… because it’s going to rain this afternoon. As ever at this time of year, there’s plenty of colour in the hedgerows around Willey
View OS map in Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367470&Y=298250&A=Y&Z=120
Up here, on the Wenlock Edge, it’s predominantly at the blue, indigo and violet end of the spectrum. There are pyramidal orchids by the dozen, along with hairy bellflowers, vetch and some rather flamboyant knapweed. It’s a colourful month in these parts.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=359435&Y=298335&A=Y&Z=120
It’s a fine July afternoon, occasionally warm in the sunshine and very pleasant in the lanes up to (and down from) Church Preen. There are one or two signs of the coming autumn (though it’s some way off yet) – swelling wild greengages and damsons, and the remarkable red leaves of herb robert.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=354860&Y=298485&A=Y&Z=120
After a wet morning and a so-so afternoon, it would be a crime not to enjoy an evening like this!
Quiet lanes – apart from the birds. They were singing merrily near Hazel cottage – Merlin says my recording includes chiffchaff, blackbird, thrush, goldcrest, wren and chaffinch. I think his ears are better tuned than mine…
View OS map in Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367470&Y=298250&A=Y&Z=120
It’s a fine sunny evening – an hour beside the river at Ironbridge will be perfect for a leg stretch and some fresh air
… and maybe bees? Around this time last year, we walked this way and found a bee orchid, the first we’d ever seen (https://geoffspages.blog/2023/06/08/the-bee-that-did-not-buzz/). Perhaps we can repeat the trick? Perhaps not… There would be some pyramid orchids, surely? Yes, but only a few. I think it was warmer in June ’23. Plenty of other things to see, especially now the wild rose – it’s really in the pink…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=359225&Y=298565&A=Y&Z=120
We’re heading for Shrewsbury (a quick shopping trip) – “we could go before lunch, and have a walk in the woods on Haughmond Hill” (and we could lunch at the café – excellent bacon sandwiches). Shopping? The Oxfam bookshop in Dogpole was possibly the most fruitful bit, certainly the most interesting…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=354175&Y=314015&A=Y&Z=120
A fine afternoon in a quiet part of the county – starting from the end of the Hurst Farm lane, we’re heading up Round Hill, down Ned’s Lane and around the Willey loop. We’ll start with the cows – the Round Hill belties – and end with sow thistle and cow parsley…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367585&Y=297825&A=Y&Z=120
Another blue sky Sunday! It would be good to take a picnic lunch and eat en route – let’s go to Mortimer Forest. We can walk up to High Vinnalls (there’s a bench for our picnic on the way), admire the view, then walk across the top of Hanway Common and drop down to Richard’s Castle.
The picnic place was perfect (only two other walkers passed), the view from High Vinnalls was wonderful. The descent to Richard’s Castle was not on… There’s a herd of cows with young-looking calves in the field we must cross, and one of us had read, just a day ago, of the fate of two walkers trampled in such a field – one killed and the other paralysed. “No!” We’ll retrace our steps to an alternative. The descent of Hanway Common, was pleasant; the sheep and lambs entirely harmless…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=348520&Y=271415&A=Y&Z=120
geoffspages.blog 