The old dirt path has been upgraded by the council & is now a hard surfaced combined cycle & pedestrian path which links Maidstone town centre with Aylesford & Barming. The path is lined with wild flowers such as cow parsley & Russian comfrey. The latter is non-native & rather invasive but it provides a useful nectar source for many bees & other insects.
East Farleigh bridge & locks lie not far upstream from Tovil. The medieval bridge was built using Kentish ragstone during the 14th century. It claims to be the oldest bridge in Kent. The river was not navigable by larger vessels above this point until the 1740’s when major works were carried out to raise water levels. Up until then cargos had to be off loaded in Maidstone & taken to Wealden destinations by horse & cart.
The pretty ivy-leaved toad flax grows between the ragstone blocks of the bridge. It is a plant native to S. Europe & was introduced to UK several hundred years ago.
Hedgerow cranesbill, another abundant wildflower along the way.
The beautiful banded demoiselle can be seen on some stretches of the river. It is one of our larger damselflies.
The river near the bridge at Barming. Up until the 1740’s people crossed the river here by a ford which became impassable when water levels were raised to improve navigation for larger boats on the river. A wooden bridge was erected in its place after protests by local people. The current structure dates from 1996.
The pretty yellow crosswort flowers near the river at Barming. It is a member of the bedstraw family.
The dog rose is coming into its own at present.
House boats line the river bank at Tovil.
This beautiful little beetle is the cinnamon bug ( corizus hyoscyami ).it is increasing its range in the UK due to climate change.
No comments:
Post a Comment