Windover Hill and Wilmington

Today another chalk downland adventure.

We parked in the Long Man car park, and walked up the slope, with views of the Long Man of Wilmington in front of us (extra). There is quite an interesting archaeological debate about his age and his meaning. Is he ancient (plenty of neolithic finds on the Down above) or more recent (16th or 17th century) ?  He sits on a dramatic slope - and can just be seen in the foreground in the extra.

We then did a big circuit around Windover Hill, which sits behind the Long Man - aptly named, as it was very windy up there. The downland is extensive. We saw two racehorses being put through their paces, at full speed. There were not many people around, so the rider did not need to be too careful. I was pleased to get the blip shot in focus, not sure how I managed that - well, I panned, obviously.

On the other side of Windover Hill we reached Lullington Heath National Nature Reserve. This is the best example of chalk heath remaining in Britain. If we were there earlier in the year, and on a less windy day, we could have appreciated the many plants, insects, birds and other animals living here. The area has to be managed carefully, with sheep, goats and exmoor ponies (extra)  all contributing to the management regime.

Our return looked a bit ominous, huge grey clouds in front of us. As we came down the slope we could see that the rain was torrential to the north, but somehow we avoided it and stayed dry.