Once again, they sound like rather stuffy old solicitors! We needed to call briefly in Church Stretton, and the afternoon is much too good to waste. It’s very wet underfoot after overnight rain – we’ll follow quiet surfaced lanes (themselves running with water!) into the hill country to the south-west of Hope Bowdler. Like our walk on Yell Bank a couple of day ago, it feels like we’re walking on top of the world on these roads.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=346865&Y=291910&A=Y&Z=120

The narrow and very quiet lane from Willstone to Chatwall runs along it. There are two well-placed chocolate seats – one faces north-west, with views beyond the Lawley to the Welsh border hills. The other faces south-east, with a sweeping view across Apedale to the Wenlock Edge and, beyond, Brown Clee. Spring is in the air today – snowdrops and crocuses galore at Willstone, red kites overhead, and it’s pleasantly warm (for late February – our hats and gloves are in our pockets), bright and sunny – perfect!

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=350385&Y=296225&A=Y&Z=120

…and the asparagus farm – and Comer Woods. It’s fine and sunny again – we’re wandering around Dudmaston, taking in the sights – snowdrops, skeletal trees (the buds are thinking about swelling…) and the shady trees in Comer Woods (not that we need shade, other than for excessive alliteration). There are one or two others out and about in the woods, but otherwise, we’ve got the place to ourselves, and very pleasant it is too.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=374845&Y=289000&A=Y&Z=120

They’ll be in full bloom today – and after more than a week of gloom, there’s some blue sky and sunshine. Perfect! The Cound snowdrop walk is popular at the weekends, but there’s hardly anyone else here on this fine afternoon.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=355875&Y=304030&A=Y&Z=120

Just 3 degrees Celsius, and it feels even colder. We’ll need to walk for a while before we’re warm enough to stop and get the camera out. It’s hazy too. Over Brown Clee there seems to be a bit more light, but it never comes our way. For the first time, we’ll forego the chocolate seat in Holdgate churchyard and keep going…

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=356005&Y=289605&A=Y&Z=120

A cold and grey afternoon. It brightened later – some blue sky for a time – but the real highlight of this walk was in deep shade, beside the old railway trackbed – beautiful scarlet elf cups!

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=369020&Y=302570&A=Y&Z=120

That’s what was forecast from 1pm. All we saw was a watery sun, providing little illumination and no warmth! We needed to be home by around 3pm, and sure enough, just a few minutes later, the sun was shining brightly from a blue sky. Reddish brown predominates today, with a splash of welcome yellow and a little new greenery too.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=365840&Y=298200&A=Y&Z=120

Snowdrops galore – and catkins, and the odd early primrose. Spring can’t be far away!

View OS map in Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367470&Y=298250&A=Y&Z=120

On Wednesday’s walk, we passed a wayside plant stall, offering pots of snowdrops for sale. “We’ll bring the car round and buy some after our walk” (we could hardly carry them for the next four miles). We remembered the idea just a couple of minutes before returning to the start – then drove home having completely forgotten again. There were plenty on offer – “We’ll go that way in a day or two”.

Today (three days later) we bought the last two pots!
Continuing on our way, we found ourselves on the Cardington road, for a walk up to Plaish. Oddly enough, there were lots of snowdrops along the way…

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=353520&Y=295320&A=Y&Z=120