Sundays were made for the countryside. There’s just something so satisfying about a roast dinner, followed by a wander through the greens and yellows that surround so much of England.
So when my uncle and his family came down from the city to visit, it seemed like the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Kingley Vale is a National Nature Reserve (NNR) located in the South Downs National Park, just north of Chichester in West Sussex. It is famous for its reserve which has a variety of other habitats, including chalk grassland, woodland, and heathland and has a variety of other plants and animals. The chalk grassland is home to a number of wildflowers, including orchids, bird’s-foot trefoil, and kidney vetch.
The woodland is home to a variety of birds, including woodpeckers, owls, and buzzards. And the trees? Well, they’re ancient! The yew trees at Kingsley Vale are estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 years old and as a result, are twisted and gnarled, and their branches are fun to climb on
Filled with nature trails, an information centre and a large viewing platform that boasts views across the downs, it’s undeniable that the place is beautiful. Unfortunately, we never made it around the whole trail because we (I) got carried away monkeying around.
After swinging up an appetite we stopped for a snack and tried our hands at the ‘donut’ game. The rules? Simple. Eat a sugared donut without licking your lips.
Which is actually much harder than it sounds!
Katy?
Failed.
Me?
Well, I failed too.
Margey was the only one who actually managed to do so.
Which wasn’t easy!
A few donuts (and chocolate muffins) later, we decided that the lure of a film enticed us far more than the walk to the top of the hill so we ventured back to the car and spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with Nemo playing in the background!
