Saturday 19 May 2012

The greening of the English shires

I have been suffering with a cold for the past few days. You know that woolly headed feeling, burning eyes, and lethargy. Today I thought it would be a good idea to take a walk in one of the five valleys below where we live, and see if I could blow some of the cobwebs away.
We commenced the walk at the old Canal Keeper's House. The walk meanders on the level separated by a Victorian neglected canal on one side and the river on the other. It is a walk I like as there is always plenty of interest. Lovely trees, the canal, the river, wild flowers, birds, and it is possible to peek over the walls and hedges into lots of gardens.
overgrown canal - there are plans to rejuvenate it in due course.
Wild garlic growing in profusion
The river meandering along the ends of the cottage gardens
At this stage the river opens out into a small lake. 
Swan guarding the lake
Cow Parsley
Comfrey
Campion
Dandelion seed head
A road to be explored next time
At the end of the walk a big blazing bonfire. 

40 comments:

  1. You live in an incredibly beautiful area! Stunning scenes. Must have made you feel better seeing all of these wonderful things.

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    1. Dear Karen - getting out into the fresh air with the heady scent of the wild garlic did me a tonic. I feel as if I have moved on today, it was a lovely leisurely walk.

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  2. What a lovely place you call home. I hope you feel better now.

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    1. Dear Olive - the corner has been turned today, thank you I am feeling on the mend. I am pleased that you enjoyed seeing the valley.

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  3. Thanks for taking us with you on your walk. The landscapes and vieuws of it are so great.
    Have a nice sunday.

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    1. Dear Marijke - It was lovely to take you on the walk and show you what is happening in the nearby countryside at the moment. Good Sunday to you too.

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  4. There is no doubt that copious amounts of rain do great things to the colour green. The photos are beautiful Rosemary,I love the one with the swan. J

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    1. Dear Janice - I am reminded of the words from Milton's Jerusalem - 'In England's green and pleasant land'. Must have been plenty of rain then too. I was happy that there was actually some lattice fencing between my camera and the swan, he/she looked a bit protective of the lake.

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  5. What a great idea to take us on a walk with you. I do hope it got you on track again. I think the light shows off the different tones of green wonderfully, the leaves look like they could burst laden with so much chlorophyll.
    Paul

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    1. Dear Paul - glad you joined me on the walk, and yes, feeling much improved today. England is very green this year, but the new green leaves are a joy to see.

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  6. Thank you Rosemary for taking us along and showing us your beautiful countryside. Only you would find beauty in the evasive dandelion and wild onions. Hope your are on the mend.ox, Gina

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    1. Happy to take you along Gina - the dandelion is a thing of beauty in its own right, as long as it is not in my garden!! One good thing about the wild garlic is that you can make pesto from the leaves.
      I have turned the corner now, and am about to plant up some dahlias.

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  7. Dear Rosemary,

    Your neighborhood has a great deal of charm, and in another place and time, I might make a career decision based upon the possibility of living in that lock keeper's house. How exciting to look down onto people's patios! As you know, in this part of Florida everything is so flat!

    I hope you're back to normal by the time you read this.

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    1. Dear Mark - this little valley is full of painters, sculptures and crafts people. I think that you would have fitted in very well.
      Behind the Lock Keeper's house, Damien Hurst has a beautiful old Cotswold stone house with origins dating back to 1240, just one of many that he owns.
      Across the road from the Lock Keeper's house is a beautiful Arts and Crafts church filled with work by Ernest and Sidney Barnsley, Ernest Gimson, Norman Jewson, and Peter van der Waals. It is a treasure trove. Perhaps I should do a post one day!
      Much better today thank you.

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  8. Great post.
    What a wonderful place you live.
    I love the Lock Keeper's House.
    Hope you are feeling better.
    Take care, dear Rosemary.
    Mette

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    1. Dear Mette - thank you I am feeling much better. The Lock Keeper's house is very sweet, but you would need special furniture to fit into the curves of the wall. Glad you enjoyed seeing my corner of the world.

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  9. you live in what must be the most beautiful area of England! I hope you feel better soon!

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    1. Dear Roanna - I am definitely on the mend thank you. The countryside is looking lovely this year because of all the rain, however, now some warm sunshine would be gratefully received.

