Mouse

A careless Wood Mouse ambled across one of the common's paths as we passed, it was moving slow enough for me to get my camera out and just catch a shot.  It didn't appear to pay any attention to us at all. It's going to need to be more attentive to threats if it wants last around here, there are more than enough predators looking for a tasty snack.

Void in a groyne

 

Void in a groyne.

Highcliffe Castle

Highcliffe Castle. An early 1800's Gothic Revival mansion, created from stone recycled from a French Château, the Grand' Maison des Andelys and the ruined Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Jumieges. Home to a lord, then a Marchioness. Visited by royalty, Edward VII and Alexandra. Kaiser Wilhelm II convalesced here for 3 weeks. Home of Harry Gordon Selfridge, famed of Selfridge's, who's buried in the local churchyard. A children's convalescent home. A Roman Catholic seminary. Burned and left derelict for nearly 30 years. A dangerous forgotten ruin to explore...which we did. Then in the 90's a phoenix, metaphorical and actual, it was restored and reborn... it has to be said, the restoration is quite impressive. Today, open to the public for visits and events, the castle continues to be renovated. All that in under 200 years (1831 to present), not bad.

Corfe to Flowers Barrow

 

It was Purbeck for us this morning, and stunning it was too. A bright spring day punctuated by scudding clouds casting dramatic fast moving shadows like searchlights across the landscape. Although the sun had warmth there was a bit of a chill wind which certainly took the edge off. We parked below the castle, our route was to be along the Purbeck Ridge from Corfe out to it's westerly terminus at the Iron Age citadel of Flower Barrow and back again...12.5 miles. Regretably beyond the bottom photo, taken from the high point of Ridgeway Hill looking back towards Corfe, there's no photos after I stuffed my lens through the application heavy handedness to delicate mechanisms. Shame. It was a really lovely walk too, with endless photo opportunities. The ridge line allows you spectacular views along the curving Corfe Valley, over Poole Harbour and the remnants of the Great Heath, and from Flowers Barrow stunning vistas of the Jurassic Coast. It's easy to see why Purbeck is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage site. I love this landscape and never tire of walking it.    

Apple blossom

 

There are so many points in nature's ever turning wheel of the year that I look forward to, after all, each season offers up so many gifts. Few gifts though are as fragrant as apple blossom in spring sunshine, it's a heavenly scent, dreamy...it's easy to see why they're associated with love and sensuality.  The Common's apples are just edging into blossom now, with the very first flowers opening up to the sun. Catching their fragrance is a real joy, a joy that over the last decade has grown in abundance as several new apple trees have appeared and burgeoned around the Common. 

The canopy cometh

It's nearly canopy time, high above the buds of Oak crowns are on the brink of bursting forth. It's always lovely watching the buds form and burgeon on all the different trees. The oaks are often the last to the leaf party, their arrival marking the beginning of Spring's end and heralding Summer's approach. The season of dappled light will soon be with us.

Castaway lite

We were a little later walking this morning and had the beach pretty much to ourselves; we must have missed the dog walkers hour. It was like being a castaway, or rather castaway lite, as in reality we could be home in 20 minutes. Still, nice to have the place to ourselves, sat gazing out to sea, sun gently warming your face, it's easy to lose yourself in the gentle rhythm of the waves and let your mind drift free of the world's drag. Really we're very lucky that even though we live on the fringe of one of the south coast's most expansive conurbations we can access a variety of natural/semi natural environments easily on foot and in the solitude to be found there, imagine ourselves castaway.

Sea Glass Ball

I spotted a ball of sea glass amongst the pebble and sand on this mornings walk. Probably, no definitely, a marble from an old Codd necked bottle, the type used to hold fizzy pop and other carbonated drinks back in the day.  I don't know if they even make those type of bottle anymore? They may do. Nice find. It got me thinking, you don't see as much sea glass as you used to, or is it maybe that I just don't register it? I must pay more attention.

Sharks tooth

The compression of time, a 40 million year old Eocene sharks tooth sees the light of day again on a sun drenched 21st century intertidal. I pick it up and I'm connected through millennia upon millennia directly with the past.

