Monday, 20 November 2023

A walk on the south of Beverley

I took the bus to Beverley and started my walk at Victoria Road by Normandy Av and weaved my way along green lanes towards Willow Lane. This was a walk of the wet side of Beverley, including various springs, becks, drains, Beckside and the River Hull.

A Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes and I managed a record shot..

This is a spring at Keldmarsh, the water bubbling from the sandy bottom in various places. I follow the stream along Willow Lane, there are still several mature White Willows along it and large patches of Water Startwort. There is a lot of house building in this area, making the OS map quite obsolete. I carry on via Long Lane until the Minster, and then make a stop at Flemingate.

The Keldmarsh beck along Willow Lane.

Water Starwort.
Moorhen.
Beverley Minster.
A Jackdaw inspects under a gutter, but then moves some leaves out of the way and gets a morsel it had probably cached there before.

After a hot drink and a snack I continue along Flemingate towards Beckside. I had never walked this western end of Beckside. I continue, checking the information panels about history and heritage of Beverley Beck.

Old restored barges at Beckside.
Crane and anchor.
Mallard at Beverley Beck.

Blackbird feeding on crab apples.

I cross under the road bridge. It has been cloudy, mild and still, but now it started to drizzle. A Kestrel is flying around Figham Common calling loudly and flushing the Starlings and Goldfinches. It eventually lands atop a tree. The Beck looks more wild now (top shot), but it is straightened and embanked, it was probably very marshy in the confluence of the river Hull and the Beck before the embankment was built.


Figham Common with cows and gulls.
A posing Blackbird.
More photos from the common.




Rook
I get to the lock between Beverley Beck and the river Hull.

River Hull.
Cormorant fishing in the River Hull.

Time to turn back. I find some Water Soldier plants in Beckside. They are more plentiful near the lock, but I find another near the start of the canal. There are old records of this native species in Beverley, but it hasn't been seen for a long time. It will be interesting to see if it comes back next year. It might just be a release, as the plant is sold as a pond ornamental.

Water Soldier.

Beverley Beck.

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