There weren’t many, it has to be said. There are a few primroses out on this fine afternoon, and one or two celandines – and in the last few yards, some lambs enjoying the sunshine. It was good to be out despite the cold air, though spring isn’t quite here yet, I think.
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No, not today’s dreadful economic state, but a railway reminder of wartime – the 2-8-0 freight locomotives, built quickly and as cheaply as possible for service in the UK and abroad. The BR austerities were all scrapped, despite surviving until late 1967 – but one which never saw BR service survived – and this weekend it is visiting the Severn Valley Railway for their “Spring Steam Gala”. I thought I’d better go and see no. 90733 in action… Visit 2-8-0s on Geoff’s Rail Diaries for more…
The sun came out after lunch, but the day remained hazy. We’re walking through quiet back-roads, woodland and farm lanes, to Benthall Hall. It’s far enough to feel we’ve earned our tea and cakes – and far enough home again to walk them off…
One we’ve done many times… A fine afternoon, bright and sunny, good for a walk on the hills. We headed up Ashes Hollow to the Boiling Well, on to the highest point (hardly a summit) at Pole Bank, then back by the ridge to the descent beside Small Batch. Inevitably, that bank of cloud was stubborn – it was sunny elsewhere.
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It’s grey and damp today – but Friday and Saturday afternoons were positively springlike. There are few signs of spring, but the air is warmer, the breeze less biting. Friday’s wander was around Coalbrookdale, up and down through the woodlands. Yesterday was Wenlock’s turn, heading through the town, up past the windmill and along the edge.
Thursday: an interesting little outing, taking advantage of London Midland’s “Great Escape” offer within a fairly limited time scale. There was time to get from Lime Street station to the Pierhead, visit the museum, have a bite of lunch, and wander beside the Mersey. The grey skies were clearing rapidly, but we needed to head for home.
More photos (mostly rail-related) on Geoff’s Rail Diaries – visit http://geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/greatescape.htm to see Lion and the Liverpool Overhead Railway…
It’s been cold and showery recently, but today the temperature made double figures, and the Met Office reckoned it wouldn’t rain before four o’clock. We’d better get out and stretch our legs. Considering that the walk began at Bedlam (the old furnaces beside the Severn), it was quiet in south Telford. We crossed the hill west of Woodside and descended (a little) to the coke hearth, before heading up to Sunniside, returning to the dale past the assorted livestock at the farm – donkeys, llamas, ostriches and geese (and possibly more). We’re heading for the tea room beside the old railway station (excellent cakes – worth hurrying to get there before they close at 3pm). Suitably refreshed, we follow the riverbank back to the car.
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“We need to go and see the snowdrops at Attingham”. Yes, I suppose we do, and it looks like being rainy tomorrow and Friday. They are worth seeing, and there will perhaps be tea and cake afterwards. The snowdrop woods are busy – it’s half-term, and there are lots of kids-and-grandparents out today. They’re not really interested in the snowdrops, but that familiar shrill chatter is evidence that they are enjoying their outing (I’m referring to the kids, of course). We continue beyond the snowdrop woods to follow the park perimeter path, and it’s much quieter, perhaps because there’s a crocodile in the swamp. A gap in the trees reveals, perhaps 1km distant, a Roman villa. Is reality on the blink again?
It’s dry and bright, a good afternoon for exploring. It would have been sunnier too, if we’d not been tied up earlier in the day. There are three stretches of road walking en route – the first, the Wenlock to Broseley road, is fairly busy, but there’s ample verge to hop onto when needs must, and it’s downhill… The other roads are very quiet, and quieter still, respectively. And away from the lanes, there’s just the birds, twittering and rustling in the undergrowth. It may be half-term, but there’s no-one else about.
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The views wouldn’t be great today. It was very hazy, and there was little chance of sunshine. A walk in woodland might be good – how about Wenlock Edge? There’s a little NT car park where the Hughley road leaves the Wenlock – Stretton road. We could walk along the edge path above the quarries, then back along the track through the woods, a little lower down. We could walk, that is, where the path was fit for walking. No farmers’ tractors this time, just the popularity of the path to blame for the mud, in places barely passable. There may not have been any distant views – a clearing in the trees provides a viewpoint for the Wrekin, way beyond the limit of visibility this afternoon – but it was pleasantly atmospheric, and was it a touch warmer than recently?
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359285&Y=298596&A=Y&Z=120
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