Friday 24 May 2013

Springtime around Alcester Warickshire

Friday 24th May 2013
         We've arrived back home earlier this week after visiting my daughter and family in Alcester Warwickshire. One of the reasons for our visit was the Food Festival which was held in the High St. last Saturday and what an enjoyable day it turned out to be. I haven't taken any photos of food festival because I was concentrating on making a video of the event and trying to do both, falls short of the standards that I try to aim for.
         On a couple of days we enjoyed two walks into the lanes and backwaters "Shakespeare Country" of this lovely county and what was noticeable was that spring was at least two weeks advanced even though we'd only travelled 150 miles south.
      The Bluebell display in Oversley Wood near Alcester was as good as it gets and on the walk from Alcester to Stratford-Upon-Avon we found our first flowering orchids of the season in a small woodland coppice on the Heart of England Way which winds its way through Warwickshire.
         Here are a few photos of  this Warwickshire landscape which is so different to the wilder Pennine Landscapes that we're more used to.

The Bluebells at their best in Oversley wood two week in advance of our Lancashire Bluebells






 The start of our second walk (about 10 miles) along the Heart of England Way

                                 The Early Purple Orchid



               Some woodland Grasses or Sedges that I'm not sure of

This old house is over 1000 years old  and the owner (a historian) showed us round it some of the outer walls are still "Wattle and Daub".

                     The King's Head in the village of Aston Cantlow

                         Along the Stratford-Upon-Avon Canal

This Swan is on its nest alongside a busy garage workshop on the outskirts of Stratford-Upon-Avon

                    The Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Haven



Wednesday 15 May 2013

Ultramarine Blue....Gentian Verna

Wed. 15th May 2013
                         We've arrived back this weekend after spending a few days in our motor home in middle and upper Teesdale with  Eric & Jean our friends. Eric has featured in some of my videos posted on this blog and this visit was timed to seek out the rare Alpine Gentian (Gentian Verna) which can be found in this area .
       This flower is a great draw to wild-flower enthusiasts, but because of its rare habitat it is strictly protected by law. Its intense Ultramarine Blue depth of colour always ensures that it is noticed and to find this flower growing in the wild gives us much satisfaction .
       We've videoed the walk in High Def. and later in the year I will edit it and hopefully post it on this blog without pinpointing the exact the locations.
         
                                      Wild upper Teesdale

                                     Eric ....full of enthusiasm