"I Know a Bank where the Wild Thyme Blows"
(Midsummer Nights Dream)

Anyone who has ever taken an summers evening stroll on the Downs cannot failed to have noticed the scents and aromas of the rich carpet of herbs and grasses that makes chalk downland so unique. Indeed, the smell of wild thyme underfoot is perhaps one of the most evocative scents for those who have been lucky enough to have spent their childhood out and about on the Downs.

For those who have been tempted by it's taste, it's not difficult to see why in times past such plants would have played an important part in the diet and medicine of downland folk, taking advantage of the rich 'natural larder ' on offer. The medicinal and culinary properties of plants has long been recognised and Kentish society would have been no different from anywhere else in passing on knowledge and practices of using plants and herbs for recipes, medicine and other everyday needs. Although much of this knowledge has now been lost in this age of 'over the counter' medicines and foods, there are many clues in the names of the plants themselves which reveal their former uses - Self heal, for example, obviously indicative of it's medicinal properties.

Although the study of plant lore is a fascinating please remember that it is an offence to pick flowers and plants in the wild . Here are are just a few examples of plant lore associated with chalk downland herbs :

Thyme : Recognisable by the low creeping stems and pink flowers. Both large and wild varieties grow on downland. Prized for it's antiseptic properties. In the Middle ages it was thought to impart courage to those who drank a preparation of it. Used as a culinary herb and also to treat chest problems.

Salad Burnet : a short herb with a faint cucumber smell and, as the name suggests, has long been used as a salad 'green'.

Burnet saxifrage : Thin stemmed flower with white 'umbels' formerly used as a medicinal plant to treat stomach troubles.

Cowslip : One of the most well known spring flowers, valued for it's use as a sedative and also to make cowslip wine.

Self Heal : As it's name suggests this purple flowered plant was used in herb medicine to treat wounds and stop bleeding. It is also used as a gargle for sore throats and mouth ulcers.

Scabious : Mauve flowered plant used to treat scabs and skin ulcers.

Marjoram : Wild relative of the cultivated marjoram and used by the greeks as an antidote for poison. Used as a herb for flavouring although not as strongly scented as it's cultivated variety .

Dyers Greenweed : Once widely used as a source of yellow dye obtained from the flowering tops and used to dye cloth. It was also used in herb medicine to treat rheumatism.

Wild Basil: Aromatic, similar to thyme and used in medicine to make a tea which soothes acid indigetion.

Eyebright : Used for eye diseases since the 14th century to treat styes and conjunctivitis. Culpepper the 17th century herbalist "The juice of this herb, taken in white wine, or broth, or dropped into the eyes for several days togfether, helpeth all the infirmities of them"

Finally, those who are less adept in the art of cooking should take heart from the following extract which comes from an 18th century Kentish recipe book :

To make snail water (dated 1737) - a cure for weakness

Take a great peck of snails and a pint of red earthworms made clean by rubbing ym with a dry cloth. Crush ye shells and all in a morter and woden pestel. Just as ye go to infuse lay in ye bottom of your pott 2 handfulls of Angelica and as much celandine, a quart of rosemary flowers, agrimony, betiony, of each 2 handfulls....... Put in ye worms last of all, pour in gentley 3 gallons of ye best Ale you can get......... The way of taking it is 3 spoonfulls of it mixd with 6 or 7 spponfulls of milde beer or ale which agrees best in ye morinign or else in ye afternoon fasting two houres after it.