It’s going to be warm again this afternoon – we’ll have a wander around Willey in the cool air of morning. It should be pleasant in the shade on Round Hill, and even more so as we descend slowly under the trees of Shirlett forest and head back to the start.
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Too warm to hurry (as if there’s any need…). We’ll walk gently up the rocky ridge, where there’s a shady corner for lunch. It’s getting really warm by the time we’ve reached The Rock, towards the southern end of the ridge, so we’ll return to the start through shady woodlands. Sadly, the Bog Centre is closed on Mondays – we’ll have to go to the Bridges Inn to refresh ourselves… Beer is best on a day like this!
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=336370&Y=298120&A=Y&Z=120
As seems to happen sometimes in September, the weather has changed – it’s warm and sunny, in contrast to the last two summer months. It will be pleasantly cool and shady under the trees along Benthall Edge
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=366030&Y=302915&A=Y&Z=120
Meteorologically, that is. Astronomically, we’ve got another three weeks or so. Around Willey, it looks and smells like autumn (even if the Met Office says we’re in for a few warmer days…)
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367515&Y=298310&A=Y&Z=120
We did well to avoid the rain… It was dry when we left the house, but drizzled much of the way to Bridgnorth. Dry again when we left the car, threatened most of the time we were out, and began to follow through on the threat as we returned to the start. We stayed dry(ish). Not good weather for photos…
Tomorrow the Met Office’s autumn begins (and it’s forecasting warm dry weather for next week)
Lunch at, and a quick wander round Moseley Old Hall near Wolverhampton. King Charles II famously hid in an oak tree at Boscobel – and having avoided discovery there, found his way to Moseley, where he was able to hide in a priest hole. It’s an interesting place in which to spend an hour or so (the Cornish pasties were good too…)
A dampish day – light drizzle now and then. Mid afternoon, there’s a sharp shower, and before long the rain has cleared – brightness and a hint of sunshine…
Butterflies! Dozens of them here, in and around the Wenlock Edge woodlands, posing for the camera in a most obliging manner. We’re enjoying a morning walk – the forecast said it would rain this afternoon (it did!). The blackberries are abundant too – I think a picking trip is likely very soon.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=360885&Y=299790&A=Y&Z=120
Friday 25 August: Sunset is getting noticeably earlier – soon, our evening walks will have to end. There’s a pleasant atmosphere along Shirlett Lane on this still evening, especially in the woods at the far end. I posted the ‘fantastic fungi’ soon after we got home; here are some of the other scenes:
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=366015&Y=298180&A=Y&Z=120
Tremendous toadstools? Autumn is just around the corner, and the fungi are beginning to make their presence known.
Photo note: there wasn’t much light in the woods, and all I had with me was my little Lumix FZ200. Not ideal, with its tiny sensor, for hand-held low light (and therefore high ISO – 3200). The jpegs were horrible – lots of noise and mush (appropriately?) – but the raw files, with Photoshop’s AI noise reduction, are impressive…
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