Close to the heathland, then a working common, he describes a ‘paradise of flowers’ in May on marshy ground, including ‘a blaze of kingcups…immense luminous islands, gigantic buttercups among lush clusters of pink-stemmed burnished leaves of bottle-green…water torches…more burning than any noon’.
Early spring plants
Spring is about four weeks early so Bates’ water torches will be blazing in April.
Less common now, they occur along the stream running along the western margin of the reserve, usually in dappled shade, and again on the Fen section of the reserve off Watery Lane, where they can be seen beyond the bus stop on the A20.