The first frost of winter heralded a bright crisp day, perfect for walking, so it seemed an ideal opportunity to explore the Clent Hills. I had been keen to visit since reading Francis Brett Young’s “The Ballad of St Kenelm AD 821”. I liked the poet’s description of the woods there, “a brambled brash of …
The approach of Christmas brings to mind churches and the thought of churches reminds me of a visit I made earlier this year to Great Malvern Priory. This stately building is now a parish church but it began as the place of worship for Benedictine monks. Their wealth allowed them to commission rich ecclesiastical decorations, …
August saw the Teme Valley Wildlife Group’s first outdoor meeting of 2021. We enjoyed a splendid visit to Catherton Common for a nature ramble led by the group’s engaging entomology expert, Tony Simpson. The day was warm but not over-hot and wildlife was out in force at this special Shropshire site. As we assembled, friends …
Worcestershire has long been known for its fruit-growing; apples, pears, plums, damsons, cherries and blackcurrants all thrive in the moderate climate and fertile soil of our county. Here is a traveller looking down from Broadway Hill in the late eighteenth century, “I well remember standing some time to gaze over the rich country below. The …
This month’s topic is ash dieback, a disease that is currently affecting our native ash tree, Fraxinus excelsior. Like Dutch elm disease before it, it is expected to change the appearance of the English landscape and much research is under way on how to manage it and mitigate its effects. The disease is caused by …
Like many people, I enjoy seeing birds coming into our garden to collect the food and water we put out for them. We have suspended two feeders in thecherry tree on the grass in front of the house, one for sunflower hearts, the other for peanuts, and put clear plastic domes on top to protect …
I am indebted to David Graham of Knighton-on-Teme for the photograph accompanying this month’s article. Thanks are also due for the idea for this article and permission to use his image to promote the Teme Valley Wildlife Group. Although rarely seen, there are plenty of polecats about in the Teme Valley because Wales and its …
June is the month when two of my favourite flower scents can be enjoyed. One is a garden plant, the other a wildflower. The garden plant is Philadelphus, also known as “mock-orange”, which I have grown in my garden since first encountering it years ago in the grounds of Powys Castle. I went there on …
One of the unexpected effects of living through the pandemic has been the increase in the number of households keeping a family pet. Months of corona virus lockdown and the prospect of increased future home-working have combined to give many people the extra time they need to bring a pet into their lives. Dogs have …
“If you ever visit Tenbury take any road that comes When April turns to beauty the cherries and the plums” Last April was a quiet time in the Teme valley. As our everyday hustle-bustle came to a stop, a landscape opening into spring gave succour to all stay-at-home residents, fearful as they were for family, …