Admittedly nothing seems different – apart from the photos dropping neatly into a new 2025/01/01 folder… Not a particularly inspiring day either, though down by Damson Cottage there’s a snowdrop. There are several more green shoots, and one or two spots of white here and there. They’ll be in flower in a week or two, a reminder that, though it’s winter, spring will come.
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Almost… This was yesterday’s walk, which turned out to be the last of 2024 (been tied up since). The sky stayed blue longer than we’d expected – it was certainly a better day than today (cold and windy). So that’s it for 2024, apart from wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
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Comer Wood: we almost went elsewhere – the car park appeared to be full. Then someone drove away at just the right moment. What will it be like in the woods? Our route is about 4 miles, and few visitors stray that far. There’s a “Tree Trail” in the heart of the woods, where Christmas tree-sized conifers have been decorated by various local groups, adding some valuable colour to our wanderings. Great fun! Rudolfs, knitted snowmen, five gold rings, four calling birds…
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Cold today! Foggy too – rather atmospheric, spooky even. It’s very busy in the car park at Attingham, but once we’ve walked for ten minutes, most of the other people have vanished (there are still one or two within earshot, but the fog means they’re hard to spot…). Nearer the house there are lit ways for evening exploration. Can’t call it floodlighting, which would in any case be tempting fate in these soggy times…
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It wouldn’t be Christmas without a walk – a breath of fresh air along the lanes around Willey perhaps? It’s mild, still and quiet – it’s usually quiet here, but today’s silence is exceptional. The only sounds are the birds, and most of them seem to be having a day off…
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…and the weather’s behaving itself. We’ve time for a short wander from Benthall Hall to Wyke and back, on an afternoon of yellow clouds and (a little) blue sky.
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A quiet day before Christmas – a stroll along Shirlett Lane will be perfect. Big trees have fallen here, fortunately (not for them!) parallel to the lane, rather than across it. Beyond, further into the wood the stands of deciduous trees seem intact – it’s the shallow-rooted wind-catching conifers that have suffered. It’s a strange afternoon, grey overhead, but to the south, over the Clees, there’s unfocused brightness – a misty glow in the sky.
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The days will be getting longer for the next six months! There’s not much light at 2pm, but enough for a record of a cool and breezy December day. I wondered if I’d be able to complete this circuit – the paths up Round Hill and back down Ned’s Lane are just that. Two weeks after storm Darragh, they’re still strewn with leaves and debris, and there’s no hurry to remove the larger casualties. However, some good soul has been along with a saw and cleared just enough to enable walkers to pass the fallen. No chance for the horses though!
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Coalbrookdale, from Bedlam – up Wesley Road and Hodge Bower, then down Church Road to the Coke Hearth (where the crocheters have been busy with the bus stop). Then back down the Dale, via Paradise, and along the Wharfage, past the Iron Bridge and back to Bedlam. It’s that time of year again – the Christmas card delivery walk. Several pounds cheaper than the post – and much more enjoyable!
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It’s pleasant to be out and about on a December afternoon like this – no rain, not at all cold (but no sunshine either…). These quiet ways around Cound are great for a not-too-energetic wander.
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