Kidney vetch (anthyllis vulneraria) - 6/6/06

Thanks for this set of pitures tpp. In my early yearsbnoften, on summer evenings, I d be taken for a stroll on the cliiffs. We d walk down across the moor to Botallack and thence towards Levant and the lighthouse or over to Kenidjack Castle. Kidney Vetch, Thrift , red and white campions and, underfoot that springy aromatic turf, the scent of gorse,the sound of sea and grasshoppers and stonechats in my ears. Wheeling jackdaws and gulls, gannets fishing ofshore. The only sign of man perhaps the plops of a string of pots or a distant tractor. The mine-dumps, (no longer there), sparkling and enticing me to hunt for mineral spcimens. We picked primroses on these cliffs to decorate the church each Easter. There were masses in those days, very few now; I hope we did not contribute to their demise. Thanks for these pictures, tpp, this one especially is so evocative of those special places.

My Mum and I used to go to Portheras a lot when i was little. She d lived at Chyrose, Bojewyan, when first married and really rated this beach.

Thanks so much for your delightful comment, Chill, which says it all for me about the beauty of N.W. Penwith. Also, I d agree with your mum, PZM. It s a beautiful beach. Put Portheras in the search engine and the first few pics will demonstrate this, I think!

Sorry about the typing. I ve got a cut finger and despite taking twice as long to type anything and having to think at the same time I get a lot of typos. clearly I didn t proof-read that post very well. I m glad you got the gist. A fine set of pictures of the essential and distinctive flora of that stretch of cliffs.