The route map of our walk

We hadn't been to Hamsterley Forest since Boxing Day last year so we decided to pay visit today and look for wild flowers in the forest

The first ones we saw were Buttercups, think these are the 'Goldilocks' variety

Meadow Cranesbill

Bugle

Speedwell

We also saw a few butterflies, this one is a 'Painted Lady'

There were still a few Blue Bells to be found

Wild Strawberries

There were plenty of conifers and bracken to be seen

Tim was his usual cheeky self!

Birdsfoot Trefoil or sometimes known as 'Eggs and Bacon' because of its colour?

The ever present Daisy

More Speedwell

and a close up of one of the flower heads

Larch needles and cones

A view across the Euden Beck valley to Black Hill

As well as the bracken there were also loads of other ferns growing along the verges of the forest roads

This one looked very similar to the Welsh Poppy, which grows in our garden at home. But the flowers were bright orange, only place we could find any reference to it was in a seed catalogue as an Orange Eyed Poppy, so it may have escaped from a garden?

A Rowan or Mountain Ash, it will be covered in bright red berries later in the year

This one is a Cuckoo Flower (Thanks to everyone that helped me identify this one!)

As we reached the top of Neighbour Moor the rain clouds appeared and we got a few light showers

Pennington Beech wood

Where the trees had been cleared the wild flowers covered the forest floor

Common Mouse Ear

Loads more Buttercups and a few Red Dead Nettles

Foxgloves

Think this one is a Tufted Vetch?

On all the south facing slopes there were loads of Wood Ant nests

Oxeye Daises

Tim having a post walk dip to cool off!