Author: geoffspages

Titterstone Clee and Croft: a day of two halves

On By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Tuesday: We’ve had a very pleasant overnight stay in Ludlow, and now we’re looking for some not-too-energetic entertainment – it’s a warm morning, though the weather is gradually changing. The view from the top of Titterstone Clee could be good, and it’s a gentle stroll up from the car, parked on the old quarry level (it was, and it was…).

The tea-room at Croft Castle would be good for a lunch break – afterwards, we would walk up to Croft Ambrey, where the hill fort provides fine views of the Welsh border hills. The chestnuts in the park are increasingly decrepit;  replacement saplings grow nearby. We’ll return to the car by the wooded Fishpool Valley. There’s not much water in the pools – I suspect that’s going to change over the next couple of days.

Croft Castle and Parkland NT

Lower Brockhampton and Harold

On By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, Photography1 Comment

Monday 28th July: it’s an impossibly quaint house, with matching gatehouse, in the depths of the Herefordshire countryside just to the east of Bromyard. One of those places where none of the floors are quite level, none of the verticals fit to be so described.

There are walks in the woods nearby (after the obligatory ice creams – it was a warm afternoon) – down to the brook where Harold the wooden horse drinks, then a gentle ascent to the Lawn Pool. Muddy water almost, but not quite, hides the huge carp cruising just below the surface.

Brockhampton Estate NT

Beside the Canal

On By geoffspagesIn PhotographyLeave a comment

Audlem Festival of Transport, based on the Shropshire Union Canal and its flight of 15 locks – forty or more boats and, on the Sunday, a gathering of “historic road vehicles”. The latter seemed mostly to be cars, and many didn’t appear to be very old (which probably says more about me than the vehicles). I’m sure their owners loved them anyway. There were one or two other items of interest – a couple of nice old half-cab double-decker buses, and a traction engine ticking over quietly. The canal towpath was the place to be – lots of colour, lots of boats (traffic jams…). Great fun!

Cloudy Clee

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

After a very warm and sunny morning, the clouds have gathered, though it’s still warm and humid. Rain is forecast for the evening, but in the meantime, it would be good to be somewhere high, perhaps cooler and breezy. Can’t get anywhere higher, within the county, than Brown Clee.

It’s not far to the picnic area near Ditton Priors, a useful place to leave the car and an ideal starting point for easy ascents. The direct route would do for the return, in the meantime, we’ll take a slightly longer path – not the estate road which we’ve used before, but a higher track which leads steadily, on the gentlest of gradients, to the col between the hill’s twin summits. It’s been pleasant enough amongst the trees, and there have been some extensive views to the east; now we’re on the west-facing side and the views are immeasurably better – and there’s a very pleasant cooling breeze.

The direct path takes us back to the car – and we’ve left the passenger-side window wide open. I don’t think anyone has noticed.

Biddulph Grange

On By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, PhotographyLeave a comment

It’s a bright sunny day – far too good to stay at home. “How about Biddulph Grange? We could get some oatcakes on the way”. No further discussion required. The gardens at Biddulph are wonderful – different compartments connected by unlikely hidden tunnels and stairways – great fun! (The oatcakes – bought on the outward journey, and sampled when we’re home again, are pretty good too.)

Biddulph Grange NT

Nut Batch and the Lone Pine

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Priors Holt, at the entrance to Nut Batch on the Long Mynd, is a good place to start a short walk. It’s also generally reckoned, amongst those who know of such things, to be the model for children’s author Malcolm Saville’s “Witchend”, the home of the “Lone Pine Club”. “Where’s the lone pine?”, asked my wife. I guess the club predated the Forestry Commission’s activities in these parts – there’s no sign of it.

The same body’s forest track provides an easy, gently graded route (beware of bmx bikes…) to the summit ridge of the Mynd , where we’re at last free from the trees. As ever, the views into mid-Wales are extensive, and there’s something of Arcadia (capital: Bishop’s Castle) in the middle distance, where lush pastures are encircled by hills.

We’ll return by a route we’ve not tried before, skirting the forest’s south-west flank, before entering the plantations and following a fairly clear path downhill. It’s probably a very clear path in the winter, but at this time of year it’s very nearly impassable, with head-high bracken, and interlocking brambles grabbing us in a most unfriendly manner. At least we found the (a) lone pine. Note to self: bring machete next time.