Benthall Buttercups

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

It’s a beautiful afternoon – too good to stay at home, too warm to walk far in the sunshine. If we leave the car at Benthall Hall we can do a circular walk, much of it in the very pleasant woodlands of Benthall Edge and nearby. It’s lovely down in the woods today, as the song goes, but we must leave them to walk back through the fields towards the car – fields full of buttercups, yellow in all directions.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=365735&Y=302716&A=Y&Z=120

Magpie, Titterstone and Clee

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways..., Shropshire hills, Walks2 Comments

Walking in south Shropshire with a “railway” friend: one who appreciates the interest in the remnants of industry in these very quiet hills. They’ve been extensively quarried for stone – parts are still being worked – and the coal measures were exploited too, many years ago. There are former railway trackbeds, of the standard gauge line which took stone down to Ludlow, and the narrow gauge lines which threaded the workings. Magpie Hill’s stone went by a different means and route – an aerial ropeway took its stone down to Detton Ford, on the long-gone CM&DP. The concrete bases of the pylons are still in place, and there are bits of rail here and there, mostly in use as fence posts and similar. Long-abandoned concrete structures stand here and there, slowly crumbling, like the remains of some lost futuristic city. They can feel rather spooky when the mist comes down, but there’s no such nonsense on a fine sunny June day.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359845&Y=276831&A=Y&Z=120

Croft Ambrey and Bircher Common

On By geoffspagesIn Herefordshire, NT and EH, Photography, WalksLeave a comment

We arrived at the Croft Castle car park at midday, to find it almost full, but once we were beyond the immediate surroundings of the house, we saw few other people. One or two were making their way up to Croft Ambrey, but we had the woodlands almost to ourselves when we chose a more roundabout route to the hill fort. Bircher Common is quiet too – just us and a few sheep. It’s very pleasant on a day like this – warm sunshine and a cooling breeze – on these Herefordshire hills.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=344730&Y=266330&A=Y&Z=120

Coalport cakewalk

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Uncategorized, WalksLeave a comment

What better reason could there be? The youth hostel at Coalport, beside the china works, is a quiet and sheltered spot for refreshment (with the added entertainment of watching visitors trying to park their cars – yes, we’ll sit outside), perhaps a little over half-way on this enjoyable (and easy…) walk. And once again, after some showery weather, it’s a very pleasant day for it. There’s colour everywhere – the oilseed rape may be past its best, but there’s plenty more yellow in the hedgerows and verges – and purple, and blue, and white to set it off. There’s a cool breeze when we start out, but it’s quite still in the deeper parts of the lane, and the air is heavy with the scent of the May blossom.

Diana’s Lakeside Debut

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment

DianaWe’ve been to the Bala Lake Railway, for a ride behind Diana, on her first day in public passenger service. She was built in 1917 for service on the Kerry Forest tramway, but soon found her way to the north Wales slate quarries, where her working life had ended by 1950. Remarkably, she survived (through several changes of ownership) – and following a full and thorough restoration, is in action once again. Doesn’t she look great! There will be more photos etc. on “Geoff’s Rail Diaries” – eventually…

Bala Lake Railway

100 years later

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment

Motor Rails galoreApedale again – for Tracks to the Trenches: six fine steam locomotives in action, mostly dating from WW1, and an uncountable (they won’t stay still for long enough) number of Motor Rails of similar vintage. The first TTTT was in September 2014 – the icon of the event proved to be the Motor Rail in the shell crater. There it was again! Has it been there since the last event, poor thing? If it has, Joffre at Apedale Roadit’s turned itself round in the intervening period. An excellent afternoon – well done, once again, the Moseley Railway Trust. There will be a “Rail Diaries” page in a day or two, in the meantime, here are a couple of tasters.

Apedale Valley Railway