Photo Blog Week 19 - Wed 02 Apr 2014
A dull day with limited views outside the Park. On arrival, Nigel at the Admissions Hut warned me that there was a cold wind further in which seemed unlikely but once I ventured out of the shelter of the car park and onto Cage Hill a bitter blustery wind hit which meant getting the big coat out and regretting not packing gloves and woolly hat.
route: North along Green Drive below The Cage; diag. right to Horse Coppice Reservoir; follow Bollinhurst Brook to Admissions
The avenue of trees on Green Drive showing a haze of green buds
A hazy sun over The Cage
Normally Manchester but today... nothing
route: South up Main Drive; drop to Crow Wood entrance; follow track exiting Crow Wood East of Timber Yard
Even the daisies have decided that today's light is not worth opening for.
This continued throughout the day; very few flowers open. Yes, that is my camera strap :(
Bluebell shoots appearing across the floor in Crow Wood
Iris by the stream
Nature's Artwork: Dried out fungi still looking good
route: (after lunch) Main Car Park; gate to Drinkwater Meadow; follow track entering Knightslow Wood; follow Bowstone Gate track to Lime Avenue junction.
Horse Chestnut always has to be first with leaves appearing
Unusually serious den in trees by Drinkwater Meadow
Still no views to distance
Fallow Deer Sanctuary Open
Big news, the Fallow Deer Park is now open for the summer so walks direct across the back of the Hall and Gardens from the Car Park through to Hampers Wood are now available (Dogs on short lead please). You can also enter from Knightslow Wood and follow the avenue toward the Hall with a high likelihood of seeing the Fallow Deer on the meadow area.route: Enter Fallow Deer Park from Knightslow Wood; follow Lime Avenue to fence around formal garden; turn left to Main Car Park.
Entering the Fallow Deer Park and Lime Avenue from Knightslow Wood
Fallow Deer on hillside from Lime Avenue
Lyme Hall viewed through the mature trees at the near end of Lime Avenue.
Note: "Lime" trees at "Lyme" Park. Not the same word though many mistakenly think they are.
Great view of Lyme Hall and Reflection Lake through fence from Fallow Deer Park
Rhododendrons are beautiful in the right place in the Garden as a controlled ornamental plant
School party enjoying the infinite pleasure of rolling down the embankment outside the Hall
Three Sequoias (Redwoods) in the Main Car Park.
( Thanks to Graham for correction; I had suggested Cedars)
route: Exit Car Park again to Drinkwater Meadow; Follow track to right across Meadow; pass Darcy's Pond; exit to Pursefield Wood; pass Paddock Cottage to ridge
Still not light enough to bother opening properly
Darcy's Pond
There is actually a kestrel perched centre just over 3/4 up which I had been trying to creep up on.
I hadn't bothered bring the camera with a decent zoom today.
Bowstonegate Farm on a misty horizon
route: Follow ridge before curving down to right passing Stone Seat; smaller tracks to West Park Drive - Deer Clough junction; follow Drive into Park at The Knott car park; cross to rear of Knoll over toward Four Winds wall; Farm track toward Car Park; pass between boundary wall and wood dropping to Mill Pond and end of patrol.
Fresh Growth
on the hillside descending from Paddock Cottage ridge to the drive.
Bilberry
Bramble or Blackberry
Bluebells through the carpet of bracken debris
silver birch
Wild flowers vs Weeds
It occurs to me that I take only pictures of what I consider "wild flowers" but ignore "weeds". The only difference is in my head, if it is a nuisance in my garden at home then it is a "weed", there again, a "weed" is only a flower in the wrong place.I right that wrong in a small way with a Dandelion and some Nettles:
I was looking earlier to see how frog spawn was progressing and couldn't locate my previous finds, however, just to prove it is still about at the side of West Park Drive.
Iranian New Year
Happy Nowruz
Every year, the area around The Knott car park becomes a centre for the celebration by the Iranian community of their New Year. Expected to be very busy next weekend but the first parties are setting up already on Wednesday. Iranian music drifting across the Knoll and the smell of many barbeques.
"Tens of millions of Iranians will begin the Nowruz ("new day" in Farsi) New Year's celebrations Thursday evening. Nowruz is a national holiday marking the first day of spring. Before beginning 12 days of festive family meals with dishes including sabzi (a herb stew) and gundi (chicken and chickpea dumplings) and picnics with lots of grilled meat,"
1 comment:
The trees in the car park are sequoia (redwoods)
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