It’s a fine sunny day too. Not that there are many signs of the changing season. No daffodils for St David’s day. No new green on the hawthorn either, but there’s dog’s mercury beside the old railway track (it’s not very photogenic). Leaving the railway, we walk up through Chestnut Coppice, where the bluebell leaves are emerging. There’s much evidence of December’s storm Darragh – many fallen trees. At least the path has been cleared.

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Last day of winter, according to the Met. Office. Spring may begin tomorrow, but there’s less sign of it than at this time in the last few years, and it’s cold out of the sunshine.  It will be St David’s day too, but the daffodils will have to get a move on. There’s plenty of blue sky though, and big white fluffy clouds, one of which seems to be shading us for most of our short walk along Shirlett Lane. Good to be out though, and greatly preferable to rain and murk!

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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.

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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!

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…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.

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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.

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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…

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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!

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