Northing to do with punctuation (apart from the obvious little mark on the back of its wings). Simply, the weather has warmed up and the butterflies are beginning to appear. This year’s first comma was in Bould Lane – and in Britons Lane, we found the first toothwort we seen in 2026. It was much earlier last year – has it been a cold spring? Perhaps, but not during the past few days…
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Wednesday 18 March: Cannock Chase on a beautiful clear blue sky day: we’ll walk to the visitor centre, where we can have a drink and a bite to eat – a sausage roll perhaps? Sadly, the fine weather has meant stocks are depleted – just toasted sandwiches and a selection of cakes. Disappointment maybe, but not a disaster. On our way back – “Stop! Look!” – there’s an adder, unconcernedly making its way across the path between us. There’s barely time for one hurried photo before it’s gone into the undergrowth, still visible but not photographable (and it’s perhaps wise not to harass it). Definitely a highlight on this very enjoyable wander!
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St Patrick’s Day – and a beautiful day it is too! No shamrocks, but plenty of signs of the developing season in the quiet fields and lanes. The fields are drying out too – no awful unavoidable mud anywhere – and it’s pleasantly warm – no gloves, hat or heavy jacket today. It would be a crime to stay indoors!
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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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A sunny afternoon – we need to be out there enjoying this good weather! As is often the case, the car park is busy, but once we’re more than 15 minutes away from the entrance, there are few others about. That’s despite some kind of cross-country running event – we must have seen at least two runners as we wandered…
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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!
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367465&Y=298391&A=Y&Z=120
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!
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=354660&Y=287281&A=Y&Z=120
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