Starting and finishing through the shady Chestnut Coppice, we’re walking down the old Severn valley railway track as far as Bridgnorth golf course, then back along the riverside path. The latter follows the riverbank pretty closely, but the river is only occasionally visible through the jungle of vegetation on the bank, through the fishing access points. It’s a pleasant afternoon with a light cooling breeze; the cool air of the coppice is very welcome too.

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It’s not long after 9am, and already warm. We’re having a short wander in the Benthall Edge woods, where it will be cooler in the shade. It will be much too hot later today.

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We’re walking from Wenlock to the deserted farm at Perkley. There are fields of ripening barley, wheat and oilseed rape, and – at the start – a field of beans with hundreds of poppies.

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There are a dozen or more in the lane – then a few more beside the path along the Edge. After Stokes’ Barn, there are lots – count them! We’re into three figures, and then as the path opens into the field… ‘Hundreds’ will have to remain the grand total – no chance of counting them! A short, but colourful, leg-stretch on the Edge near Much Wenlock.

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A Saturday evening shortie – from Bedlam car park, over the hill through Hodge Bower and down into Coalbrookdale. New Road in Ironbridge helps avoid the busy Wharfage, and leads to the churchyard, where there’s a seat with a view over the bridge (perfect place for a chocolate stop).

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There’s no shortage of colour in the hedgerows now – the willowherb, mallow and thistles are especially eye-catching. And tonight there’s a bonus – a common blue damselfly posing very considerately. It’s the 1st of July today – the wheat and barley are ripening rapidly – by the end of the month, the harvest will have begun.

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Could do – the clouds are threatening. We’re out for a morning wander – the forecast says thundery showers later, but do the showers know they’ve go to wait until after lunch? In the event they behaved themselves, providing us with some dramatic skies but no rain …
… until after lunch – here they come!

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Another warm afternoon – some shade would be pleasant. Benthall Edge woods will provide it – and on the way, we can check out the orchids near the hall. Someone (NT, presumably) has now put up a sign pointing the way to the ‘Orchid meadow’, and in the scrubby wooded area where many of the orchids grow, they’ve mown a maze of ways for walkers. There are thousands of the eye-catching flowers, of the common spotted variety, and plenty more in the unmown meadows nearby. After the colourful display, the bluebell wood and the Edge woods provide welcome shade and coolth (is that a word?).

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