image

eXplore… Flora and Fauna

Flora and Fauna in Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The countryside around Bury St Edmunds is rich in nature and the town itself has much to offer the keen wildlife observer.

The heathlands that lie just outside the town are particularly attractive to birds such as siskins, willow warblers and tree pipits, whilst a wide range of wildflowers can be found in meadows and woods. There are also areas of ancient woodland which are home to woodpeckers, kestrels and little owls as well as a multitude of butterflies and moths.

The riverside walks along the River Lark provide another opportunity for wildlife spotting and it’s not uncommon to spot kingfishers, mallards and herons on these picturesque trails. The nearby Abbey Gardens are also worth exploring – here you can find wildflower meadows teeming with pollinating insects as well as an ornamental lake which is often populated by waterfowl.

For those looking for more adventurous activities, there’s also plenty on offer in Bury St Edmunds – from bird-watching tours to guided walks where you can learn about local flora and fauna. With so much natural beauty on offer, it’s no wonder why Bury St Edmunds is such a popular destination for flora and fauna enthusiasts!

While I was walking home from work, I saw a couple of young children helping mum in the front garden.

No doubt getting things ship shape for Bury In Bloom. I stopped and chatted for a few minutes, and had a real big sense of pride once again in Bury St Edmunds, as the the two children were both wearing badges.. yes.. they were the “We Love Bury St Edmunds!” badges.

How wonderful for children to also be aware of the sense of pride that is felt by so much of the rest of this town.

Wow we are so so lucky…

Who were the children? Edmund and Rosie. 🙂

James Sheen

 

The #bsebloomers has been my favourite category so far, so many beautiful photos, and gorgeous gardens!

Rosie Cook

 

#bsebloomers……Really chuffed that our front garden has been awarded a BURY IN BLOOM certificate of merit 2016

Lorna Allen

 

We have won a Bury In Bloom certificate

Sheila Stone

 

My dear old Mum (Peggy Gayfer) who is 90 years old got a certificate of merit from Bury in Bloom this week for her front garden in Rembrandt Way.

Shes been tending to her garden ever since my Dad died five years ago which was always his domain.

She just has help with mowing the grass and the hedge trimmed but all the rest she still does herself – she is amazing. She was so pleased and surprised to receive it, bless her!

Sandy Jackson

 

Very pleased to receive a certificate of merit from Bury in Bloom today, third year running, but the first time the lamppost has played a part!

Pamela Downes

 

I would like to thank bury in bloom for my 5th certificate that I received today.

June Tooke

 

Flora & Fauna – Rivers & Riverbanks

Fantastic walk yesterday along the river Lark, across a golf course and Fordham in good company. Thanks John

Nemonee Stone

 

Walk along riverbank from Glastonbury Road to Westley Road – little wooded path never tried before – please be warned video is jerky at the start as walking at pace, but it slows downs towards the end.

Terry Chittock

 

Haha can’t believe everything in Wikipedia I found an entry claiming that the lark is more affectionately known as the cold river by the locals . Er no ! Not by me the coal rivers me thinks 🙂 🙂 🙂

Raymond Gordon

 

For years Bury residents have referred to the Abbey Gardens as “the Park”. The description of this photograph, from the Suffolk Record Office, illustrates that this designation has a long history.

The description states, “The river quite empty in the park by the Abbots bridge at Bury during the very long dry weather”. In the Abbey Gardens, people could walk along the dry river bed. 1921.

Alison Elizabeth Ashby

 

I’ve posted 2 pictures of the Linnet in 2 days so I’ll supply a link to illustrate a short tale.

The 5th Earl Bristol (later made 1st Marquess thanks to a sister married to the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool) bought up some land to extend the Ickworth estate to the north west.

He made a new road for the farmers from Chevington to use round the edge of the expanded estate but they carried on using the traditional Chevington Way through his park.

So in 1823 he had a dam built across the valley of the Linnet, creating a lake of 13 acres, and blocking the short route. In 1843 the dam mysteriously failed – was it natural or was it ‘encouraged’?

Either way it caused a surge of water down the Linnet that flooded every part of Bury near the river.

The dam was never rebuilt, but that was not the end of flooding in Bury from the Linnet, notably in 1892 and the 1960s.

The 1892 flood had a knock-on effect right down at the Tollgate, where the water surge undermined the bank and caused the brand new lock gates to collapse, creating a huge expense for the struggling canal company and stopping barges from reaching the dock located in the area now occupied by Tesco.

John Goldsmith