Carnage and Henley

On 26 Jul 202026 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Blame Spooner! We’re wandering along the lanes below the Wenlock Edge, through Kenley and past Harnage Grange. There are showers about, and we have to take shelter below a huge oak tree for a minute or two – the rain’s soon blown past. Before the rain, the butterflies were out in colourful profusion, mostly too active for photography, but one or two pose obligingly.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=356695&Y=301410&A=Y&Z=120

Still dull…

On 25 Jul 202025 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn PhotographyLeave a comment

Grey skies again, and it is still – barely a breath of wind. The Met Office said <5% chance of rain at 3pm and 4pm, so we must have been unlucky. A light rain began to fall 20 minutes into our walk, and felt a little heavier as we neared our intended turning point – we’ll turn back… No, we didn’t get wet, but now, at 6pm, it’s pouring down! Thunder and lightning!

A grey evening

On 24 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

There aren’t going to be any prize-winning photos this evening, but it’s pleasant to be out, down the lane to Hawthorn Bank, through the woods with the green mossy carpet. It’s dark in there!

An evening stroll…

On 23 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn PhotographyLeave a comment

…with the camera. If we’re lucky (we were!), it won’t rain on us. It’s quiet this evening, hardly anyone else about.

Convolvulus and cuckoo pint

On 22 Jul 202022 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Ned’s Lane, Willey and Linley Brook – four quiet miles on a quiet afternoon. The cuckoo pint berries are prominent low in the hedges near Lower Pool, and the pure white of the convolvulus catches the eye in the higher reaches of Bould Lane and beyond.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367490&Y=297955&A=Y&Z=120

Somewhere in Mynd?

On 21 Jul 202022 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Arranging a day’s walking: “where shall we go?” “I’ve got somewhere in mind…” Yes, a day on the Long Mynd. Haven’t been up there for ages.

Carding Mill Valley is horribly busy, but five minutes later we’ve left it all behind, and we’re enjoying a mostly-quiet and easy, if somewhat indirect ascent to the ridge. Predictably, from the top of Mott’s Road to the highest point at Pole Bank, there are others about (but only a very small proportion of those in the valley make it this far). Leaving Pole bank is to leave the crowds (I exaggerate. There were three others there), and our descent, by the Yearlet / Ashlet ridge, is comfortably quiet. A very enjoyable outing (but we won’t be hurrying back to Carding Mill Valley just yet…)

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=344030&Y=295120&A=Y&Z=120

Untrodden ways

On 20 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks2 Comments

We’re exploring today – quiet farm tracks which we’ve not trodden before, and paths through fields of ripe wheat. If the weather holds, they will very soon be stubble. As well as the usual enjoyable views, there are hundreds of butterflies, most of which are nervous, but one or two pose obligingly for the camera.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=360205&Y=297700&A=Y&Z=120

The value of variety

On 19 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

We walked this way little more than two weeks ago, when the weather had been damp. Today’s dry and sunny – quite different. That sums up the route too – each short stretch is quite different from the others. We start beside, and through, fields of ripe wheat. The next field is sheepy, then there’s the leafy way to Barrow and its ancient little church. A march down the road is unavoidable, before we leave it for pine woods, to walk past Wildwoods and up the sunken lane, then descend beside the estate wall to Willey. Willey is certainly “different”, medieval in appearance. Next, a very quiet narrow road leads us to Lower Pool, then up Ned’s Lane we go, to finish along Shirlett Lane, with its wooded stretches and some open views to Brown Clee and the Wrekin. Most enjoyable – never a dull moment!

View OS map on Streetmap http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=366190&Y=298996&A=Y&Z=120

Astley Abbots and Colemore Green

On 17 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

It was an enjoyable afternoon wander, though the photography was somewhat limited. I’d remembered the camera, but its battery and memory card were still in the charger and card reader at home. Spare battery? It was flat. Spare memory card? In the other camera bag. I’ll have to use the phone camera. As expected, there were few other people around, and those we met were all on the old railway track or the riverside path.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=370980&Y=297385&A=Y&Z=120

Flora and fauna

On 16 Jul 202016 Jul 2020 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

We’re sitting in the chocolate seat, enjoying a couple of minutes rest. “Look, there’s a rabbit” “No, it’s a hare!” Inevitably, he’s long gone by the time the camera is pointing in the right direction. Some of the butterflies are more obliging, and there are electric-blue damselflies on a branch in Shore Pool. A few poppies in the wheat catch the eye – as does a huge toast-coloured toadstool. An enjoyable afternoon outing!