Bridgnorth: a town walk 2

At the top of the Cartway, I came into St Leonard's Close

The Almshouses

There are interesting buildings all round the Close

...including the old grammar school (and some early blossom

Out onto the High Street, Northgate, once part of the town walls

The usually attractive Market Building is covered in scaffold!

There are some vibrant shops,...

...lots of old buildings,

...and more little alleyways

This one leads to the Cliff Railway

It has the most fabulous views

As one carriage descends, another ascends

This ran for just one passenger

 More tomorrow

Bridgnorth: town walking 1

Thought I'd give nature a miss, and go walking round a town for a change. I parked in the Low Town car park, Bridgnorth.

Walking towards the town, I passed this bowling club, which is on an island in the River Severn

Bridgnorth's bridge.

Plenty of ducks, showing the low water levels (there are frequent floods here)

Over to the town, north view

The south view

Reminder that it used to be a working port

I turned right up the steep Cartway

This is one of my favourite buildings

It's called Bishop Percy's House

The Cartway is very steep! And it used to be the only way to get things to the market at the top of the hil (There are better routes now  - and the funicular railway)

Views from halfway up

Everywhere, there are little alleys. And there are lots of examples of the local red sandstone

The local brick is beautiful - not as red as you would expect

More tomorrow

Bunkers Hill Wood

I have been listening to a serialisation of the Nature Diaries of Brett Westwood  (details)

He lives right by where I live, and there were 5 talks about places no more than a couple of miles form my house. One of the was Bunkers Hill Wood

So I thought I'd better visit.

There's an easy path right round the edge of the woods, (though there's a big climb at one point)

In this tree I watched a pied woodpecker headbutting (beak-butting) a branch (not drilling, which was what I expected). I assume he must have some kind of shock absorbers in his brain, as he was hitting it really hard

Gorse

Cows by Turbine Cottage

I left by this path at the far end of the woods. This is looking back on my route

It's pretty hilly round here. More than I'd ever noticed when driving!

Following the path over towards Sugar Loaf Lane, I met this friendly pony. 

Lovely farm buildings on Sugar Loaf Lane (and a less nice breeze block one) 

Looking over towards Clent

Wagons loaded up and ready to go

Passing Stourbridge Lawn Tennis Club: no-one was playing

The path by the side of the club leads back to Bunkers Hill Wood

The sun was setting as I returned

The Abberley Hills framed by the Pylons!

The woods are full of bluebells in the spring,apparently. Meanwhile, you can listen to Brett Westwood talking about these woods (Here). The episodes are available for a year, and only 15 mins long. Even if you don't particularly like nature programmes, it's good to hear about something so local. Give them a try!

Because this was a dull day, the photos don't really do the place justice. I'll go back on a better day, when the bluebells are out perhaps.

The Sheepwalks on a frosty day

Friday. It was 11 am and still minus 2 degrees, with a strong wind.

I headed out onto the Sheepwalks (near Enville, S. Staffs) 

There are usually fine views right over towards Telford and the Ironbridge Gorge power station

Not today though. Just an almost colourless winter landscape. The patches of visible grass are where the sheep have been lying

A memorial bench on the top, but it was too cold to linger. With wind chill, it must have been below minus 5.

 The view from the bench - over towards (invisible) Wenlock Edge

A definite preference for the grass which has thawed.

I was going to follow this path, but my frozen fingers decreed otherwise. A swift return to the car was in order. 

Icy trees

 Driving home, Sheepwalks Lane is frosted over

Kinver Edge is just visible through the gloom

 A lonely farmhouse.

 And home to a mug of hot chocolate, replacing all the calories I'd just burned off (ahem)

The route: Follow the signed footpaths over the Sheepwalks - but don't do it in the mist unless you know it, as it's quite easy to get disorientated. One ancient tree looks much like another!