Today 25th November

The weather here today in Shropshire has been very cold but sunny - we have escaped the snow for the moment but there was a heavy frost last night. I grabbed a few spare moments to take a walk and to take a few shots with my camera - I drank in the view across the park has I drove up the long driveway - large chesnuts - still with lots of leaves - stood tall and strong as they had for many a year - looking through the trees I could catch a glimpse of the Wrekin slumbering away in the background


Again as we began our walk the Wrekin was away there in the distance through the old pines.
'A cobbler one morning his way home was wending,
With a pretty good bagful of shoes wanting mending,
When he heard a great sound,
Which shook even the ground,
And ,on looking around,
He saw a great mound,
Or rather a mountain,which toward him came,
He at first thought his senses were having a game;
But as long as he gazed,
He was somewhat amazed
To findby a giant the mountain was carried'

Ingoldsby Legends



I love this stretch of the river - always it changes - it is never the same - all depending on the seasons - time of day - weather - how fast the river is flowing etc

Further on along the pathway - a glance down at the river showed a group of mallard - very colourful - swimming this way and that - squabbling between their selves

A little further on on the other side of the river a group of Canada geese stood ever watchful of me and my dog

The park stretched out in a panoramic view the other side of the river - I shall walk there another day - perhaps when I have warmer clothes on - the wind is biting today!

I carried on to complete the mile walk - I have never bothered to time myself on this one- I will try that on the next trip - but I always dilly dally on the way - so maybe that would be an impossible task.





I have tried to show in the pictures above - how the colours change as you walk through the wood - as the sunlight dapples through the leaves - casting shadows - giving a brilliant sheen to otherwise sombre woodland

We walked past the snowdrop parkland - and imagined that in approx 3 months - that this would be awash with a white carpet of snowdrops - bulbs lying dormant ready to push through the leafmould.
There were not many people walking in the park today - but many people were making their way to the walled gardens - it is always unbelievably warmer in there - and provides seating for visitors .
Has we came out into the reception area - I read the noticeboard - the Frost Fair is being held at the beginning of December I shall try and visit that one this year

As I came out of the parkland into Atcham - I pulled over - and walked over the old bridge across the River Severn - to catch a glimpse of the parish church of St Eatas