Category: Shropshire hills

A hazy day on Wenlock Edge

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks1 Comment

The views wouldn’t be great today. It was very hazy, and there was little chance of sunshine. A walk in woodland might be good – how about Wenlock Edge? There’s a little NT car park where the Hughley road leaves the Wenlock – Stretton road. We could walk along the edge path above the quarries, then back along the track through the woods, a little lower down. We could walk, that is, where the path was fit for walking. No farmers’ tractors this time, just the popularity of the path to blame for the mud, in places barely passable. There may not have been any distant views – a clearing in the trees provides a viewpoint for the Wrekin, way beyond the limit of visibility this afternoon – but it was pleasantly atmospheric, and was it a touch warmer than recently?

MapView OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359285&Y=298596&A=Y&Z=120

Sunspots and Thresholds

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Thresholds is a farm, at the northern end of Betchcott hill, between Picklescott and Ratlinghope (yes, really – this is Shropshire); sunspots are sunspots. The morning’s mist cleared to a blue sky; we chose a route which should make the most of the sunshine. There’s no wind to speak of, it’s a beautiful afternoon to be out on the hills. There’s still some snow too – it’s melting, but there’s plenty of white in the landscape. As we drove to the start of the walk, we could see banks of mist away to the north, with the Wrekin behind. As we turned back towards the car at Thresholds, the view to the north opened up again – in the place of the mist, there was a sea of murk. Before we knew it, the murk had engulfed us – not thick fog, but an eerie mist through which a pale sun was barely visible.

Sunspots: I took a couple of pictures of the aforementioned pale sun with the lens at full zoom; when I studied them 1:1 on the computer screen, I could see darker spots on the sun. First thought: dust spots on the camera sensor. Then I realised they were in the same place on the sun in both pictures, though the sun was in a different part of the picture. A quick check on the web – see http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/synoptic/sunspots_earth/sunspots_512_20150208.jpg – confirmed my guess. Sunspots! Haven’t seen sunspots before…

Map

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=342310&Y=297956&A=Y&Z=120

Snow on the Wrekin

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It’s not a very high peak, but snow on top made the Wrekin look most inviting. I accepted! It’s cold today –  lower down, on the northern slopes, the mud on the path was frozen hard. Higher up, the snow had been well trodden and polished, and the path was treacherous. The antics of descending walkers persuaded me to continue over the top and down through the trees towards Little Hill, to return through the woodland. The sun, which had sneaked behind a patch of cloud, came back out and shone brightly again once I was well into the forest. There’s no snow down here, and the air has been warmed a little – there’s serious mud…

MapView OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=362970&Y=308206&A=Y&Z=120

January on the Mynd

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks2 Comments

We’ve done it many times, always with subtle variations. The afternoon was too good to waste – leaving the car in the Carding Mill Valley, we walked up Townbrook Valley onto the ridge and on to Pole Bank. The air was growing cold as we headed back towards Mott’s Road; if we’d done this a month ago, it would have been dark by the time we got back to the car.

Map

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=343320&Y=294676&A=Y&Z=120

Clee Murk

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks1 Comment

Thursday: there was a chance that the sun might break through later in the afternoon – it was trying when we left home. It failed – though sunbeams to the south showed success elsewhere. It was cold on Clee Hill, with patches of snow, and the views weren’t great – the hills beyond Ludlow more sensed than seen. It’s not pretty up here – a bleak landscape, with much evidence of past industrial activity. But it’s atmospheric today, and the old workings are interesting. We started out from Clee Hill village, past the noisy working quarry, and headed north-eastwards to Magpie Hill. Our return was by Random Farm and the three-forked pole (see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/607144), descending from Hoar Edge (and its frost…) to the Titterstone road. From the top of the old incline, we followed the route of the railway (more industrial evidence) back towards the car. An enjoyable afternoon.

MapView OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=360005&Y=276536&A=Y&Z=120

Munslow Mud

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks2 Comments

Saturday afternoon: we’re out on the Wenlock Edge, enjoying some winter sunshine. There was a moderate sprinkling of snow at home – perhaps there would be a bit more up on the edge? No such luck – just an occasional dusting to prove we were in the same county. Sadly, one or two short stretches of the (public foot)path have been deeply churned by tractor tyres and are almost unwalkable. In fact they are unwalkable. The only progress that can be made – very cautious hedge-hanging, slithering and clambering out of one rut into another – cannot be described as walking. We’ve walked these same paths and tracks in previous winters, and one or two stretches can get a bit sticky, but now they’re seriously damaged. (Did the local farmer get a new tractor for Christmas? One of those really huge, heavy monsters that completely fill the lanes? I hope it came with a rut-filling attachment…)

Calm before…

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…the high winds and heavy rain, forecast for tomorrow. It wasn’t completely calm today – there was a light breeze, and it was pleasant to be out in the country to the south of Shrewsbury. Lyth Hill is a tremendous viewpoint for the Shropshire hills – it’s also a popular spot for the dog-walkers. We left them behind as we descended towards Exfords Green, past the venison farm. By the time we got back to the car, the day was changing…

MapOr view OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=346640&Y=306321&A=Y&Z=120

Winter sun

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There was still evidence of Saturday’s snow showers on the Stretton hills. We should have been out enjoying the conditions on Sunday, or yesterday, but other transport arrangements got in the way. No such problems today, and once again, the sun was bright and the frost hard – the mud on the path to Hope Bowdler was well-frozen. It’s the walk we did in November (“To the Battlestones“), though today we started from the parking space below the Gaer Stone. Most enjoyable it was too!

Wandering

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills1 Comment

I wasn’t certain where I was headed when I set out with the camera – perhaps the higher ground with a view to the west? There’s not much light at this time of year – some strong sunshine would have been good, but the clouds generally got the better of the sun. A cool and stiff breeze too, to blow away the cobwebs…