Pete's Walks - Kensworth Quarry path
I did this walk on Tuesday, 16th June 2009. It was a lovely day for a walk, but as I had an appointment at 1pm I could only manage to go out in the afternoon. I took the path from the small industrial estate in Kensworth, which crosses a valley and bears left to reach the quarry path. I turned left, and did a complete clockwise circuit of the quarry path, returning to Kensworth the way I'd come.
The path from the small industrial estate in Kensworth to the Quarry path
The path around Kensworth Quarry - initially there is a large arable field between the path and the quarry
The quarry path, here running parallel to Isle of Wight Lane (behind the hedgerow on the left)
The drive to the quarry - the young trees on the right were planted by schoolchildren to commemorate the centenary of the chalk company
The quarry path beyond the drive, heading towards Dunstable Downs
The quarry path, just after the turning to the Downs
The quarry path - I saw lots of Pyramidal Orchids and a few Common Spotted Orchids along here
Looking across Kensworth Quarry - I believe it is the biggest chalk quarry in the country. The chalk is pumped in solution to Rugby, about fifty miles away.
The quarry path
Another view across the quarry
The quarry path near Dunstable, which is downhill on the left
Looking across a section of the quarry - the path continues this side of the line of trees
The quarry path - this section was new, cutting a corner by Church End. I found a solitary Grass Vetchling here.
The new section of path rejoins the old just before the corner of the wood
Almost at the end of the circuit of the quarry path, looking across the path I took to and from Kensworth.
The path back to Kensworth, along the bottom of Codlings Bank
The walk took two hours and twenty minutes, probably because I took 70-80 photographs. I was delighted to find the Grass Vetchling here in Kensworth, only the third place I've ever seen one of these delicate flowers. Another highlight was seeing a white form of Herb Robert, something I'd not seen before. I saw several Large Skippers and Speckled Woods, plus a Brimstone and a Common Blue. There were also several Six-spot Burnet moths about.