Peak District Holiday 2016

Tags

annual meadow-grass, Betony, bull, calves, cows, Devil's-bit Scabious, enchanter's nightshade, eyebright, flowers, former industrial landscape, garlic mustard, grasses, greater plantain, harebell, hart's-tongue fern, Hawthorn, Ilam Country Park, Ilam Cross, Ilam Hall, Ilam village, industrial landscape, lamb, Lesser Burdock, Maidenhair Pleenwort, Paradise Walk, Peak District, power station, Rabbit, River Manifold, rowan, Sheep's Fescue, Small Teasel, stile, The Battle Stone, tormentil, unimproved grassland, wind farm

Richard and I had a weeks holiday in the Peak District during August and stayed in our caravan as usual and at a favourite site.  We travelled on the 15th taking Elinor with us and once we had set up the caravan and had had a short rest we then drove to Sheffield as Elinor would be staying the week with Alice.  We had a cup of tea, a nice chat with Alice and Richard met Mona, Alice’s cat for the first time.

This is Mona

Richard and I then returned to our caravan near Leek in Staffordshire calling in at the supermarket on the way where we bought enough food to keep us going for most of the week.  We couldn’t find anywhere to buy a take-away meal so we heated up a ready-made lasagna in the oven and had a very late but tasty dinner.

The weather forecast was for four days of good weather followed by cooler rainy weather so we thought we’d do as much walking in the dry at the beginning of the week as we could.  Our first full day was also Richard’s birthday and we decided to have lunch at the White Hart in Leek where we know we can get very nice Staffordshire oatcakes filled with cheese and bacon or cheese and sausage.  Before going in to Leek we had to put the awning up on the caravan.  An awning (for those who don’t know) is a tent, shelter or canopy which is attached to the side of a caravan which provides a little extra space to live in.  We find ours very useful, especially in wet weather as we can keep our soggy shoes and coats out there.

After lunch we tried to find a wood I wanted to walk in but we had great difficulty following the directions to it.  In the end we gave up and went to Ilam Park and walked from there.

Ilam Hall which is now a Youth Hostel

From the carpark we walked towards the remains of the hall and through the archway to the other side of the building.

The gardens at Ilam

The gardens are very attractive and have places to sit and admire the scenery.  We made our way through the pleasure grounds, the path descending towards the River Manifold.

Hart’s-tongue Fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium) and Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) decorate the wall behind the handrail.

The underside of the leaves of the Hart’s tongue Fern have stripes of spore sacs.

Looking down through the trees to the River Manifold

Looking back up the steps we had just come down.

The water in the river is very clear.

Interesting rock formations can be seen down by the river.

A profusion of Enchanter’s-nightshade (Circaea lutetiana)

The view across water meadows from ‘Paradise Walk’

Paradise Walk is a Lime tree avenue where, in its heyday, the owners of the hall and their guests could walk and talk and admire the parkland.

The Battle Stone

The description of the Battle Stone

This cross shaft, known as the ‘Battle Stone’ has been set in a little enclosure at the side of the Paradise Walk.  It is strange to us to find that people in former times were happy to use any material they found to build their houses, even part of a cross!

We were advised not to use this bridge to cross the river.

Small Teasel (Dipsacus pilosus) growing with Lesser Burdock (Arctium minus)

Small Teasel

This was the first time I had ever seen this plant and it took me some time to ID it.   My photograph isn’t the best and I wasn’t too sure where to start my search.  The plant is often found on damp, disturbed ground near woodland edges and near streams and rivers.

Lesser Burdock

We went over the river at the next bridge and then crossed a meadow the ascent of which gradually got steeper.

Cow and calves

The calves were a little curious but the cow continued calling to them and they stayed with her.

Bull and cows

At the top of the field was a bull and a couple of cows.  Fortunately, they were more interested in eating than in us because we were quite puffed by the time we had got to the top of the field and I don’t think we could have run anywhere!

