Week 62 25/03/2015 - Frogspawn, Acceptable Behaviour and Partings

Photo Blog Week 62 - Wed 25 March 2015

Varied skies today with some periods of gorgeous blue. It was fairly mild and I spent the day in my fleece though had to zip up from time to time in the shade.

After the recent warm sun, today's project was to see if I could find frogspawn. This challenge proved to be rather easy and I had several sightings within about 20 mins. In fairness, I did have an idea of where I had seen some last year so its presence was fairly easily discovered.

route: Main Car Park; Estate Office (in the House); The Cage; Horse Coppice Reservoir; Bollinhurst Brook; Admissions Hut

Kinder Plateau with dappled sun patterns

The Cage

 (Yes, OK, I know I've tilted the camera again! I think it's when I'm holding the litter bag and picker at the same time as the camera)

poor distance views today looking toward Manchester

Tree Planting

A lot of trees in the Park have been and are being lost due to old age. As you will observe in many areas, replanting has been absent in many years leading to a change in character.
In an ideal world, the estate would have a rolling renewal continuous over the decades but history, ownership changes, fashion trends and money mean that this rarely happens.

If you look at a 100 year old tree in the Park now, it saw the First World War, the migration of people to towns and industry, periods of depression, the demise of the land owning gentry families, the Second World War,  death duties and taxes, local council management and eventually the current National Trust management. Not exactly an predictable or stable century.

Tree planting at the North of the Park for future generations.

Frogspawn 1

First sighting rather disappointingly in coloured scummy water off the path of Bollinhurst Brook.

No obvious pollution source, maybe ironstone deposit in the immediate area?

These are just air bubbles caught in fibres on a rock in the main stream of the brook highlighted by the sun

main water course is quite fast flowing so no spawn here

but here in the corner of a meander in still water a good deposit of spawn

Lesser Celandine - A bright golden yellow that we'll see a lot of in the coming weeks

route: Admissions Hut; Elmerhurst Wood; Crow Wood; Timberyard

Bluebells are coming in large numbers to areas of Elmerhurst and Crow Woods

The conservation team have done an excellent job with the recovery of the path in Elmerhurst Wood.

No more lost boots or muddy coats from slips.

 

Changing Times

It's funny how different things more over time between being socially acceptable and vandalism. When I was a kid, it was seen as 'romantic' to carve your affections into the bark of a live tree. It was also 'nice' to pick a big bunch of wild bluebells from the woods and take them home to your Mum. Both these actions would now bee seen as vandalism.

 

The path South from Elmerhurst Wood meanders its way parallel to the main drive

1964 - Whatever happened to Kenny and Val?

Stepping logs - Fun but I think I'll take the bridge today (slippery)

These two ducks are like oversized Mallards and the head feathers iridescent Blue rather than Green.

route: Timberyard; Main Car Park; North Face of the House; Turfhouse Meadow

Coppiced Lime trees have a military gait parallel to the steps to the North Face

Hereford Cattle pt1

Those of you who have followed me will be familiar with the 'Jumping' cattle, the six Herefords who decided against moving back to comfortable farm quarters for the winter and learnt from the red deer how to jump fences. Several hard work attempts to herd them have failed.

Passing through into Turfhouse Meadow a 'ring of steel' suggest another go at capturing the Hereford cattle may be imminent

This young Hereford Bull doesn't look as if it has suffered for being out through the winter

Chillin'

more to come on this later on...

The cattle have company on the meadow, two Hinds and Calf

Frog Spawn 2

At the outlet end of the pond in Turfhouse Meadow in amongst the rush and soft banks I found more healthy spawn.

Nice reflections of this still day

Coltsfoot - another early flower

The youngster leading the Hinds off to explore 

A stunning sky over the Eastern Moor and Lantern Wood

Several strange round earthworks can be seen across the top of Turfhouse Meadow

this one with complex additional compartments

one of a pair of Mistle Thrushes

route:  Turfhouse Meadow; Eastern Moor; Knightslow Wood; Drinkwater Meadow; Car Park

Eastern Moor again

too nice not to record with the gorgeous tan colour brilliant in the sunshine

along the bottom of the Moor by Hampers Wood

Fallow Deer grazing on the new grass in front of the House

Fallow Deer in all colours. The enclosure opens again at the end of March.

wider angle to show context of full view

and zoom in above to Manchester in the haze

Brilliant spring green grass lit up in a clearing - Knightslow Wood

Fungi fest'

Fungi fest' 

this one looks like fine sawdust caught on flakes in the bark but each element is a small rubbery leaf almost white on the top and dark brown underneath.

The top diving board?

route: Stables; Turfhouse Meadow; End

Hereford Cattle pt2

They got them!

After all the previous attempts had failed, I'm told they came in fairly easily tempted by an ample supply of maize. Two had initially charged out again but eventually came back to the treat and the gate was closed behind them. When I passed them earlier they were in a very calm state and only just outside the gate so I think the timing was good today.

Tractor driver reverses this mammoth down Turfhouse lane - darned impressive!

Trailer doors closed, a sense of relaxation is apparent

and away they go. I just hope they don't teach the rest of the herd to jump of the farmer has problems

Ironically, it will soon be time for the cattle and sheep to come onto the park for the summer. Ranger Craig is however determined that if he never sees those six again it'll be too soon!

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As an aside, I am suddenly reminded of one of my favourite quotes which is from The Muppet Christmas Carol: "It's all right, children. Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it." (quote truncated)

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Today's track and profile

provided by runkeeper.com Android phone App.

total: 7.0 miles (11.33 km)  5 hr 15 min

This Time Last Year

Have a look at This Time Last Year  

Week 18 26/03/14 - Copses and Antlers

Week 61 18/03/2015 - Skylarks and The Western Approach

Photo Blog Week 61 - Wed 18 March 2015

I drove in past a Host of Golden Daffodils that Wordsworth would have been envious of either side of the main entrance drive from the A6 and headed up to the car park greeted by a beautiful blue sky.

