An Enchanted Place

On day 270 of 365 Days Wild I ventured out in the late afternoon to walk the loop around the village lanes, in search of any signs of Spring and some beautiful views in the golden hour light.

The first thing that I spotted was a patch of Red Dead-nettle, growing on a grassy bank just around the corner from my house.

There were also some Sweet Violets in flower on the same stretch of ground.

I took a little detour from the loop with a visit into the meadow. I walked down to the pond…

… and I stopped briefly by the snowdrops, which continue to bloom in the little woodland area.

As I crossed the meadow to return to the lane I spotted a clump of primroses in flower around the base of one of the young trees.

Back on the lane again, I stopped to photograph the field next door to the meadow, which is currently covered in fresh green growth – possibly wheat or barley. It was shining in the late afternoon light.

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A little further along the lane I spotted a clump of daffodils growing beside a gate.

There was a beautifully ethereal view of the village church over the fields.

Another field further along my walk now has a few sheep in it. They’ve gone now from the one behind our house, so it’s nice to see them elsewhere. They have a tendency to move between fields every few months or so, so you never know where you might find some.

This loop around the village takes me past one of my favourite gardens, particularly at this time of year. There’s a beautiful succession of Spring bulbs that emerge through the grass: first snowdrops, then crocuses, followed by daffodils and tulips during March.

My final stop before I headed home was the churchyard, which is now covered in a mix of white snowdrops and blue squill flowers. The first few daffodils are open, though most are still spears. Their full display is imminent, but we’re not quite there yet.

I arrived home shortly before sunset and spent the next half hour or so watching the sun’s descent and the developing colours of the sky.

Have you been out for any local walks recently? Let me know in the comments.