The next field was even steeper and the grass was dry and shiny.

There were flowers everywhere! Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) (the yellow flowers) and Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)

Betony (Stachys officinalis)

Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis) and Harebells

Devil’s-bit Scabious and Tormentil

I’m afraid the photos got more out of focus the further up the hill I got.  It was all I could do to keep my footing.

Betony and grasses

Annual Meadow Grass (Poa annua)

The view from the top of the hill

We were glad to get to the top and catch our breath.  There was still rising ground to cover but the really steep bit was finished with.

I think this grass is Sheep’s Fescue (Festuca ovina) It caught my eye because the seedheads were shining in the sunlight.

Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis agg.)

Eyebright is slowly becoming rarer because it is semi-parasitic on the roots of other plants and will only grow in undisturbed grass land.  There is very little undisturbed grassland in this country.

Another shot of the same view but from further up the hill

I love this rather untidy scene

Through the gateway

Both pictures are typical of cattle-farming country.  The well-trampled area next to the gateway and water-trough which in wet weather is extremely squelchy.  The bank of nettles beyond the trough…

A hedge in this part of the world is a rare thing

A view of Ilam village below us

A weathered Hawthorn tree (Crataegus monogyna)

I like the stand of trees on the crest of the next hill

I used the zoom on my camera to photograph a wind farm on the horizon

A different source of electricity. This may be Willington power station or maybe Rugeley? I know both these places have/had 5 cooling towers and my camera has quite a powerful zoom. I would be interested to know which station this is.

This is the interesting thing about the Peak District.  The whole area has been industrial at some period in its history.  We may be out on the moors and seemingly miles from anywhere but industry or the effects of industry surround us.

We began the descent towards Ilam village.

Grasses and flowers

This may look like a rather uninteresting patch of grass with a few flowers in it.  However, in this approximately 40cm x 40cm piece of land there are at least three different types of grass and more than six different flowering plants, not all in flower.  True diversity!

Having had cows, calves and a bull on this post we had to have a lamb too. Look at those ears! Richard called him/her ‘Wingnut’!

One of the many stiles we clambered over that afternoon

The path across the meadow

The path was much clearer in real life than in my photograph.  An indentation in the soil; the grass growing differently on the path and the light reflecting off it in a different way making it look lighter, sometimes darker than the surrounding grass.  I’m sure it would be more obvious at sunset or sunrise or with a dusting of snow on it.

A Rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia)

Another stile. This time a squash stile’; my favourite (I don’t think!)

We had descended to the valley again and entered Blore Pastures Wood by the stile.

A brown lamb in the late afternoon sun

I was surprised to see Jack-by-the-Hedge/Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in flower this late in the year

Greater Plantain (Plantago major)

We saw this enormous plantain next to the road as we approached Ilam.

Ilam Cross, built by Jesse Watts-Russell (who also built Ilam Hall) in memory of his wife.

The cross was badly damaged in a storm some years ago but has recently been completely restored.

A plaque with all the information about the cross

The village was full of people enjoying the evening sunshine.  I had hoped to photograph the houses and the bridge but there were too many people in the way.

A Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) seen on our way back to the carpark

A most enjoyable walk in glorious sunshine.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

More Visitors to my Garden

Tags

bumble bee, Damselfly, Dragonfly, frog, pond skater, Rabbit, squirrel, Suffolk, summer

This is a post title I have used before and a very useful one it is too!

I have been going through the photographs I took last year in my garden and have found a few that I didn’t post for one reason or another.  Some of them are ok and some of them are definitely not but I will include a few of the latter as a record to myself of what I saw.  I won’t bore you with all the shots at once but will split them up into digestible portions.

A young Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) photographed one evening in June

I veer about in my attitude towards rabbits.  When I see rabbit kittens and young rabbits like this one I am full of love towards them.  How sweet they are!  I once looked out of an upstairs window early one morning and saw a couple of adult rabbits with a tiny rabbit kitten.  The adults were watching the baby and eating grass now and then while the kitten was exploring and skittering about, having fun.  It then ran up to the adults and rolled on its back just in front of them.  One of the adults nuzzled its head against the baby.  It all looked so peaceful.