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  10. Beautiful! What a wonderful place for a walk! So green and lush. I hope it did the job and you're feeling better.

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    1. Dear Marie - everywhere is very green this year and lush as you say. Now it is time for a bit of warmth to go with it. Feeling good now thank you.

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  11. A beautiful walk, through the trees and canals, superb.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the walk Bob and thank you.

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  12. Hi, Thank you for taking me on a early morning stroll
    just what I needed, as scrolling down the page,
    was favoring the third picture
    with the little whisper of smoke drifting up,
    it's the homes our settlements that
    sometimes enhances nature, catch the imagination,
    wow! that last image was unexpected,

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    1. Thank you for visiting and glad you enjoyed seeing the valley. I am pleased that you noticed the whisper of smoke, I imagined a nice fire glowing in the cottage, and yes, that bonfire caught us buy surprise too.

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  13. Dear Rosemary
    Very nice the walk you did . The fresh air, the beauty of nature
    refresh our minds. You stay in a lovely area of English countryside. Thank you for the beautiful walk, I walked with you. Beautify my Gray day .The weather here is cold with many clouds .
    Have a nice week
    Olympia

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    1. Dear Olympia - I am pleased that you took a walk with me, and that it has brightened up your day. I cannot believe that the weather is still grey with you - Greece is usually so warm and sunny at this time of year. It is still chilly here, but luckily the rain seems to have gone away. We need a bit of warmth around Europe.

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  14. Such gorgeous photos, Rosemary. You really do live in a little corner of paradise. The sky may be grey, but the rain has turned the world wonderfully green. :-)

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    1. If the sky was blue then that would be perfect, oh, and some warm sunshine too. Actually there is a little hamlet just down the road from us called Paradise, I always think it must be lovely to say you live in Paradise!

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  15. What a beautiful walk through the wonderful English countryside Rosemary.....and such stunning photographs too.
    As the weather was lovely on Saturday, we walked along the river near to our home. I shall do a post on it soon as I took some photos.
    Thanks so much for dropping by my blog and for your lovely comment.....a bit of mummy bragging !!!! XXXX

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    1. Dear Jacqueline - thank you for your visit and your kind comments. The countryside is looking very green this year, but now we need the warmth. However, today it feels as if summer has come rushing in, it is very warm here today.
      It is a mummies prerogative to feel proud of their offspring especially when they have done so well♥

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  16. I would like to slip into the screen and then walk in this gorgeous, green, lush, lovely nature! I think I would never want to stop! Thanks for those wonderful impressions - I guess you felt better after - nature is a cure for (nearly) everything! Happy day! Christa

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    1. Dear Christa - yes, walking in the fresh air, with the heady scent of the wild garlic really cleared my head. I just loved seeing your beautiful Alps today♥

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  17. What a beautiful walk! I am so glad you shared it with us. I love the little road you didn't take this time. It seems so enticing!

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    1. Dear Lisa - we have never noticed the road before, and like you we thought it looked enticing. Next time we shall see where it leads to.

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  18. I hope your walk in the beautiful English countryside that you shared in these photos, cleared your head, it looks delightful.

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    1. Yes, it definitely did me the world of good - nothing like a walk in the fresh air to clear the cobwebs away. Glad you enjoyed seeing it.

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  19. Well, I simply can't found the words. Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning countryside. I loved every step on that lovely path ... Thank you, Rosemary !

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    1. Dear Dani - I am delighted that you enjoyed the walk. Do come with me on my next walk, I shall probably go up the road I showed at the end of the post which is a new find for us.

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  20. Hello, Rosemary. Now I understand you live in somewhere in Cotswold, the place I’ve been longing for. I love the green colors that only spring can bring which is explicit in your breathtaking photos. I’d like to walk along the curving path in person, appreciating the charming architectures and abundant nature. While walking there, I might be dyed in green being soaked in that air. Your photos really took the cobwebs in my brain after the tiring day.

    Yoko

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    1. Dear Yoko - what a delightful comment. I am so pleased that you know about the Cotswolds. It is an area considered to be quintessential England. A lot of Japanese visitors come here to visit Bibury because it was a little hamlet much loved by William Morris, and I believe that Japanese people are very fond of him and his work.

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