We decided to have a stroll around Overall Grove as Jan was keen to see if we could find the Oxlips which have been known to grow there. Overhall Grove is the largest elm woodland in Cambridgeshire. The wood also contains several large oak trees which are over 250 years old.
In spring, the wood is full of songbirds such as willow and garden warblers and song thrushes, and scattered in some areas are splendid rosettes of oxlip. The remains of a medieval manor surrounded by a moat can still be seen in the northern end of the wood, which is now home to a family of badgers. Their digging has unearthed shards of pottery, which date the manor back to the 11th to 15th centuries.
Oxlip is a nationally scarce species and is classed as near threatened in Britain.. Oxlip only grows in some areas of East Anglia and is rarely found outside of Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. It grows in damp woods and meadows, It is often associated with ancient woodland .Oxlips were traditionally used to treat coughs and rheumatism. Its compounds may have antibacterial properties.
Blossom in the wood
A Coal Tit in the Yew tree in the Churchyard.
A Robin joined us as we sat on a seat in the sun in the churchyard.