Saturday 4 April 2015

Rain stops play

As the title suggests, all inclinations to venture outdoors last Sunday were halted by much precipitation. On the plus side, it meant I could paint all day and watch the Grand Prix!

I needed to crack on with the nature trail boards I mentioned a few posts ago - I'm taking this week off to blast my way through them all (or at least, a significant proportion!).

I started the Easter weekend with what was supposed to be a picnic in the Cotswolds for a friend's birthday. This was actually partaken inside their house due to yet more rain - actually, judging by the amazing spread, this would have been pretty much impossible to eat as a picnic!

However, soon the rain had stopped, enabling us to start our walk, through the village of Wotton under Edge and up onto the Cotswold Way escarpment. Amazing views to the flat floodplain below, and the hanger woodlands were abloom with primroses, sweet violets and lesser celandines. There was an ever-present scent of wild garlic accompanying us, with carpets of their leaves among the ancient hazel coppice stools. Stopping to catch our breath at the top of the escarpment next to a potato field, we found many brachiopod fossils just lying on the surface - the easiest fossil hunting session ever! And also amazing to think that this far above the current floodplain used to be the bottom of the sea or a lagoon (more likely the latter judging by the species found). We descended back through the village, passing through the churchyard, again, awash with flowers, ending the day with much tea and cake - a perfect way to start the weekend!


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