I don’t feel quite the same about rabbits when I find large holes dug in the flower bed or bark chewed off my favourite trees and shrubs.  I am grateful for the control exerted on our rabbit population by stoats.

While hanging washing out on the line one summer a young rabbit ran past me.  I could tell from the way it ran that it was distressed and wasn’t sure where to go.  It headed for one of our vegetable plots.  I then saw the cause of the rabbit’s fear;  a stoat appeared round the corner of the house and well, skipped past me and made straight for the vegetable patch.  I couldn’t bear to watch any more so I went back indoors.  We haven’t seen any stoats in the garden for a couple of years – but we haven’t had too many rabbits either!

A sun-bathing, dozing rabbit seen one morning in late June

This is (I think) a Red-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus lapidarius) on a Welsh Onion flower.

A Common Frog (Rana temporaria)

This frog would not turn round so I could only photograph its back.  Common Frogs can be found in shades of yellow, orange, red, green, brown and even blue and usually have dark spots and markings on them.  They also have a dark patch behind the eye.

A Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)  This one is very thin!

Grey Squirrels were introduced into this country in the mid-19th century but didn’t become established here until the beginning of the 20th century after many releases.

 

 

 

Ruddy Darter dragonfly; male ( Sympetrum sanguineum )

Banded Demoiselle damselfly; male

 

 

This is a little out of focus but you can still see the dark iridescent band on this male’s wing

These beautiful damselflies are quite large and flutter their wings more as a butterfly does

 

Pond Skater ( Gerris lacustris )

They use their short front legs to capture prey that has fallen onto the surface of the water.

That’s it for now.

 

 

 

A Visit to Minsmere

Tags

Avocet, BBC's Springwatch, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Bittern, Cuckoo, greylags, Highland Cattle, marshes, Minsmere, Mute Swan, Nightingale, Oystercatcher, Pop-Up Café, Rabbit, RSPB, Sand martin, sea, Sea Kale, Sluice, tank traps, The Scrape, Whitethroat

For several weeks I have been wanting to re-visit Minsmere.  Minsmere is a bird reserve run and owned by the RSPB (the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) to which all four of us belong.  Minsmere is also the RSPB’s so-called ‘flag-ship’ reserve – the biggest and best in the country and we are lucky enough to live just a few miles from it.  There were three main reasons why I wished to go to Minsmere – I hadn’t been there for ages and missed it – I wanted to hear a nightingale again and there is usually a nightingale to be heard there at this time of year and lastly – I had heard that the BBC would be filming their Springwatch programmes there for the next three weeks starting on Monday 26th May and I wanted to go before they arrived.

R has been on annual leave this last week so we decided that we should go to Minsmere on Friday afternoon.  E and I had a very early start on Friday – up at 6.15am for me and 6.30am for her as she had a hospital appointment to go to in Norwich at 8.30am and we needed to leave the house at 7.15am to get there on time.  When that was over E decided she would like to do some shopping for books so we called in at Waterstones and she made a couple of purchases.  We then went to HMV to look at DVDs etc. and then we had lunch in a coffee shop.  We returned home via Beccles for more shopping.  Fortunately the weather had stayed dry for all of our journey.

R and I had a hot drink and a chat while I rested after my busy morning and then we set off.  There was a slight shower of rain as we drove there but it had all cleared away by the time we had parked the car in the carpark.  We decided to go towards the sea first and walked past the wildlife ponds near the Visitor Centre.  There is a sandy cliff behind the visitor centre where Sand Martins nest each year.  The Martins were very busy nesting and catching insects, flying low over our heads.  We were very pleased to hear a Cuckoo calling all the time we were there.  We hadn’t heard one for some years.

The rabbits on the reserve have no fear of humans

The path starts off over heathland and then carries on towards the sea on a raised bank through water meadows and marshland.

