h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Allan, who organises the wonderful historic walks around Cambridge which I sometimes go on, has started his spring/summer programme - hurray!

Last night I went on a history/wildlife walk around Coldham's Common, the largest green space in Cambridge, finishing at the Leper Chapel, probably Cambridge's oldest building (12th century). It was a fantastic sunny evening, and I didn't need a jacket until about 8.30, after a beautiful sunset.

We heard about:
- the leprosy hospital, the pesthouses and the smallpox hospital (all situated in this area, away from housing clusters)
- the Cambridge coprolite mining boom (no kidding!); coprolites were thought to be fossilised dinosaur droppings - in fact they are a sort of phosphate often found near dinosaur bones, and were used to make the first artificial fertilisers. Lots of agricultural labourers came in from the countryside to work in the mines, because the money was good.

We saw:
- a herd of cows who wandered over to inspect the large group of people (about 50) encroaching on their territory, but wandered off again when Allan started talking about the slaughterhouse which used to stand nearby
- lady's smock/cuckoo flower
- a stem of cow parsley that had been attacked by a rare(ish) beetle called phytoecia cylindrica
- a few frogs
- no bats - disappointing, but it was probably too early in the evening.

There's another walk on Saturday, but I don't think I'll go - I prefer the evening ones.