A walk in the Forest of Dean

I made this on my iPhone, so it’s a bit of an experiment.

Scowles – Walking with my camera

After a couple of days away, a long drive back and then a morning of re-booking flights with a clogged up brain, it was great to get out for a walk this afternoon. There is a vast quarry up the road from me, where they are digging out stone for building and paving and the like.

All around the quarry are scowles – left over slag from previous workings – which get taken over by nature, making the distinctive landscape of the Forest of Dean.

In the photographs, you should be able to see how the Quarry are now bulldozing their slag up against the old scowles. In places it looks like a glacier of rock pouring into the spaces in between. I noticed a cardboard box on a tree stump below one of these piles of terminal moraine. I thought it may have a warning not to come too close writing on it, but no, it was an airgun target! Pop bottles, strewn around, evidence of kids doing a bit of target practice.

It won’t take long for the raw, bare scree to get colonised by lichen and moss, then covered in leaves, which will rot and provide compost for the trees and plants that will eventually turn this industrial eyesore into a walker’s tourist heaven, another scowle, another piece of classic forest landscape.

High above Cwmbach – walking with my camera

The days are getting longer and longer and the sun was shining this afternoon so, having got the lie of the land yesterday, I went for a walk up the the mountain above Cwmbach this afternoon. I think it’s called Tyle Robert. Either way it provides stunning views across the Cynon Valley. I can see all the schools I’m visiting this week from up there.

I think I’m falling in love with Lichen. It’s something you don’t normally take any notice of – it’s just there – but it’s much more interesting and beautiful when you look closely.

I was surprised by a vista that appeared through an avenue cut through the trees. I really was on the top as the view is of Merthyr Tydfil on the other side of the mountain!

Cwmbach – walking with my camera

I’m staying across the valley from Aberdere in Cwmbach. This late afternoon I went for a walk up the mountainside following a trail made very muddy by horses, crossing streams by stepping stones and taking care not to slip and hurt myself so far away from civilisation!

At the start of the footpath the hedge is made entirely of Japanese Knotweed! According to the news this morning, they have found a weevil that can get rid of it. It will probably move on to eat something else and devastate another area of wildlife if they release it.

I’m very attracted to lichens at the moment. They seem very fractal in their design. maybe that’s what I like. I came across a dead sheep too. I’m not sure if I’m meant to report it or who to.

turning back into the lane from the footpath I noticed the woodpecker on the telegraph pole. It turned out to be plastic! What a wonderful bit of street art!

A lovely walk on a lovely mountainside. I don’t suppose this area is high on the tourist trail ratings, but it certainly has a lot to offer.

Branksome Beach – Walking with my camera

I woke up feeling quite exhausted this morning. I tried to to some writing, but didn’t seem to get anywhere. I’m staying at my Father-in-law’s in Poole, as I’m doing sessions at the new Hamworthy Library opening tomorrow. He’s off on holiday, so I’m here all on my own with Jaffa the very old ginger cat. Jaffa sleeps most of the day, but when he wakes up he wanders around the house meowing his head off, looking for someone to make a fuss of him. It’s quite endearing, but not at three in the morning!

I decided to walk the beach this afternoon. It was glorious – almost warm. Well, not cold. I found one or two shells that I liked. The razor shell had a pattern on one end which I thought made it look a bit like a Viking carving. I also found a complete oyster shell, which is really rather beautiful. There were lots of lumpy shells on the waterline. They seemed to be lots of shells stuck together. I found one I really liked. I was about to put it in my pocket, when one of the shells moved. Most of them were still alive! From one angle they looked like a paw or a fist. I’ve got a pocket full of other stuff. I was going to photograph them, but I was distracted by a cup of tea and a slice of cake!

If you are near Poole, come along for a story tomorrow lunchtime at the fabulous new Hamworthy Library.

Spring is in the air – Walking with my camera

The birds are singing in the Forest. It’s been so quiet since I started walking with my camera after Christmas. Spring is in the air – as you can hear by playing the video above.

I noticed quite a bit of rubbish today. Someone has been scattering their vegetable peelings on the paths! I’m not sure who they think they are feeding – the Boars? I still haven’t seen a boar – but I hope to one day.

One path I walked up was strewn about with fallen branches. Walkers have trodden on them skinning the bark down to the wood in places, making an attractive pattern that makes you feel like you are walking across the bone of a beached whale.

Snow again – Walking with my camera

The snow is back again! I went for a walk in the woods. On the way drivers were abandoning cars on the hills and trucks were getting stuck trying to get up them. We have quite a few hills round here!I managed to connect up two paths today, but it was a longer walk than I thought it would be.

The snow was wet and heavy. It weighed the branches down over the paths making wonderful tunnel effects. One stretch was covered completely with thin, whippy saplings that bowed down almost to the ground. Lovely walk.

Cardiff – walking with my camera

We had a day out shopping in Cardiff today. I saw the pair of shoes in John Lewis and thought they were a pefect example of form over function. They are not exactly perfect for playing basketball in!

The Daffodil hat was in the window of a shop selling everything Welsh. I imagine there must be rows of human daffodils that turn up to rugby games at the Millenium Stadium.

I took a short cut through a little garden park in the centre and was almost bowled over by the scent from a tree that I think might be a witch hazel.

On the way home, we were preceded by a fabulous rainbow that danced across the road in front of us. I can’t remember when I last saw such a bright one.

Daffodil Flower Hat

Rainbow

What a great basketball shoe!

Very sweet smelling flowers

Walking uphill with my camera

The trouble with going downhill is that you have to go all the way back up again. I was determined to find where two paths meet, so I carried on downhill until I got to the bottom of the valley. The circular route back up was very steep, but at least it opened out into this view across the forest.

I think my favourite tree is the Beech. I love their root systems, they way they twist and turn, making little caves and hollows. The bark has a metal quality, it looks as strong as iron. When I was a boy we woulld make little villages in the caves and garages for dinky cars at the bottom of a huge beech tree.

The edge of the forest is often used as a garden rubbish dump by locals. I came across this cyclamen, which must have been dumped there at some point. It’s not a wild variety.

Walking down the hill, I came across the barred up mine entrance in the picture. The Forest is riddled with mineshafts and quarries. This quarry will eventually break through to another, massive quarry behind it. A lot of the landscape is made from quarry and. Watch where you are going!

Walking with my camera

It was cold and grey and dank today, not the best light for taking photographs. I decided to take pictures of textures. the light was so low, it was hard to keep the camera still for macro close-ups.

I found a new path again today. It took me round to another path I’d given up on before as not really heading anywhere. Now I’ve made the link, I have a whole new route to try.