Enchmarsh and Chatwall

On 06 Mar 2022 By geoffspagesIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

A walk from Cardington, along little-known lanes and byways, through unlikely-sounding places. Enchmarsh sounds Tolkienesque, Yell Bank noisy and Hoar Edge cold. Is Chatwall something to do with Facebook? We’re walking across and along watersheds: Yell Bank separates waters which flow northwards, to join the Severn near Cound, from those flowing south-east, via the Onny and the Teme, to enter the Severn near Worcester. We walk along the minor ridge which bridges the gap between Yell Bank and Hoar Edge: to our right, it forms Bullhill Brook, then Coundmoor Brook, joining Cound Brook just before it reaches the Severn. To our left, water flows by a more westerly route, but also enters the Severn via Cound Brook. Well I think it’s interesting…

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Holdgate and Rowe Lane

On 05 Mar 202205 Mar 2022 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks1 Comment

It’s a fine, dry, intermittently sunny afternoon. Where to? “How about that walk from Tigger’s Ickle Shop?”
So – we’re in Corvedale, walking the very quiet lane through Holdgate and Stanton Long, then back along the old Corvedale road – “Rowe Lane” – to the little wayside stall*, near which we’ve left the car. We return home armed with rocky road, brownie and flapjack – wonderful stuff!
* There are two ‘Ickle Shops’ – there’s another at the north end of Rowe Lane. Intriguing home-made cakes, jams, eggs, chutney – yes, we came away with a jar of ‘Stanton Pickle’ too…

View from the choc seat - churchyard with a view

Passing on the baton - snowdrops to primroses

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A late-afternoon leg-stretch

On 04 Mar 2022 By geoffspagesIn PhotographyLeave a comment

The sunshine’s too good to waste – but we’re tied-up earlier in the afternoon. Better late than never! – though in a sense, it wasn’t. The sun hid behind a line of dark cloud on our way out, before deciding to reveal itself and illuminate the landscape.

Spring begins

On 01 Mar 2022 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

1st of March: the Met. Office says it’s spring, and I’m reluctant to argue. On our walk along Shirlett Lane on this sunny morning, there are few real signs of the season, but there’s a spring-like feel to the air. A veil of high cloud will block the sunshine later, and the next few days look like being rather miserable, but it’s a start…

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Morville and Hurst Farm

On 27 Feb 2022 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

It was going to be a walk on Wenlock Edge, above Eaton, but the queue for the road works in Wenlock persuaded us to revise our plans. Instead, we’ll park at Morville and walk out to Hurst Farm and back. And what a good day to be out – barely a cloud in the sky!

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The Lloyds and Coalport

On 25 Feb 202225 Feb 2022 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

A short stroll in the Severn gorge, from Bedlam furnaces to Coalport and back. We had hoped the YHA café might be open – so did the YHA, it appears, but they were closed due to staff problems. Good thing we had chocolate rations with us…

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Winter’s end in Bridgnorth

On 24 Feb 2022 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks2 Comments

Or is it? It’s cold today, and though the sun’s bright and warming when it shines, there’s a flurry of snowflakes as we’re preparing to go out. In Bridgnorth, up near the bypass, the trees are white with early blossom encouraging the season along. In the valley, the waters are high – the Severn is up on the fields and high under the bridge, not far below the tops of the arches – though the worst is past, apparently.

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Water under the bridge

On 22 Feb 2022 By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, PhotographyLeave a comment

There’s been a lot of rain in Wales over the last few days, and for the eastern part of mid-Wales, there’s only one way out – the river Severn. We walked down to Ironbridge this afternoon to take a look.

Perfect palindrome: has anyone noticed today’s date? In the UK it’s 22022022!

A week tomorrow

On 21 Feb 2022 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

…it will be the first day of spring. Given the weather we’ve been ‘enjoying’ recently (three named storms in a week) it can’t some soon enough! We’re wandering the Willey lanes this afternoon for the same reason as last Wednesday – it’s sheltered from the wind and good underfoot. Where we leave the car, at the top of Scots Lane, it’s blowing half a gale, but in minutes we’re into a calmer land, and despite the storms, it’s remarkable how the early signs of spring are advancing. There’s lots more green on the hawthorn, some early primroses in Bould Lane, and dog’s mercury taking over the verges elsewhere. A week tomorrow…

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Windy weather

On 19 Feb 2022 By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Rainy too! They’re putting up the flood defences in Ironbridge – the road’s closed, and pedestrians have to use New Road (we were going to go that way anyway) We’ve been to the top of Coalbrookdale – up via Jockey Bank and Orchard Lane, and over the top (windy here!) by the old White Horse, then down behind Coalbrookdale church. We’ll return by the Coach Road, then back beside the river. The rain has kept off, the sun has shone, and we’ve been out of the wind – mostly. A pleasant little outing – just as well, it’s going to rain again tomorrow.