A grassy walk in Peterborough

Social media lit up in Peterborough last week and the topic was grass on a recreation field which had grown to one metre tall. So on Wednesday when Sue said shall we go for a walk in the Boardwalks? I thought: I really need to switch off and there could be some grass there! And indeed: lots of different kinds of grasses, with seed heads blowing about in the wind. You can watch the dance of the seed heads as the wind makes huge ripples across the meadow. 

This is the entrance to the boardwalks, I am wondering how high this grass is and how much is  reeds and sedges and which is which. I don’t know my grasses.

Recent very heavy rain has damaged the boardwalk, which was built in the 80s. This marshy area is a tiny patch of an important flood plain for the river Nene. By absorbing and retaining river and rainwater upstream soft squidgy places like this help to protect the city. Fit people can cross the boardwalk here, but please be very very careful.

Might be three quarters of a pint of water in there with all sorts floating in it.

Lovely fuzzy teasels. Here we say goodbye to the Boardwalk.

A large grey heron with wings spread out, presumably to dry. Looks like a weird sculpture from a distance. I was just about to get the perfect shot from much closer up, but pushing our bikes along, we startled it, and off it went. (We’d cycled to get to the boardwalks and were now back on our bikes.).

Found this not so delightful plant very close to the city centre.  This is Japanese Knotweed. It is on the verge of Henry Penn walk, north Nene embankment. I have emailed the council and Railworld to find out who this patch of land belongs to: I am guessing it belongs to the council.