Cool in Comer Woods

A day of still air and strong sunshine – it’s going to be warm this afternoon. Comer Woods should be ideal. It’s very pleasant here under under the trees and beside the pools, and it’s fairly quiet today. A cold drink at the cafe might have been a perfect end to our wanderings, but it closes at 3pm – abut a minute before we got there, in other words…
The car said the air temperature was 25C as we approached Bridgnorth, on our way home. It won’t last…

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Not Hurst Farm and Aldenham

There were cows in the field (bullocks, I realised later), and one of us wouldn’t enjoy that part of the walk, especially as we’d have to pass them in both directions, at the start and end of our outing. So, without moving the car, we’ll turn through 180° and do the Round Hill / Ned’s Lane / Smithies walk (very pleasant it is too, on this warm afternoon).

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Forgot the camera…

…and the chocolate (it was in the camera bag. Almost suffered a mutiny…). The phone can substitute for the former; there’s no substitute for the latter.
It rained all morning, but the Met Office seems to think there will be a window between 2pm and 4pm (and perhaps this evening). So, we’re enjoying (mostly) a walk along Shirlett Lane, with some bright and warm sunshine. The air smells fresh and green, the birds are singing – what more could one want? (No, don’t say it.) As we walk back, there’s some heavy cloud in the west – someone’s getting wet, but not us. We’ve timed it to perfection – seconds after entering the house, there’s a heavy shower! (Chocolate, anyone?)

Chatwall and Enchmarsh…

…and Hoar Edge, from Cardington. A fine, sunny Easter Sunday – can we avoid the crowds? It’s not difficult in this part of the world. The car park at Cardington might be full? It wasn’t – space for several more. We’ve walked along the lane on Yell Bank several times; today we’re walking part of the parallel ridge just a few hundred yards to the west – Hoar Edge, on a pleasantly walkable rough track.
A narrow neck of land joins the two ridges – it forms the watershed (where there is, literally, a shed – and a barn) between two local brooks – Bullhill Brook and the headwaters of Cound Brook. They join at Cound and enter the Severn very soon after. Just yards further south, beyond Enchmarsh, water flows southwards to join (eventually) the Onny and then the Teme – which will enter the Severn just south of Worcester. I think that’s fascinating; I may be in a small minority…
…and I may be alone in thinking Chatwall and Enchmarsh sound like the co-authors of a particularly dull text book.

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Cardiff, Swansea and the Central Wales line

Wednesday 19 April: They call it the ‘Heart of Wales line’ these days. We’re on a day out – a ’round robin’ ticket for a scenic circular tour. The line down to Newport (and thence Cardiff) runs through attractive Marches countryside, but the Swansea to Craven Arms (and Shrewsbury) line is truly scenic on this fine spring day. Between the two lines, Cardiff and Swanses provide some railway interest. Visit Central Wales circular on Geoff’s Rail Diaries for an illustrated full account.