddar Gorge. Unfortunately although the Cheddar Pinks were just coming into bud like most other plants they’d been set back a good 3 or 4 weeks by the cold Spring |
 Early Purple Orchids and Dandelion clocks again just above Cheddar Gorge The sheer diversity of plants in the grassland and woods above Cheddar is exceptional. Considering the number of visitors to the gorge it always seems bizarre that the surrounding area is so quiet. |
 Early Purple Orchid – note spotted leaves. |
 Close up of the flowers and the long spurs. |
| Referred to as "long purple" by Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Gertrude: "Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples, that liberal shepards give a grosser name". It is said that witches used tubers of this orchid in love potions. |