A Local Walk

We're experiencing warm, sunny weather at the moment so I took advantage of it and took a walk on Saturday afternoon while Mr P was resting after a morning of gardening.  I've come to appreciate the trails that I can walk not far from home even if most of them are at the top end of our hilly village. Further out from this village in the north-west of the city we have open countryside and the many reservoirs managed by Yorkshire Water called "The Lakeland Loop".

The area is crisscrossed by old routes once used by packhorses and other horse-drawn carriers.  These trails were important to the local economy and are now used as a leisure resource.  Heritage Highways have created a number of walks, horse rides and bike routes to help local people explore the rich history of the area.  The British Horse Society has sponsored the research needed to train up volunteers so that the trails and bridleways are well maintained and sign posted.

Below are some of the photos I took on Saturday's walk not far from home.  The trees are back to life in full leaf now and there are many wild flowers to be enjoyed along the way (even in the new park at the top of our road where the grass has been left long and many species of wild flowers were planted last year along the edge of the playground).

 English bluebells are still blooming in shady places. 

It was a joy to hear the birds singing and capture this little sparrow pecking the ground for insects among the fallen new leaves.

Back near home I was pleased to see the wisteria flowers that droop down so prettily.   Back in our own garden the neighbour's hawthorn tree that gives shelter to garden birds in the Spring and Summer months and berries to feed on in the Autumn and Winter was looking beautiful against the clear blue sky.

Thank you for coming by.  I hope you have a pleasant week whatever you're doing. 

A Local Garden Centre Visit

It has been quite a while since we visited our local garden centre - in September, in fact, when I bought bulbs to plant out for the Spring garden season.  It was an overcast, cloudy Monday morning which was reflected in the colour of the water in the nearby reservoir.  However, everything looked verdant and the farm animals were out grazing on the surrounding hills.  There were patches of  hawthorn blossom in the now leafy hedges surrounding some of the fields. 

We needed a couple of bags of compost and as there's a one-way system to keep visitors from crowding one another Mr P loaded up a trolley in the yard beyond the entrance to the garden nursery.  (Thankfully he feels better in the mornings so it's a suitable time to venture out).  Apparently if we had only wanted compost or bags of stone or grit we could have paid for those without going right around the site instead of trundling the loaded trolley around and in and out of various garden rooms.  On our way around I took a quick look at the new items for sale. 

In the covered departments the emphasis is on Summer seating for the garden and ornamental items. The sound of running water from the numerous ornamental fountains was soothing to the ears and the greenery of the pot plants calming on the eyes.  

The café is now open with the option of sitting inside as well as in the secluded and quiet garden area where you're entertained by the birds hovering around the bird feeders in one corner so I'm sure we'll  visit again very soon.

I hope your week is going well.  Have a good day!

Another Local Walk

 

Now that the snow has gone, the wind has died down and my aching knee is a lot better yesterday seemed like a good day to go for a short drive and a walk.  We headed down into Loxley Valley.  I returned to a trail that's easy-going with a flat, wide path beside a water channel that feeds into the Loxley River and where there's an interesting mill and mill pond.

The wheat in this field was beginning to show substantial growth. 

However, in places where the farmer had driven across the field it looked very waterlogged.

 

On my right hand side as I walked there was the tributary of the River Loxley and one of the many weirs along it.

I walked over a wooden bridge, but did not go over the one above which I think goes uphill to Acorn Hill.

Instead I could see the mill at the end of the mill pond.  There were patches of ice on the water.

There were piles of wood and tree branches stacked up probably being used by those who now live at the mill. 

The trail is a right of way for walkers so I passed the back of the mill buildings, crossed the stone bridge before turning back to our car which was in a parking area at the beginning of this trail.

This is the former mill called Olive Mill or Olive Wheel Mill. It sounds Mediterranean doesn't it, but in this rural area of small industries it started life as a forge and grinding works before becoming a paper mill.  Then it was taken over by a company that produced metal items. I could have walked on by the water or up the lane above, but that will have to wait for another day. I may even see the water wheel that powered the mill if it's still there?

Walking back passed the mill pond I caught a glimpse of a pretty mid Victorian, white-painted house.  It's called Olive House and belonged to the mill owner. Later it became the home of a local general practitioner doctor.

Another house across the field is also a private dwelling. It's on a lane leading to another village and apparently is was once an inn called Rowell Bridge Inn.  I saw some walkers going along the public footpath between the wall surrounding the field and the stone wall of the house so that would be another interesting trail to explore one day.  

Hazel catkins from my walk.  I didn't pick it,

 this small twig was on the ground.

Once more I shall be catching up with reading your blogs.  I sometimes  have a break from the computer over the weekend so I'm behind with all your news.  As always I hope you have a good day and week.