Hill climbers

Not what I'd expected to see on today's walk, a collection of different style performance cars participating in a hill climbing event. Apparently The Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb was first undertaken in 1967 and now is a regular fixture in the British Hill Climb Championships. Well, I didn't know that.

Cranborne

This morning Cranborne Chase looked like this. It's such a beautiful tract of land, a landscape I find always welcomes and rewards you. There's so much to see, so much diversity of environment and flora and fauna too, and there are so many tracks, droves and paths, as well as the walk-able back lanes, that you can create infinite routes, mixing up the woodland grassland ratio as you like it. This morning we set out again from Vitrell Gate making our way along the Ackling Dyke Roman Road, leaving it to descend through Church Bottom towards Broad Chalke to cross the Ebble Valley and it's titular river, through the village we rose up across Gurston Down, where we saw a drove of maybe 2 dozen Hares... I'd never seen that before...blew my mind, then onto the high ridge where we joined the Old Shaftesbury Drove, following it's course awhile until we arrived at Chiselbury Camp hillfort. Chiselbury's position high on the ridge way affords some spectacular views along the Nadder and Ebble Valleys. Chiselbury's a very subtle univallate earthwork, causing me to wonder about it's practical application as a 'fort' and deciding the term 'camp' was far more apt, in reality that's probably true for many of the univallate 'hillfort' sites.  Across the entire site, bank, ditch, interior and exterior thousands of delicate Cowslips (Primula veris) are popping up, soon they'll carpet these chalk grasslands, and that is a sight to see. After taking the views, a couple of pocket eggs and a drink we retraced our steps. Along the Old Shaftesbury Drove, down across Gurston Down into Broad Chalke, where we stopped by the River Ebble so Geoff could cool...being a chalk stream even in summer the water is chilly, before finally ascending via Church Bottom back up towards to the Ackling Dyke, along which we returned to Vitrell Gate. Outstanding, a 12.3 mile walk of absolute bliss, and another walking meditation.

Steamer Point

We wandered along Highcliffe beach this morning, amongst the dunes that are developing below Steamer Point. You'd imagine that the name Steamer Point may refer to a location you'd catch a steamer from. Well, nearly. There once was a Streamer here, although it wasn't going anywhere...it had reached it's final destination. When the nearby Highcliffe Castle was being built, a steamer was beached and then hauled aways inland where it was wedged in place between two large trees and used as the site office. Afterwards it remained as a beach house until around 1900.  Later during the war Steamer Point was home to a secret military establishment researching radar and communications, post war SRDE developed Britain's first satellite communications system... locally famous for it's distinctive white golf ball like dome which housed a satellite dish. Today although the steamer's long gone (the military too) the name remains, and the site is now a wildlife reserve with a section of undeveloped beach below it. Nice spot. Historically the premier location for beach parties...before the banning of fun.

Mad Hatters

Yes I will, because no I haven't. Each to their own and all that, but our culture's proclivity for twatism is beginning to wear thin.  If the freedoms these chumps refer to -are- being eroded, it's because of afore mentioned chumps and pals not acting in the best interests of society in the face of a global pandemic. The government aren't responsible for the pandemic, it's not a cunning plan of theirs (or a global cabal of Bond villains led by Bill Gates), though I have no doubt the government (and any Bond-esque bad actors) will exploit the chaos in which ever ways they can. Not adhering to safety protocols gives the government the cover of legitimate concerns  to implement the restrictions the chumps wobble on about and much more beyond. I swear some form of ideological madness or simple bonkers thinking is this seasons must have accessory...it's everywhere, it's fingers in every pie. I think Negan nails how I feel about our current cultural climate when he said  ''You taste that Simon...? That is the taste of shit!'',......... it is. 

Blackthorn Blossom

Where ever we've walked recently the Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) has been spectacular. It really is quite the show in places.  

Knighton Hill

 

Another early Sunday morning walk through the lovely Ebble Valley.

