More than half way through the year now and for us in the northern hemisphere the days are starting to get shorter. Which is why I have always wondered who decided that school holidays have to be in August? I know that from an historical aspect it was so that the kids could help with the harvests, but those days are long gone so surely it is time to change the term dates? How nice it would be for school children to have the long summer days of June and July off and to sit their exams in April before the hay-fever season starts. Anyway for all you teaching staff out there, happy holidays, I know you deserve each and every day of them!
I thought I’d have a different wander around the town this month and see what Ludlow in Bloom has to offer and to show you more of the beautiful historic buildings in this town. We’ll start in the street where I usually finish the stroll.
I thought I’d show you part of Ludford as there are a few interesting buildings here. And from the terrace of the Charlton Arms you get good views along the Teme. The warmer weather makes these terraces a great spot for a G&T. Continue reading Monthly Photo Challenge: The Changing Seasons #7
Midsummer: Why midsummer? Here in the northern hemisphere summer has only just begun (1 June according to meteorological terms, 21 June in astronomical) so midsummer should surely be mid to late July? However, it actually refers to the summer solstice and is regarded as a very important holiday in the Scandinavian countries – 24 June this year in case you are interested.
Tourists have arrived now in their hundreds. Usually during this month the Ludlow Arts Festival is held, but due to economic reasons there isn’t one this year, a shame as I always enjoy the outdoor Shakespearian play. However there is a Fringe Festival so all sorts of odd things are going on around town.
The lime trees are fully in leaf now and you will notice that the benches are quite crowded today.
We’re going on a slightly different ‘walk’ today as it is the Secret Gardens opening and, as many of you will already know, I crave a garden so how can I resist a nosey into the backyards of my fellow Ludlovians? You may recognise parts of previous posts as the route covered some of the same ground, just not around the river.
Fringe band in Castle Square
Shrub roses in the churchyard
Scallop Shells
See that honeysuckle? (June)
Along the Teme
Green Alkanet (June)
Yes, it is almost time for Wimbledon
Millennium Green is very busy. Children paddling in the water (on Ludlow Beach) many others sprawled on the lawn where some arty thing is going on. I couldn’t quite make out what was being built, but it was sure colourful.
Ludlow ‘Beach’
Arty thing…
And I can show you a different view of the river as I am in a garden which backs onto it. A bit too close for comfort in my opinion as this river does flood on occasions.
Some of the lovely summer blooms I encountered.
Lots of roses
My favourite garden
Garden lights
Geums and Clematis
Another pretty rose (June)
Wasn’t expecting one of these though!
Herbs for sale
Especially for Pommepal
My final stretch is along Mill Street this time where I find an interesting statue and more evidence of the love of flowers people living here seem to have, as more containers line the front of their houses.
More containers (June)
Interesting statue (griffin?)
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?
I will refer to this month as the ‘Green Month‘ as after a warm spell everything appears to have burst into colour – mostly myriad shades of green. The May fair has been and gone with the usual closure of all the streets in the old part of the town and the spring food festival completely passed me by this year. Apparently it was held last weekend. Which may explain the arrival of more tourists walking around with a camera slung around their necks.
The lime trees are bursting into leaf and various shrubs around the castle grounds now display colour, but I am too late for the cherry blossom and magnolia. The fresh green leaves are very welcome though.
Date: May 12 2015 Weather: sunshine, cloud and very windy Temperature: Warm (14°C) Time: 12:30 – 14:30 PM
Heading back down Dinham I notice the lawns outside St John’s Chapel are full of daisies and dandelions. Gone are the snowdrops and daffodils of previous months. The magnolia still has flowers, though it is not easy to see them through the leaves. Further down an enormous burgundy-red Norway Maple (possibly ‘Crimson King’) rises above the town walls and I can see the splash of purple of a lilac tree. Edit: I think the red tree is actually a copper beech. I need to try and get a closer look at the leaf.
Lilac (May)
There are more people on the Millennium Green this month, some picnicking on the lawn, others sitting on a bench and lapping up the sunshine and quite a few enjoying lunch on the patio of the Green Café with its beautiful views of the Teme. I scan the weir for a heron, but am out of luck. A few ducks vie for attention around the path, but no signs of ducklings as yet. The castle begins to be hidden behind all the foliage.
More notices catch my attention and I see that I missed the ‘Storm the Castle Duathlon’ on 19 April when Ludlow was full of cyclists/runners.
