There was a frost this morning… It’s still cool later in the day, but it’s sunny, calm and clear – perfect for a wander past Hurst Farm and down to Aldenham, and despite some heavy and ominous clouds, it’s stayed dry. Will it last?
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Black bryony berries in the hedgerow – a few are still green, others yellow or orange, but the great majority are red now. Eye-catching! Shame they’re poisonous. The leaves on the trees are turning too, and despite the sunshine, there’s a definite autumnal feel to the air today
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367515&Y=298310&A=Y&Z=120
Geese and toadstools! A wander around the estate from the sawmill car park – down to the pools (Wall, Seggy and Brim), through the asparagus farm, down to the big pool and back past the house, pausing at the bookshop and the cafe. (I’m not sure we’d earned the cake, but we enjoyed it…)
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Saturday 5 October: A new one for the blog – we’ve been here before, but not for many years (the trees have grown considerably, I’m certain, since our last visit). It’s not a huge area, but it’s popular and has its attractions, especially if you like trees, or have dogs to exercise. We passed dozens of dog walkers, a few who were exercising children (and dogs, in some cases), and possibly only one other dog- and child-free couple. We were starting to feel conspicuous until we met the latter. As well as trees, there are some clear grassy areas, and from the far south-eastern corner, an extensive view towards the Black Country (which feels sufficiently distant), complete with a chocolate seat. Admittedly, it faces the other way, into the woods. Perhaps that’s intentional?
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=383920&Y=290100&A=Y&Z=120
Just uploaded to Geoff’s Rail Diaries, an illustrated account of our interesting if not entirely planned travels on Friday. Visit “Liverpool and Manchester” – now!
Friday 4 October: new technology on the railway. The recently-opened station at Headbolt Lane, near Kirkby, Liverpool, forms a short extension of Merseyrail. It’s a 3rd-rail electric network, but the third rail has not been extended beyond Kirkby. Instead, as well as pick-up shoes for the 3rd rail, some of the brand-new class 777 EMUs have been built with traction batteries. (Seems a lot of trouble just to avoid extending the 3rd rail by less than a mile. I’m sure there was a good reason for it…). Anyway, we had a ride on battery power during our day out yesterday: a full account will appear on Geoff’s Rail Diaries in a day or two, meanwhile here’s a taster.
Thursday 3 October: a day out across the Welsh border – just – at Erddig Hall near Wrexham.
Autumnal Attingham – pumpkins and gourds, waiting around for who-knows-what. The leaves are turning, mostly in a minimal way, but there are some fine fungi to find for those who keep their eyes peeled…
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A walk from Cardington, along quiet surfaced lanes (away from the mud!). There’s hardly any traffic along these narrow ways, and when the odd car has passed and gone, there’s just a little birdsong in the trees and one or two sheep complaining about their lot.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=350990&Y=296295&A=Y&Z=120
… as a gaelic-speaking local of Skye once said to us, describing her feelings on being back on dry land after some lengthy sea trips (we know what she meant). After our week on Skye, we’ve come down to earth (the 500-odd mile drive contributing to that experience) and to celebrate we’re wandering around some very familiar local lanes. It’s good to be back…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367515&Y=298310&A=Y&Z=120
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