Village Pond resurrected

 

   Old Village Pond.  Photo. John Elliott.  Click to enlarge

After drying up completely during the late summer, the South Winterborne lived up to its name and started to flow again overnight on 21st October/22nd October.  This ' Wherry breaking ' as it was known by old villagers,is due to the rapidly rising ground water level. which for a while was increasing at 40cms/day. It is now slightly over the normal maximum level but has levelled off to 1cm/day or less so the risk of flooding has eased. One of the former village ponds  in the old cricket field (did you know that if you hit one of the sychamore trees it counted as a six?) now has water in it, presumably spring fed. This pond and the one on the corner opposite East Lodge (now filled in) are shown as permanent features in the maps of 1896 and had a direct connection to the South Winterborne.

 

Magnificent Mushrooms.

 

                              Shaggy Inkcap.   Photo. John Elliott. Click to enlarge.

 

A fine clump of Shaggy Inkcap, Coprinus comatus, which has appeared for a second year by Fouracres gate at the eastern end of the village. Sometimes known as the Lawyer's Wig from the shaggy, woolly scales that form on the surface. this fungus is regarded as one of the best edible species while the fruitbodies are still young and the gills white. The gills finally liquify and turn black releasing the spores.

If drinking alcohol while eating this mushroom, make sure you are not confusing it with the Common Inkcap (C. atramentarius). Alcohol and Common Inkcap consumed together lead to vomitting and palpitations.