An autumn walk down a country lane

An autumn walk down a country lane

Walking down the village lane, there is a gap in the dry stone wall. Sixteen foot wide, gravel where vehicles have used it to turn or park.

The track once used by a long since closed coal mine, built for used by horse drawn carts for mine and farm; now only used by people on foot or bike

Wide grass verges further along where nature had taken over and clothed the ground in vegetation, leaving just a single person width of gravel/trodden grass, or in damp places mud.

The lane is lined with hedges: Hawthorn; May Flower or Sloe, who's flowers bloom before the leaves, the Sloe berries soaked in gin make a warming winter tot. Wild Rose, wild seeded running rampant and unchecked; Honeysuckle, wild seeded, makes its way up the hedge's twigs and branches, reaching for the light of sun.

Taller trees Sycamore, Horse chestnut,  even Oak have been given space to grow full height

Roseberry willow herb grow in clumps, the tangle of white entrails carrying seed, awaiting animal or wind to scatter, wide across the area, Ferns, reeds and rushes, in damp places

Closer to the path where the grass is shorter lower growing plants: Daisy; Buttercup;  White and purple Clovers, all compete with the grass for space

 

Further down the path, where it meets a small stream the path widens to allow the carts to turn and follow the stream

The stream flows clear and sparkling, the home for Clear Water Cray Fish, Sticklebacks live in amongst a bed of wild Water Cress

Bull Rushes, Reeds line the banks, a Weeping Willow Tree, dips it branches in the water

A Tee junction takes us up yo the crumbling stone works which were once a thriving coal mine, shafts all filed in and blocked for safety. Nothing to give away its what was once a busy thriving place except a few overgrown stones and stumpy shrubs.

 

The track now leads though a busy farm yard and out onto another main road

We retrace our steps to the T Junction to continue our journey to the end

By the village green and the local Pub for a cool drink to slack our thirst 

 

 Wild Rose

June 2020

Reviews

[barleygirl]

This is a great journey & you took me away from my mundane morning with your words. The thing that's most remarkable is how you know the name of so many plants! I am pretty familiar with plants since my dad was into it, we hiked together all the time & he taught me young about all kinds of details outdoors. But I can't rip off a list of details the way you do & I wish I could! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Margie
Plant names > I am married to the daughter from a long line of country people and after some 57 years some of her knowledge is bound to have rubbed off
I did miss out several plants > It was a walk from one of our past homes , straight out of the door onto the field path . the house we lived in had been a miners home; with a stable out back where the pit pony was kept overnight >> The mine was one you could just walk into > no vertical shaft