1st Ramson flowers

The first Ramson flowers (Allium ursinum) of the season are now beginning to show themselves, at this stage still just buds though. Their stirring heralds one of my favourite seasonal events, those few weeks when the woodlands of the Purbeck and the Chase are a sea of green carpeted in millions of clusters of white stars, the air heavily garlic scented. At it's peak some of the woods we frequent are beautiful beyond words, and although I've seen them many many times before, I know I’ll be grinning in wonder at their majesty when I see them again.

The Locker Room Cowboys 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams'

The Locker Room Cowboys début album 'The Future Came and Stole Our Dreams' is released today, and it's a truly marvellous creation. I wrote a preview review back in December and everything I wrote then still stands as strong if not stronger after even more listens. If I have one thing to add, it's that time and additional listens have given me a greater respect for the albums lyrical qualities, masterful, man. Buy yourself a copy, it really stands as one of, if not the, best releases you'll hear this year.

Nettle time

 It's nettle time.

Naish Beach

It's a blessing that most people don't like to walk far from the Bunny, so that if you walk that little bit further along Naish Beach, other the occasional intrepid like-minded explorer you'll find yourself left in peace to muse. Marvellous! 

Geoff

Geoff loves it out here.

Return to the Chase b&w

The first and last of today's walk photos rendered in black and white. I favour black and white for woodland, I think it brings out more detail, particularly when the stands are naked. I may move exclusively to black and white for woodland for a while.

Return to the Chase

This morning we returned to another landscape we'd not walked in what seems an age, Cranborne Chase or more accurately the Ebble Valley...we were last here in July 2020.  Man, was it beautiful out this morning. Chilly at first, Jack's breath lingered in the shade, although once the Sun began to evaporate the early mists the temperature rose swiftly. The light was gorgeous too. We did just over 12 miles this morning, though with the loveliness of the day it was a breeze. Starting from Vitrell Gate we made our way along the Ackling Dyke Roman Road, leaving it to descend through Croucheston Drove into the Ebble Valley, crossing it's titular river, before ascending the other side of the valley via an unnamed drove up onto Bishopstone Down,  where we joined the Old Shaftesbury Drove, following it's course awhile before descending through Stoke Down towards Broad Chalke to again cross the Ebble Valley and it's titular river, finally ascending via Church Bottom back up towards to the Ackling Dyke, along which we returned to Vitrell Gate. The best walk we've done in ages with everything feeling just perfect. I felt connected to the land like a scalextrics car to an expansive free roam track, it's energy recharging me, driving me along. It's astounding the positive psychological and physical effects walking can have on you.

Cherry blossom

We've a bumper show of blossom on our cherry this year. If they set to a fruit, the birds will be happy. We've had this tree for 30 years, it was grown from a cutting/graft by a friend, it has moved when we've moved, it spent 15 years in a less that perfect spot, and suffered some heavy prunings too. I think it's happy with it's current position though, as year on year we're getting more blossom and fruits. It's certainly one of our gardens heralds of Spring proper.

Mudeford Wood

An urban walk for us today, delivering/collecting fat and cocoa based goods to celebrate the festival of chocolate Jesus. Our route took us through Mudeford Wood, an important wildlife corridor of woodland, wet woodland and ponds which flank the River Mude from Somerford roundabout across what was Christchurch Airfield/RAF Christchurch. Little evidence of the airfield remain, I think it's just a couple of pillboxes now. I remember when there was a section of taxiway near one of the pillboxes too, though friends brought up here remember loads more, including a bunker which they say was half underground....which sounds like a Battlefield HQ to me (?). It's striking how much the urban sprawl has spread, even in my memory. These pockets of natural oasis create vital spaces for wildlife to hold their ground and resist us from, each little niche world. If you plan your walk carefully and you're prepared to sometimes take a slightly longer route, you can weave your way through the urban sprawl using these natural oasis. I feel these isolated islands, all that remain of a broader rural/natural landscape long consumed by modernity, allow us, to a degree, to connected and walk that past world. From these pockets, boundary lines of mature trees, old maps and photos I extrapolate and render the landscape of my minds eye with what I imagine the land would have looked like...and I enjoy walking through that.