Out past the fishing pools near Hurst Farm, down the drive at Aldenham, skirt the potato field, pass Shore Pool, up through the next field, through the copse and back along the lane past the fishing pools. Once again, there’s a cool breeze, but it’s pleasant in the sunshine.
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…and back via Bould Lane and Linley Brook. Another pleasant wander around a quiet part of the county. There’s a well-hidden bank vole rustling beside the path, and later we glimpse deer in the woods – no chance of a photo today though.
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A Shropshire hill with a Welsh name, on St George’s day. England’s patron saint was born in Turkey to Greek parents, a former Roman soldier who never came to Britain (and certainly never slew any dragons!) It’s a popular outing – several others around (we can hear them!) but we can enjoy an al fresco lunch just below the summit and watch the trains go by, 300m below. Above us are red kites, but they’re camera shy today. Perhaps I can get a shot of one of these big noisy dragonflies…
We leave Caractacus’s fort and head back towards Cardington via the Battle Stones and Hill End – an altogether quieter conclusion to another great day out.
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A regular route from Much Wenlock – to Bannister’s Coppice, through Traps Coppice down the old wagonway and back up through Homer. Always an enjoyable outing, especially on a day like this, in cool air under a clear blue sky.
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After yesterday’s unbroken blue, today the skies are cloudier – white fluffy cumulus, big enough eventually for (happily, on our short journey home) a few spots of rain. Let’s park at Benthall Hall, and check out the bluebell woods. It’s a bit early for them, but there should be a few in flower.
Moving on from the bluebells, we stop for a moment to watch something scurrying in the undergrowth – some rustling, some twitching vegetation and two or three very brief glimpses of a small furry body. A mouse? A vole? Hard to say – it’s not keen on being studied. We continue via Workhouse Coppice to Benthall Edge, which we follow as far as Wyke, returning to the hall by the quiet lane and the fields.
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Not a cloud in the sky! The sunshine is lovely; the air’s still cool – perfect weather for a walk. Not perfect for photography – a few puffy white clouds, or some wispy cirrus would have been good, and it’s hazy. Mustn’t complain – it’s really pleasant up here – almost no-one else about. The highest hill in the county, and it’s all ours this afternoon!
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Mostly quiet ways on the west bank of the Severn: out via Astley Abbotts, then via Colemore Green to the river bank. The old railway track is busy with bicycles, but we’re not on it for long, and it’s quiet again as we climb up through Chestnut Coppice and back to the start.
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Another fine sunny afternoon – once again, the air’s cool but the sunshine is warm – it’s good to be out in this quiet little corner of the county. Lots of new green things sprouting everywhere!
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…will be followed by a cloudy afternoon, according to the forecast. We’d better get out there. A walk to the far end of Red Lane and back, enjoying the skyscapes and blossom in profusion. The air’s cold, but the sun’s warm, there’s no wind and hardly anyone else about – wonderful!
Back to the hills! A beautiful sunny afternoon again. The air’s cool but there’s no wind – it’s great to be out on the hills near Church Stretton, on a circular walk from Cardington. We follow the usual route through Willstone towards Caer Caradoc, but instead of continuing towards that popular summit, we turn to the left and head for the rocky turret of the Battle Stones on the edge of Willstone Hill. The views towards to north Shropshire plain are extensive, so it’s a good place for chocolate. Completing the circle (it’s more like a rectangle), we’ll visit the Sharpstones – an unlikely little rocky ridge in a field – and look back on our route.
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