Knocking ho! I mean Knocking Hoe which is the name of the nature reserve I walked out to today from Hitchin, Hertfordshire. There is a range of chalk hills which straddle the border between Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire where the bulge of the Chilterns meets the flatlands of East Anglia. They include a number of areas which are surviving examples of unimproved grassland, including Knocking Hoe.

 A path circles around the reserve and I made a point of sticking to it because the slopes have an abundance of rare plant species.

 I circumnavigated the knoll which is the highest point of the reserve.

 This is the view looking up the dry valley towards the point where I took the first photograph of this entry looking down. Note the gradations of strip lynchets, part of the palimpsest of the ancient history of this landscape.

 At first glance the thin, chalky soil might seem unpromising for plant spotting...

 But a rich flora is to be found at ground level. Always lovely to see orchids. Knocking Hoe is noted as a habitat for the very rare Burnt-Tip Orchid but these are another species I think, Pyramidal Orchid perhaps?

 The numerous anthills are an intriguing feature. They are known to be an important component of grassland habitats. Not only are they part of the whole tapestry of flora and fauna they also constitute micro ecosystems in their own right.