Buchan Country Park 4 June 2017 - taking Bobby for a walk

There are so many places like this around, usually known well by locals but overshadowed by the bigger well known places of interest. It really does take visiting an area often or actually living there to find these hidden gems. Buchan Country Park qualifies.

Part of the park was owned by Lord Erskine who named the estate after his father - the Earl of Buchan. For South Africans, it's not pronounced like the Cederberg plant, Buchu, but rather 'buckan'. The area around Douster and Island Ponds was owned in Victorian times by a French businessman - Phillipe Saillard. 69 Hectares, just outside of Crawley, it's owned and managed by the West Sussex County Council.

Perfect for an afternoon walk.

Isn't this an entirely appropriate gate for the setting?

Meet Bobby. Isn't he the cutest dog?  He belongs to Judy, Dayne's mother-in-law, and we borrowed him for the afternoon. He is also a South African expat.

Down to the pond, with it's quaint stone boathouse.

And the Douster Pond, home to 21 recorded species of dragonfly - making it a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Into the woods ...

Where Bobby was able to connect up with many other canines just by sniffing the Doggy meeting post. Very exciting. Not forgetting to add his mark either.

I love the wooden sculptures sprinkled all around the park and particularly this bench.

Bluebells. I suppose technically it is still spring.

Doggy Dip! Bobby just plonked down into the water without hesitation and it was quite difficult to persuade him to move. Those little legs get tired.

But almost done now, just around another pond

past a totem pole

and that was it.

Cheers to the squirrel.