A feeling of spring and even summer was taken to a higher level later as I walked out by Four Winds toward the Knott with the air full of the call of skylarks.Though sunny and bright, a haze in the air did mean that there were no distant views and even local vistas had a washed out feel about them.

Today's Project - The Original Route In

I came in today with a project in mind, to walk the route of the original entrance and approach to the House recording the first views that a guest would have encountered. I would say, 'doing a Lizzy Bennet', but Delta-Ged isn't a girl and I can't remember any male visitors from Pride and Prejudice that I would want to associate myself with.

With a long day's walking and my 'Project' I'm afraid there are a lot of pictures this week.

route: Main Car Park; Estate Office (in the House); Timberyard; Turtle Brew; Four Winds; Green Farm; Western Old Drive Entrance

Blue skies greet me above Green Drive from the front of the House

Sun catching this Mallard's iridescent green head feathers by the Mill Pond

Work continues on renewing the wall by Crow Wood across the stream from the Timberyard

Soft Rush

Soft Rush is a problem all over the Park. As long as the grass cover remains unbroken, soft rush and nettles are unlikely to start growing. However, if the grass surface gets broken, this can happen.

The wall on the right was rebuilt last year and the tractor delivering stone broke through the damp steep grass. The soft rush seen growing follows those open tracks.

The ground near the lower section currently being rebuilt looks like this now. 

These open grooves will almost certainly see soft rush and or nettle encroachment in the coming seasons.

A group of Red Deer Stags on the Knott

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The Original Route In - Traditional Approach Route to The House

Has it ever struck you as odd that on arrival you approach the less ornate North Face of the house when the South face is so beautiful?
The current A6 entrance and the main drive are later additions. The original drive came in from the Pott Shrigley direction starting by the current West Parkgate entrance but heading north across farmland which is not currently a part of the Park.

This gate over the summit from The Knott car park is where the original drive enters the current Park.

Route: (from 'Gate Entrance' in drawing) ; Follow Old Western Approach as described in comments to Main Car Park

The drive ascends with massive views to left across the Cheshire Plain and ahead the Western Pennines

The drive still shows the contours of a well constructed levelled road

Curving around a bend, The Cage peers tantalisingly above the farmland suggesting something grand to come

 

The Cage

After the bend, the descent into the Park begins and on the distant hillside, the only folly in the Park, The Lantern is visible at the head of a clearing through the wood.land.

 

The Lantern

As the drive straightens Lantern Wood and Park Moor fill the distant horizon hinting at the vastness of the estate

Then, as now, Red Deer roamed the Park and the coach occupants may well have seen sights such these as they drove by.

Continuing on, a summit appears with the suggestion of a valley lying ahead. 

Through the currently bare trees to left are hints of roofs of buildings. These will disappear when the trees are in leaf but may have been lines of sight when the trees were younger showing that you are almost there.

After the summit, the flat equestrian field gives the feel of entering Parkland

In front, left is the domed summit of Turtle Brew. 

The shape of this mound looks decidedly man made and I wonder if it was a deliberate ploy to obscure the view of the House and estate buildings enabling the grand reveal to come.

Being watched

These trees may well have been to create a mini avenue to guide you in

Hints of buildings through the gap to left of Turtle Brew

Then, looking to left through the trees, the statues on the roof of the house are backed by The Lantern.

I feel sure this was deliberate gradual reveal. The trees would be a lot younger and less obscuring and there was probably clear ground where the saplings are.

The drive continues to another bend, this time to left

A tantalising sight of the high part of the South Face

Then a sweeping descent begins

and coming out of the gentle bend the vista opens up with a perfect angled view of the grand South Face above the gardens

....and if that doesn't impress, I don't know what will

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route: Millpond; Knightslow Wood; Knights Low summit; Bowstonegate Farm entrance; High Point Direction Finder; Quarry by Lantern Wood; Lantern Wood middle path; Cluse Hey

Another sign of spring

Knights Low

  The old quarry in the middle of Knightslow Wood filled with beech leaves

The summit of Knights Low. 

On old maps, the summit is shown as a clearing above the woodland. Interestingly, 'Knights Lowe' is also written in a font used to indicate ancient sites.

Steep slope down from the summit to the path by the Moor wall.

The beech saplings are covered with dried golden leaves which will soon get pushed off by the new spring green leaf burst

Red Dee Moor Herd

A group of pregnant Hinds with yearlings in tow

A young Stag in the group

Bowstonegate Farm

On a sunny day, the white gable end of the farm is often visible on the horizon from many locations in South East Greater Manchester and North East Cheshire.

Park Moor and Sponds Hill ridge disappear into the haze

Even the view from above the House is misty

It's always strange to look down on The Cage when you are so used to perceiving it as being high

  An unusual view of The Lantern

route: Cluse Hey; Coal Pit Wood; Cage Hill; Crow Wood; Main Car Park (end)

Red Deer fur. 

The hairs are tightly packed together and quite deep with the colour only evident at the tips of the fibres. Well suited to winter outside in Great Britain.

Two Sequoias (Giant Redwood) in Crow Wood.

Late afternoon sun above the Mill Pond

Today's track and profile

provided by runkeeper.com Android phone App.

total: 8.0 miles (13.0 km)  5 hr 00 min

This Time Last Year

Have a look at This Time Last Year  

Week 17 19/03/14 Leaf Burst and Frog Spawn