April Country Walk 1.1-8

April Country Walk 1.1-8 Follow in my footsteps for this walk into the English countryside around my village on 10th April 2021 (Part 1). It was a beautiful afternoon with plenty of sun, blue sky, and passing clouds, and fields zinging with colour and life. Bees were foraging everywhere and bird song filled the air.

(1) A clump of old pines near the allotments at the top of the village marks the start of the walk. (2) Passing along the lane, the hedges are covered in flowering blackthorn – on the left it is neatly clipped while to the right it remains natural with last year’s growth. (3) A short way along there is a derelict barn with field gates giving views to the south and southwest. Overhead telegraph cables are a common feature of Charlton Down. (4) The first proper glimpse of the wonderful rolling fields on the path to Waterston Ridge follows the careful crossing of the busy Sherborne road . (5) A wide vista is revealed with seemingly endless skies where a field of yellow rapeseed flowers undulates between wood and hedgerows. (6) Fields of two different crops can be seen to the north on lower slopes of Charlton Higher Down. (7) Hedgerows stand out on the on the skyline where green wheat is springing up next to the yellow rape. (8) The way to Waterston Ridge follows an undulating and winding path eastwards between hedgerow and fields.