A local wander, through the fields and along the back lanes and hidden ways, on an afternoon when it’s too good to stay indoors.
Tag: Autumn
An Attingham autumn
Tuesday 9 October: an autumn wander around Attingham Park. The deer are busy with the rut (so we won’t disturb them), the leaves are turning nicely, and the squirrels are out in force making the most of the abundant nuts. There are some interesting fungi too (this is proving to be a recurring theme), though I’ve no idea what they are.
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Oh deer!
Wenlock to Bannister’s Coppice – out via Homer, back past Farley Hill and along the old railway track. The morning’s fog has cleared to hazy sunshine – it’s an afternoon to be out and about. The air is almost still, and though the woodlands are carpeted with the fallen, the trees are still well-covered with leaves, in widely varying shades of red and gold. There are usually deer about in these woods – today we enjoy no fewer than five sightings. In Bannister’s Coppice there are two, then two more, then a family of five, then a group of perhaps ten, out from the edge of the wood, tempted by the turnips in the field. Later, another two trot away from us on Farley Hill. These fallow deer are shy, often only partly visible for brief moments through the trees (and almost impossible to photograph). The turnip thieves are a real bonus, making this last day of October a little bit special.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=362115&Y=302131&A=Y&Z=120
Autumn in the dale
That’s Coalbrookdale – and Ironbridge – a good place for a pleasant walk on a sunny afternoon, after a couple of rainy days. There’s no shortage of visitors in the vicinity of the bridge (it is half-term week, after all), but away from the bridge it’s quiet. The leaves are coming down rapidly now – the trees will soon lose their colour.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367255&Y=304041&A=Y&Z=120
Entering Autumn
Walking near Wenlock, the onset of autumn is evident – blackberries, elderberries, toadstools galore. The air is cooler, and there’s rain in the wind – much more than the forecast implied. We sheltered from the first shower, and should have sheltered from the second, but we weren’t far from the car…
We walked this route last September – today we’re doing it clockwise.
Arley Arboretum
Toadstools beneath the trees
The arboretum is a good place for a sunny afternoon – it’s not bad on an increasingly cloudy one either. There’s no wind, and the sounds of the trains carry down the valley – in places, there’s a good view of them across the river. The toadstools are varied; perhaps not as many as in previous years. Maybe they’re biding their time.

