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Elham, Kent
Elham (pronounced Eel-um) is a village and civil parish in East Kent situated approximately south of Canterbury and north west of Folkestone in the Elham Valley. At the 2011 Census the population included the hamlet of Ottinge and village of Wingmore. History Toponymy The origin of the village's name has always been a matter of argument. The village is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Alham''. The suffix "ham" is derived from the Old English "ham" meaning "homestead" or "hamm" meaning "meadow". The village may be the ''Ulaham'' referred to in an Anglo Saxon charter of 855 AD in which case the name means "homestead of a person named Ula". Indeed local legend has it the large chalk foundation stones of the Palace of Ula can be seen in the cellar of Flint Cottage. Another possibility is that the name originates from the presence of eels known to be found in the Nailbourne centuries ago. *To note an eel was caught in the Nailbourne by Tim Elgar in the nineteen se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tolsford Hill
The Folkestone Downs are an area of chalk downland above Folkestone, where the eastern end of the North Downs escarpment meets the English Channel. Part of the Downs is the Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated for its geological and biological interest. Topography Folkestone Downs stretch for 5 kilometres from East Cliff and Warren Country Park in the east to Peene Quarry in the west. The downs rise steeply above the town of Folkestone to heights in excess of 150 metres. The highest point is Dover Hill at 170 metres. The Channel Tunnel Terminal lies at the foot of the downs and the British portal is directly below the slopes of Castle Hill. The downland is classified as CG4 ''Brachypodium pinnatum'' and CG5 ''Bromus erectus - Brachypodium pinnatum'' calcareous grassland with smaller areas of CG2 ''Festuca ovina - Avenula pratensis'' grassland. There are also areas of scrubland and woodland. Ecology Flora Folkestone Downs is one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lyminge
Lyminge is a village in southeast Kent, England. It lies about five miles (8 km) from Folkestone and the Channel Tunnel, on the road passing through the Elham Valley. At the 2011 Census the population of Etchinghill was included. The Nailbourne stream begins in the village and flows north through the Valley, to become one of the tributary streams of the Great Stour. The hamlet of Ottinge lies to the NE on the road to Elham. Lyminge is home to the Grade II* listed Sibton Park, now owned by the Holiday Property Bond but previously a school. The village is surrounded by farmland and ancient forests. There is a wide variety of flora and fauna in the surrounding area, including badgers, various species of deer along with wild boar which are thought to have escaped from farmed populations. Lyminge was a royal centre of the Kingdom of Kent of Anglo-Saxon England and a church was founded in 633. Church One of the oldest standing structures in the village is the Parish Chu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Park Gate Down
Park Gate Down or Parkgate Down is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of Stelling Minnis in Kent. It is also a Special Area of Conservation and is managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust, Topography Park Gate Down is located at (Ordnance Survey reference ) and covers seven hectares on the eastern slopes of a dry valley on the dip slope of the North Downs. The reserve is predominantly chalk grassland although the eastern fringes consist of a mixture of woodland and scrub which is partially situated on a layer of clay with flints that caps the chalk. In the south eastern corner of the reserve is a disused chalk pit and the western and northern area of the reserve borders on Elham Park Wood. To the south of the reserve is an area of land managed under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme which is being reverted from arable land to chalk downland. Ecology Flora The dominant chalk grassland community at Park Gate Down is CG4 ''Brachypodium pinnatum''. However, f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anacamptis Pyramidalis
''Anacamptis pyramidalis'', the pyramidal orchid, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus ''Anacamptis'' of the family Orchidaceae. The scientific name ''Anacamptis'' derives from Greek ανακάμτειν 'anakamptein' meaning 'bend forward', while the Latin name ''pyramidalis'' refers to the pyramidal form of the inflorescence. Description This hardy plant reaches on average of height, with a maximum of . The stem is erect and unbranched. The basal leaves are linear-lanceolate with parallel venation, up to long, the cauline ones are shorter and barely visible on the stem. The arrangement of hermaphroditic flowers in a compact pyramidal shape is very distinctive and gives the orchid its common name. The colour of the flower varies from pink to purple, or rarely white, and the scent is described as "foxy". The flowers have six tepals, being three small sepals and three petals. Two small petals are on the sides, while the third and lower ( labellum) is large ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dactylorhiza Fuchsii
''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'', the common spotted orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' is one of Europe's commonest wild orchids. It is widespread across much of Europe, with the range extending eastward into Siberia, Mongolia and Xinjiang. The species is also reportedly naturalised in the Canadian Province of Ontario. ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' is a herbaceous perennial plant ranging from in height. The inflorescence is a dense-flowered spike, produced in June–August, that is at first conical then cylindrical. The flower colour can vary from white to pale purple with purple spots, a symmetrical pattern of dark purple loops or dots and dashes. The lip has three lobes. The bracts are usually shorter than the flower. The lip is smaller than that of the very similar ''Dactylorhiza maculata'' and has three deeper cuts. The middle lobe is more than half as large as a lateral lobe. Some colonies are highly perfumed, attractive t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gymnadenia Conopsea