On our right to the south is Sizewell ‘B’ nuclear power station with Sizewell ‘A’ behind it.

On our left are the Coastguard Cottages on land owned by the National Trust.

 

This is looking back along the path we had just walked.  It has recently been re-laid and covered with gravel.  Crunching along these paths is a noisy business and all the birds disappear as soon as anyone steps onto them.  A lot of damage was done here during the storm surge in December and in the high winds and flooding during the winter; the RSPB have worked very hard trying to put things right again.  They also like to make as much of the reserve accessible to the disabled as possible – and – the BBC are filming one of the country’s most popular programmes here so it must look really neat and well cared for!

The entrance to the beach.

The dunes at the top of the beach.

At last we got to the sea.  The sky out at sea looked very threatening but overhead was bright and sunny.

This is looking north towards the town of Southwold.  The lighthouse was flashing its light so conditions and visibility at sea mustn’t have been good.  I tried to get a photo with the light from the lighthouse shining but couldn’t.

Sea Kale growing on the beach

These are tank traps that were put here at the beginning of the Second World War.  If there had been an invasion it was hoped these might hold up the tanks for a while. There are many mementos of wartime in Britain, especially round the coast.

PD James’ book ‘Unnatural Causes’ is set here on the Suffolk coast.  One of characters in the book dies a most unpleasant death in one of the hides along the beach.

The sandy path that runs between the dunes and the reeds of the reserve.  We had walked by the sea for a while but an extremely stiff and cold onshore breeze was blowing so I escaped to the warm shelter of this path.

Bird’s-foot Trefoil growing at the side of the path.

We went into one of the hides further along the beach and sat and looked inland across the Scrape at the birds nesting, eating, wading and getting on with their lives on the reserve.  The hide we were in had been damaged some time over winter and had no roof but as the weather was so lovely it didn’t matter much.  The birds were aware of our presence and didn’t get too close.  We were still able to see a lot through binoculars but we weren’t able to photograph much.

These are greylags with goslings.

An Oystercatcher.

A poor photo of an Avocet.  You can almost see its long upturned bill!

Mute Swans and other waders, ducks and gulls.

We eventually decided to move on and left the beach by another gate further south from the one we’d entered by.  There is a sluice there.  Water levels are monitored all the time.  The Scrape and lagoon need to have enough water in them but water levels must not get too high.  The RSPB works with other groups such as the owner of the nuclear power station and the National Trust to maintain flood defences.

Views over the marshes.

A photo of a Whitethroat singing from the top of a bush. We couldn’t get any closer I’m afraid so it’s not very clear.

Highland cattle are used for marshland grazing.  They also use (or used to use) Konic Ponies for the same purpose.

We walked back towards the woods on the noisy path listening to Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats and many more birds along the way.  We saw that the whole reserve was wired for sound.  There were cables everywhere and cameras attached to nest boxes and every now and then we came across one or two people working in ditches and under bushes trying to fix something.  In the woods we also found a Pop-Up Café.

This was run by an enterprising East European couple.  R and I had the best coffee I’ve ever had.  It cost us £5.00 for two coffees which is very expensive for Suffolk but we did get two free pastries with it.  The girl put a pretty pattern on the top of mine.

After eating our pain au chocolat and drinking our coffee we walked a little way up into the wood and sat listening to the birds.  We heard a Bittern ‘booming’ which we were pleased about but unfortunately we weren’t able to hear a nightingale.  It was becoming late by this time and we decided to go home.  The BBC is only filming on Mondays to Thursdays so I may go back next Friday and just walk round the wood and try to hear the nightingale.  A and I walked here a few years ago listening to one singing and we even saw it too.  When I first moved to Suffolk in 1988 I lived in Halesworth and I used to be able to hear nightingales singing all night from the Folly on the edge of the town.  Sadly there are fewer Nightingales about and I haven’t heard one for about four years.