… and the fields beyond. A short wander on a pleasantly warm and moderately sunny afternoon. The bluebells are out in the woods, there are lambs in the fields; woodpeckers hammer madly in the trees…

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A fine, warm Easter Sunday – can we enjoy an outing without tangling with the crowds?  As expected, we meet no-one on the first couple of miles, down to the old railway line. There we’re passed by a couple of cyclists – then there’s a little passing traffic at the Coalport bridge. After crossing the Severn, we follow the old Coalport railway as far as the china museum – and the youth hostel… Their café is open, there are tables free outside and they’re well-stocked with choc-chip shortbread… Half-an-hour later, we’ve crossed the river again and we’re passing the Boat (doing a good trade in its riverside garden). Then no-one else, apart from a couple of walkers, as we make our way back up the Dingle and head for home. I think we succeeded!

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Quite a short one, but just right for this fine warm (for mid-April) evening. The views to the south are fairly extensive, with the Clee hills forming the horizon – until we’re in the woods. The mossy stretch on the return route is silent and other-worldly – watch out for unicorns!

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Easter’s all to do with the moon, apparently. It’s certainly a good evening for a stroll around the Willey lanes. As we complete our circuit, the sun’s dipped behind Shirlett – and there’s a Good Friday moonrise in the east.

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Thursday: Phone call: “What’s the weather like where you are?” “It’s not! Not sunny, not rainy, not windy, not cold, not warm…” Says it all! It’s wet underfoot, so we’re staying on quiet lanes and tracks with a reasonable (puddles in places) surface. The distant views are nothing special, but the trees are still silhouettes up here on the ridge above Underton – another week or two and the leaves will all be out. Meanwhile, there’s plenty of interest in the hedgeback, and the first garlic flowers are appearing – soon, the damper places will be pleasantly pongy (is that a word?).

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We’ve been looking forward to this since last September – the ‘light nights’, when a wander in the evening is most welcome after a couple of damp days. The air seems particularly clear, and it’s not cold. The cattle are out, after their winter indoors – the youngsters inquisitive as ever. Further along Shirlett Lane, a couple of Reeves’ pheasants emerge from the hedge and walk around us in ever-decreasing circles. We’ll move on before this game reaches its conclusion…

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Spring is coming along nicely down here in the Severn valley. Ladies’ smock beside the path, goosanders in the river and very new lambs in the field. One of the lambs, bolder and older than the others (he must be all of a couple of weeks) decides to inspect us (they usually run for it, and who can blame them…). A gentle nibble at our trouser legs convinces him that we’re not of interest, and he wanders off, unconcerned. His mother stands nearby, regarding him blankly.
After struggling through a hillside jungle (brambles and fallen trees – we’ll not use this “path” again, despite the ovine entertainment) we’re back to the lane at Colemore Green – where there’s a wayside shop with jars of local (we can see the hives 50 yards away) honey. We’d better have some of that!

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Sunday 10 April: We don’t need to visit the summit, though at the highest point of this roughly circular walk, we’re barely 100 feet below it, and no more than 400 yards away. It’s a hazy day, so the views aren’t spectacular, but they’re pleasant and extensive in all directions (and despite the haze, we can make out the top of Pen-y-Fan in the Brecon Beacons, 55 miles distant). It’s a fine and bright Sunday afternoon, but there’s hardly anyone else around – the number of fellow wanderers we encountered didn’t reach double figures.

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Suddenly, the oilseed rape is in full bloom. The sun may be behind a cloud, but the fields are full of sunshine. There’s no shortage of bright yellow in the landscape between Wenlock and Perkley, at the north-eastern end of Wenlock Edge. Dark skies too – there are showers around.

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A quick morning outing – the forecast (which was accurate) thought there was a likelihood of some heavy showers this afternoon… It’s windy, with some strong gusts – down here, in the sheltered domain that is Willey, Linley Brook and the Smithies, it’s relatively calm. The sunny intervals are brief and predictable in that the sun goes behind the clouds whenever I raise the camera, nevertheless it’s very pleasant walking these quiet lanes

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