Four months into the year already and I’m on the hunt for some colour! I am a little early this month as I shall be away in Cornwall when I normally post this walk. So let’s see what has changed since March.
Well, those trees are still dormant. But there is some colour around the castle grounds although not as much as there was at this time last year when the blossom and magnolia were already in full flower.
Date: April 5 2015 [Easter]
Weather: sunshine
Temperature: Warm (15°C)
Time: 3 – 4 pm
There are more people now, wandering around the town and castle. Even sitting on the benches! The one below is my favourite as you have an amazing view across to Whitcliffe and also it is in the sun.
I thought that for a change I would nip through the outer wall of the castle and wander down to the river from there, to see if there is any sign of life. It is a glorious day and the sun is warm. Birds, especially robins, are singing their hearts out and the ducks are pairing up. I’m happy to find wild violets, blue anemones, daisies and a small tortoiseshell butterfly. There were several sulphur yellow male brimstones too, but they flitted about so fast in the sunshine never coming to rest.
Whenever I walk around the castle I think of Catherine of Aragon looking out of those windows. It’s strange to think that she once lived here.
[In 1501, at the age of 16, Catherine arrived in England after a treacherous three-month sea voyage. She was married to Prince Arthur – now 15 – in old St Paul’s Cathedral. They moved to Ludlow Castle on the Welsh border. Unfortunately their marriage was to be short-lived as Arthur contracted what may have been “sweating sickness” and died shortly afterwards.]
People are out an about on the Millennium Green and even playing in the water, though not yet in swimsuits. The water level is low, but the river is running fast.
Continuing along the Breadwalk it is noticeably greener, though the trees are still bare. I hadn’t realised how late it is before they get new leaves. Recent rain has caused the path to be quite muddy and I see that I missed the egg rolling.
I searched for my swans, but to no avail. Maybe they have headed further downstream to breed. I hope that they are still around. Heading back up the Lower Broad Street I notice that there are more spring bulbs flowering in the pots and the cherry tree has new leaves.
Spring is later this year, but as one gardener said to me this should be better for the late spring and summer flowers as they will avoid the threat of a late frost.
The Cardinal has decided to have a photo project going throughout 2015 – a blogging event, a monthly photo challenge. Find a location near your home, take somewhere between 5-20 photos and post them in a gallery in your blog. Continue to do this every month. The idea is to capture all the changes: the seasons, the weather, different times of the day, some night photography perhaps?
TRAVEL WORDS 