This Friday Belinda and I took our new motorhome out on it's maiden voyage! For a while I've wanted our first night of 'wild' camping to be at the lonely Shingle Street so that's where we headed on Friday afternoon after kitting the van out with some essentials.
Upon arrival at about 16.00 we found a nice level pitch close to the carpark and began our first experience of van life!
We did a walk that evening taking in the area around the coastguard cottages and area to the north. My main target plant for this site was Yellow Vetch and I found some pretty quickly just north of the cottages. Other coastal plants seen included Sea Pea, Sea Kale, Yellow-horned Poppy, Curled Dock, Vipers Bugloss, Red Valerian, Haresfoot Clover, Biting Stonecrop, English Stonecrop, Sea Campion, Spear-leaved Orache, Greater Quaking Grass, Sea Mouse-ear, Great Mullien and Lady's Bedstraw.
The sunset over the marshes with a glass of wine in hand was superb - I'd not felt so chilled for a long time. We went to sleep to the bubbling sound of Curlew.
After a thankfully peaceful and uneventful night we had some breakfast and moved the van to another spot just north along the road and set our for a morning walk north to Hollesley Marshes and in particular Simpson's Saltings. The plant at the top of my list was the rare Sea Heath and I found 2 small patches. Into the bargain there was plenty of other interest too - Sea Clubrush, Knotted Hedge Parsley, Slender Thistle, a very welcome find of Lax-flowered Sea Lavender, Greater Sea Spurrey, Lesser Sea Spurrey, Hoary Cress and Perennial Ryegrass. A massive Emperor Moth caterpillar was also a nice spot. Back by the van I then found a good-sized patch of Narrow-leaved Ragwort, only the 2nd time I've seen this scarcity.
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