Cradle of Life
Crofton Woods, England
Ferns are in abundance right now by East Kyd Brook. The new fronds of hart's-tongue are charming and maybe I will post a photo of those soon, but this Dryopteris Affinis has been on my radar since I explored along the brook a couple of weeks ago.
Confusingly, East Kyd Brook, as it is labelled on maps when it is labelled at all, is to the west of Kyd Brook. Perhaps there is or was another branch of the tributary of the River Quaggy somewhere further to the west, though if so then it is probably somewhat hidden and inaccessible now due to housing around.
Local historian Paul Browning's blog Running Past provides an amazingly forensic account of the River Quaggy and it's tributaries - a herculean task. OS maps don't help much and it was always a mystery to me where the Kyd Brook came from and where it went when periodically disappearing from the map.