''Gymnadenia conopsea'', commonly known as the fragrant orchid or chalk fragrant orchid, is a herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae native to northern Europe. Etymology The name of the genus ''Gymnadenia'' is formed from Greek words (', "nude") and (', "gland") and refers to the characteristics of the organs for secreting nectar. The specific Latin name "conopsea" derives from the Greek ' ('), literally meaning "mosquito-like", probably because of the similarity of the long spur of the flower with the mouthparts of a mosquito. The scientific binomial name of this plant was initially ''Orchis conopsea'', proposed by the Swedish naturalist and botanist Carl von Linné (1707–1778) in his ' of 1753. The name has been subsequently amended to the one currently accepted (''Gymnadenia conopsea''), by the British botanist Robert Brown (1773–1858) in 1813. In German, this plant is called ' or '; in French, is called ' or '; in Italy, it is called ' ("pink hand"); in Croatian, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanguisorba Minor
''Sanguisorba minor'', the salad burnet, garden burnet, small burnet, burnet (also used for ''Sanguisorba'' generally), pimpernelle, Toper's plant, and burnet-bloodwort, is an edible perennial herbaceous plant in the family Rosaceae. It has ferny, toothed-leaf foliage; the unusual crimson, spherical flower clusters rise well above the leaves on thin stems. It generally grows to 25–55 cm tall (moisture-dependent; as short as 2 cm in dry areas). The large, long (sometimes 1m/3-foot), taproots store water, making it drought-tolerant. It is evergreen to semi-evergreen; in warmer climates grows all year around, and in cold climates it stays green until heavy snow cover occurs. Plants may live over 20 years, though 7-12 is more usual; it lives longer if sometimes permitted to set seed. Burnet flowers in early summer. Subspecies include ''muricata'', ''minor'', and ''mongolii'' (the last from the Mediterranean). Occurrence Salad burnet is native to western, central and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knautia Arvensis
''Knautia arvensis'', commonly known as field scabious, is a herbaceous perennial species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. Description It is a perennial plant that grows between . It prefers grassy places and dry soils, avoiding heavy soils, and flowers between July and September. The flowers are borne on inflorescences in the form of heads; each head contains many small florets. The head is flatter than in similar species, such as devil's bit scabious (''Succisa pratensis'') and small scabious (''Scabiosa columbaria''). There are 4 stamens in each floret, and 1 notched long stigma. The fruit is nut like, cylindrical and hairy, in size. It has a tap root. The stem has long stiff hairs angled downwards. The leaves form a basal rosette, are paired on the stem, the lowest typically long, spear shaped, whereas the upper are smaller. There are no stipules. Ecology It is occasionally used by the marsh fritillary as a foodplant instead of its usual ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polygala Vulgaris
''Polygala vulgaris'', known as the common milkwort, is a herbaceous perennial plant of the genus ''Polygala'' in the family Polygalaceae. Description The biological form of ''Polygala vulgaris'' is '' hemicryptophyte'' ''scapose'',Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. II, pag. 32 as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves. ''Polygala vulgaris'' reaches on average in height. The stems have many branches and are woody at the base. It has alternating pointed leaves, almost glabrous, 2 to 4 mm wide and 10 to 20 mm long. Basal leaves are spatulate, with rounded apex, while the upper leaves are lanceolate. The flowers are gathered in long terminal inflorescences. The colour of the corolla varies between blue and violet, it can rarely occur in purple forms. The flower's outer three sepals are normally small, green and insignificant, whilst the inner two sepals are bigger ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kent Downs
The Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Kent, England. They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/ Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover, including a small section of the London Borough of Bromley. The AONB also includes the Greensand Ridge, a prominent sandstone escarpment which lies south of the chalk escarpment of the North Downs. It was first designated as an AONB in July 1968 and covers 878 square km (326 square miles). The AONB's highest point is Toy's Hill, at 250m above sea level, and its boundaries include three main rivers: the Darent, Medway and Stour. To the west, Surrey Hills AONB adjoins the Kent Downs AONB, and includes a continuation of the North Downs chalk ridge which runs through the Kent Downs, stretching from Farnham to the English Channel and reappearing within the Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale in France. High Weald AONB lies to the south east, separated by a distance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs): the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs. The North Downs Way National Trail runs along the North Downs from Farnham to Dover. The highest point in the North Downs is Botley Hill, Surrey ( above sea level). The ''County Top'' of Kent is Betsom's Hill ( above sea level), which is less than 1 km from Westerham Heights, Bromley, the highest point in Greater London at an elevation of . Etymology 'Downs' is from Old English ''dun'', meaning, amongst other things, "hill". The word acquired the sense of "elevated rolling grassland" around the 14th century. The name contains "North" to distinguish them from a similar range of hills – the South Downs – which runs roughly parallel to them but some to the south. Geography The narrow spine of the Hog's Back between ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pre-school Playgroup
A pre-school playgroup, or in everyday usage just a playgroup, is an organised group providing care and socialisation for children under five. The term is widely used in the United Kingdom. Playgroups are less formal than the preschool education of nursery schools. They do not provide full-time care, operating for only a few hours a day during school term time, often in the mornings only. They are staffed by nursery nurses or volunteers, not by nursery teachers, and are run by private individuals or charities, rather than by the state or companies. In the United Kingdom, since around the 1980s, the traditional territory of the playgroup has been encroached on by the expansion of more formal nursery education, and playgroups often now cater only for two- and three-year-olds before they move onto a nursery school. Over the same period there has been an increase in the state supervision of playgroups. Playgroups in the United States In the United States, a playgroup is an organizati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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