It’s cold and sunny – and there’s a chilly breeze, though we’ll mostly be sheltered from the wind at Attingham. The snowdrops are fully out, and the walk around the perimeter of the park (about 4 miles) is about right for this afternoon.
Tag: Shrewsbury
The flooded Tern
Friday 26 January: An easy stroll around Attingham Park, which became longer than intended. As we wandered through the snowdrops, we could see a wide spill of flood water where the Tern normally makes its well-behaved way through the grounds. If we walk back towards the house on the path beside the river, we can then cross over and walk up the other side. The result is (some of) the photographs below and the strange route shown on the map.
The inhabitants of the deer park wander about in stately fashion, posing for photographs until I lift the camera. Beside the house, the fine stand of cedars has taken a battering. The wind? Surely not! As we guessed, the highest branches, lying in broken disarray beneath the trees, were snapped off by December’s (literally) heavy snowfall. What a shame!
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=355137&Y=310421&A=Y&Z=115
Sunday in Shrewsbury
Just wandering, beside the river and through the town.
The view from Haughmond Hill
…is tremendous – a wide panorama taking in the Wrekin and Wenlock Edge, the Clee and Stretton hills, the Stiperstones and Breidden, the Berwyns and, in the far distance, mid-Wales peaks. Is that Cader Idris on the horizon? It’s far too good for a hill that needs no climbing – it must be very gently uphill from the car park, but we’re not going to have to stop to get our breath back…
There’s a little snack bar back at the car park, which closes about 5 minutes before we arrive back at the car. Next time perhaps?
Haughmond Hill (Forestry Commission)
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=354250&Y=314018&A=Y&Z=120
The steam rally revisited
Last time we went, it was the Bishop’s Castle traction engine rally – shame on you, did I hear? That could be around 30 years ago! It’s been held at Onslow Park, near Shrewsbury, in recent times. We’ve often thought about going, but seem to be tied up elsewhere at the end of August. Today – we made it. What a show! There’s so much to see, and so much going on, that it’s almost impossible to take it all in. We’ll have to go again next year.
More photos will appear in due course; in the meantime, here’s a taster. “Rusty Nuts” is in Herefordshire County Council livery, and bears the Herefordshire registration CJ 9720. In 1972 I met – and photographed – its sister engine CJ 4526 – working for Herefordshire County Council. It was the only steam roller I ever saw in normal service.
Cronkhill
It’s only open to the public six days a year – and as today is one such, we thought we’d better go and have a look. The 2nd Lord Berwick, of nearby Attingham Park, had it built for a friend, a little over 200 years ago. Gosh! – here he is in person, looking sprightly despite his years, explaining those things which might not be obvious. John Nash designed the house to be a little corner of Italy in the Shropshire countryside. Is that Vesuvius over there? (No, it’s just the Wrekin).
Attingham Park Estate: Cronkhill NT
Round the bend at Shrewsbury
After yesterday’s walk in the hill country, we went for an almost-level walk this afternoon, following the Severn downstream from the weir to below Belvidere bridge. The river follows a looping course here, so that, though we’ve walked getting on for five miles along its bank, it’s only about a mile and a quarter back to the car when we leave the water’s edge. Starting from the abbey, we head for the footbridge and the weir. At first it’s fairly busy, but as we move away from the built-up area there are fewer people about, and it’s very pleasant and easy walking. We enjoy brief glimpses of a couple of kingfishers as we approach the railway bridge at Belvidere. We don’t see them again, though we do see two or three trains humming along. Our return from the river takes us past the Column, where Lord Hill surveys the scene, looking smart after a recent wash and brush-up.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=351360&Y=313231&A=Y&Z=120
Attingham indoors
Fri. 19 May: can’t remember when we last looked around the house at Attingham. Have we ever?
Scots Guardsman
A rare visitor to Shrewsbury today – “Royal Scot” no 46115 Scots Guardsman, seen making light work of Battlefield bank with 12 coaches in tow (I suppose we should be glad that it wasn’t raining – but the weak sunshine of just five minutes earlier would have been most welcome).
Pumpkin time
We’re having a wander around Attingham Park. It’s dry and bright this afternoon (though breezy and chilly), and there’s a wonderful crop of pumpkins (some of them bearing messages) in the walled garden. There’s a rather fine colony of little pale toadstools on a stump in the woods, not to mention a large wooden frog.
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