4.10pm, Sat 15th Feb 2014: LMS Jubilee 45699 “Galatea” roars up the bank out of Shrewsbury with the return “Welsh Borders”. Just for once, everything was right – sunshine and steam, and the wind in the right direction. What more could one ask?
For photos see http://geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/galatea2.htm
At times, it feels as though the storms have been continuous – but there have been some fine days between the deluges. This afternoon’s weather was too good for staying indoors, but if the ground’s not actually under water, it’s still too wet underfoot. So – another walk around quiet lanes, out past the farm at Harnage Grange, crossing Bullhill Brook beside the ford, then up the hill to Kenley and along the ridge. The ford was almost an impasse – the footbridge was fine, but below it, the stream was straying across the road. Not a problem – no depth – feet stayed dry. There used to be some extensive views to the west from the lane along the ridge north of Kenley – sadly, they are now only really visible from the other side of the high hedge that has been planted here. Does it need to be 8′ high?
My Sunday road walk earlier in the month was quiet – how would a weekday compare? I think we passed ten moving vehicles along the five miles, no dog walkers, no joggers, no cyclists, one Chinook…
The waters of the Severn are even higher than they were last Friday. Where the course of the river was clearly delineated by its flow, in the fields near Leighton, there now appears to be one big lake. It’s too deep now for the wading birds – they’ve gone, though I’m sure I heard an oystercatcher.
In Ironbridge, the flood is high against the barrier – it’s almost to the top of the railings beside the Wharfage footpath, and it’s not yet at its peak. (Flashback to 2012: did someone say “drought”?)
…the third one, that is. I’ve been playing with 3D (or stereoscopic) photography for a couple of days – here are some early examples. I think I’ve still got much to learn, not least how to avoid getting a finger over one of the lenses…
There is more than one way to view 3D images – I find I am able to see stereo by making myself go slightly cross-eyed while viewing the pair, but not everyone can do it. Holding a finger or a pencil about 6″/15cm from the nose, over the margin between the left and right image, may help. Move the finger back and forward until there are effectively three images behind it, then try to focus on the middle image. Don’t sit too close to the screen. If the images below are too small to be effective, click to view them full size (1000 x 500 or thereabouts).
I’d love to hear whether blog visitors are able to see these pictures in 3D.
The Severn, that is. It was high yesterday, when these photos were taken (Ironbridge’s Wharfage is closed – the flood barriers are up), and it’s rising – the peak is expected tonight. We took a look at the flood waters above the “big bends” near Leighton, then drove on to Atcham, where two bridges cross the river in close proximity – the 1929 A5 bridge and the 1774 bridge, now for pedestrians only.
The Severn’s down a little from its peak over the weekend – the Wharfage is open again – but the level’s still very high, and there’s more rain forecast for tomorrow…
A bright sunny afternoon – too good to stay at home, but the ground would be sodden after yesterday’s rain (this is becoming repetitive…). Would a walk entirely on surfaced ways be acceptable? There are some quiet lanes in the country west of the Wenlock Edge – let’s try it.
I’m not sure I’d want to make a habit of walking six miles on tarmac – but it was quiet. Perhaps no more than a dozen motor vehicles, half a dozen bicycles, a couple of joggers and a distant dog-walker – not too bad. Nevertheless, it nearly wasn’t the circular walk I’d intended. An impromptu ford blocked my way just beyond (appropriately) Plaish. It was deep – it would have filled my boots. Some minor gymnastics (do I mean acrobatics?) got me over the narrowest bit, but the only way forward then was along the edge of a field for a very short distance, before regaining the road. With very muddy boots.
Rhymes with “sogg”… An interesting and pleasant route for a mild and bright afternoon – but unbelievably wet underfoot. The path rises gently through the forest, though in places, it’s “forward two, slide back one”. On the crest of the ridge, the path switches to the field. There are ancient earthworks just inside Mogg Forest – impressive-looking banks and ditches (named “The Ditches” on the OS map). The footpath should now run across the field (and clearly does so in summer, if the Google satellite view is reliable), but there was no sign of it, a new crop was coming up and the earth looked very sticky. With no waymarkers to point me in the right direction, I followed the wide grassy margin of the field beside the forest instead. Foot- and horse hoof-prints told me I wasn’t the first.
The path (waymarked again) descends to the road beside Cottage Pool, a little way up the valley from Brockton. I had intended to walk along what should have been a quiet lane to Easthope, but I think it must have been school closing time, so I took to the field path towards Lutwyche Hall (it would be slightly shorter too). Big mistake: it wasn’t too bad past the attractive little pool, but the field thence to the Hall farm was the most waterlogged part of the walk. The cows had been on it, leaving deep water-filled hoof holes in the squelchy grass. There’s a good view of the hall from the field, but navigating the morass took all my attention – by the time I was out of it, the hall was behind trees and hedges. No photos…
Note to self – a good walk for a dry summer…
We start from Hartlebury Common, walking south along its length to cross the Worcester road and continuing to Lincombe Lock, highest on the Severn. The river’s high, but not quite up to the path (which is nevertheless very muddy). We’re following different modes of transport through time – from the river, we walk beside Stourport Basin and along the canal towpath. We leave the canal where the former Severn Valley line from Bewdley to Hartlebury crosses, walking along its trackbed until Wilden Top Road crosses high above the cutting through the sandstone ridge, the northern continuation of the common. The road takes us the short distance back to the car park on the common.
VIC 99, berthed in the river, is a survivor of the fleet of over 100 small steamboats built during the war, based on the Clyde “puffer”. It spent its working life in the Forth, but since 1968 has lived on the Severn. VIC = “Victualling Inshore Craft”
An attempt to avoid the worst of the mud, on an afternoon when it was good to be out on the hills. This one is on lanes with a decent surface at lower levels – perhaps the upper reaches might not be too waterlogged. The rough lane from Cockshutford serves a few houses high on the hillside – beyond, it’s a bit soft for 100 yards under the trees, then we’re out on the hillside, and it’s a gentle stroll on the summit ridge. Admittedly, there are one or two soggy spots which require careful circumnavigation… The cloud has cleared for a while, and a shaft of bright sunshine catches an unexpected red spot amongst the heather. The poppy wreaths have been well tied down, on the memorial to the “twenty three Allied and German airmen who died in flying accidents on the Brown Clee hills, 1939 – 1945”.
The gate just beyond the radio mast on Clee Burf provides a view to the south-east, where the Malverns catch the eye and the Cotswolds provide a grey horizon. In the opposite direction, as we begin our descent down the road serving the mast (grassy ancient tarmac), a pale tower catches the light. It’s the cement works at Penyffordd – 55 miles distant.
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