This inaugural run/bike/run course runs through the market town of Ludlow and the surrounding countryside of Shropshire and Herefordshire. Sections of rolling hillside mixed with seriously steep sections make this arguably the UK’s toughest duathlon.
I know two or three of my blogging friends would have been very interested in this had they been in this country at the time. Maybe next year ladies?
Shame I missed the ultimate challenge
Dinham bridge and Ludlow Castle (May)
Dandelions
Cow Parsley
Fresh green
Forget-me-not (May)
Crab-apple blossom?
Path through the woodland
For a change I take the Donkey Steps among clouds of flying insects through the green tunnels of broadleaf woodland, enjoying the warmth now that I am out of the wind, though I can still hear it whispering through the leaves and it makes photographing the wild flowers rather more difficult. Along with dandelions, alexanders, alkanet, forget-me-nots, cow parsley, stinging nettles alongside dock leaves and honesty I find what appears to be a crab apple tree, the pinky-white flowers drawing my attention from a distance amongst all the greenery (see the header photo).
Emerging from the woodland I am struck by the light. The open space has been transformed. I sit for a while on a bench overlooking the town. Swifts scream through the sky in front of me. A robin sings above my head and a blackbird sources nesting material by my feet. The river Teme rushes over the Mill weir below me and leaves ripple and dance in the wind sounding like waves lapping on the shore (though any shore around here has long since gone). It is very relaxing with only the sounds of nature to disturb me. I keep a careful eye out as sulphur-yellow brimstone and orange-tipped butterflies encircle me, hoping one might land nearby, but when a group of elderly hikers pass by I get up to leave.
Sitting on a bench admiring the view with St Laurence in the distance
My final stretch is along Lower Broad Street where I see that the cherry tree I wasn’t sure actually was a cherry tree flaunts very distinctive cherry blossom. Some gaudy yellow tulips and a Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’ add to the increased vibrancy of this street garden.
Solanum (May)
…did anyone spot the swift?
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?
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.
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.
Sitting on a bench outer castle walls
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.
Walk around the castle walls
Mortimers Tower
Anemone Blanda (blue)
Small Tortoisehell
Wild violets (April)
Common daisy
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.]
Millennium Green looking greener
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.
The Teme
Easter Notice
Touches of green
The waterfall
Spotting forsythia in the old town (April)
The daffodils are in flower now
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.
Hyacinths
New leaves
Skimmia flowering (April)
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?
The beginning of spring. March. Came in like a lion, roaring winds and sharp bursts of rain punctuated with an odd day of almost summer warmth. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to do my walk on that day and ever since it has been grey and gloomy although I did grab a few shots last Monday when it was sunshine and clouds.
Not a lot happening here on Dinham, except the skip has been moved. Bet you never even noticed that last month! One thing about Ludlow is that there are so many old houses the tradesmen always have work – new roofs, window repairs, renovation projects etc.
Date: March 15 2015 Weather: Cloudy Temperature: Cold (7°C but feels like 4º) Time: 2 – 3 pm
But there is life in the Castle gardens – lovely golden daffodils dancing in the chilly wind. And soon there will be blossom appearing too. And although people are walking around today on Mother’s Day, no-one is yet sitting on any of the benches.
Signs of spring
St John’s Chapel
Budding Magnolia Tree
Chimney Pots
Daffodils replace snowdrops
A cottage garden on Dinham
The thing I notice most on this walk, apart from all the dog-walkers, is the sound of birds singing. I wish I could capture that. A pair of courting ducks sit on the wall of Dinham bridge and watch over their friends swimming far below. The view is not so great today in the grey. The water looks cold.
Winter tree
Dinham Bridge (March)
Signs of greenery
Buds appearing
I search for signs of new life, but there is very little difference between now and last month. I was hoping there would be more greenery. And I can’t see my swans today. I hope they are safe. The trees on the top of Whitcliff are just the same as last month, only the sky is different.
A bench on the corner at Ludham catches my eye as it is surrounded by late flowering daffodils still in bud. I wonder if they will be open next month when I pass by this way.
Lower Broad Street is empty, though one elderly gentleman did a sweet dance for me in front of the camera. I was too embarrassed to photograph him then, but caught a shot from behind. He did at least make me smile in the cold. A few pots of early daffs, some vibrant primulas and a winter-flowering erica added some colour to the drabness of the day. The crocuses and blossom I found last week on a sunnier day.
Crocuses (March)
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?
Hopefully there will be more dramatic changes next month, I’m certainly hoping so!
TRAVEL WORDS 