Once again, we’re making the best of some fine weather – there could be some heavy showers later (there were!). Once again, it’s that symmetrical walk (see the map). More to the point, it’s a fine airy stroll, ideal on a morning like this – cold air, warm sunshine

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Via Harnage Grange – a leg stretch on a bright and breezy day. It’s colourful too – new leaves appearing, and more firsts – first violets, first stitchwort. It’s very pleasant in this quiet countryside below Wenlock Edge.

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Colour on a drab misty day… A regular route – start at Bedlam, cross the Severn on the Free Bridge, down to Jackfield, over the footbridge to Coalport and the old china works, back over the river by the Coalport bridge, and back to Jackfield along the old railway track. That’s where the elf cups are – eye-catching little spots of scarlet along the edges of the brown but increasingly green side of the path.

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There’s no shortage of it, though there’s still more to come. Mostly, but not all, blackthorn. Mostly, but not all, white. There’s one very pink treeful at Lower Severn Hall, and some of the white blossom looks creamy-coloured from a distance.
The old railway trackbed is a scene of devastation, much changed since our last visit (Christmas eve). The signs say some of the trees were diseased (ash die-back?) and dangerous. In time, no doubt, things will green up, but at present its a muddy mess!

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…we’ll wander around the Willey lanes. It’s not particularly bright (we were out and home again before the promised sunshine) but it’s a pleasant early-spring morning, and it’s good to be out!

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Rain overnight – there’s water running everywhere! Yet again, we’re limited to well-surfaced ways – not a problem if they’re quiet, and these lanes in Corvedale, from Baucott via Broncroft to Tugford and back certainly meet that description. It’s a fine afternoon – cool, but intermittently sunny, with very solid-looking white clouds against a deep blue sky. Spring begins tomorrow!

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It looks like being grey this afternoon – so we’ll go for a quick short stroll before lunch. The circuit from Benthall Hall car park, down the lane and around to Wyke will be good, and it’s not going to delay lunch too much either.

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Tuesday 24 February: dry, mild, sunny, just a light breeze – who could want more? The walk from Willey village hall takes me up through the woods to Shirlett. A path across the fields – and a couple of wooded dingles – leads me to Barrow. The least pleasant stretch is the walk down the side of the Broseley – Wenlock road, but it’s less than a mile and downhill all the way. Now I’m in the woods again, and on up the old hollow way to the crest of the ridge – and back down to Willey. What an enjoyable afternoon – and (apart from one or two cars on the road from Barrow) I’ve had it all to myself.

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A very welcome warmer day! Just three days ago, it was 3C at Church Preen. Today, just a mile or two to the south, it was 13C – positively balmy! It was certainly very pleasant for this walk in the quiet countryside to the north-east of Cardington. Gloves and hat in pocket!

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