Churn Knob

 

Churn Knob is just outside Blewbury on the edge of the downs, this was the main place I had intended to walk to so a few photos.

Start of the walk uphill, need to go right

After a wile you pass this reservoir 

Then back under the trees

You soon find open space

And lots of downland

This tractor is on the hillside I went to previous

Stables below

Walk on further and more meadow

Might give an idea how far I am from the stables

More green tunnel

and a space to walk

 

Soon you near the place I was heading for and a look towards Didcot

 

Across the valley is a farm

And this place is called Rose Cottage

 

 I'll leave you with this view and show the rest next week

HappySkyWatch 

St Mary Magdalene, Eardisley

 

This week the Church Explorer visits  St Mary Magdalene, Eardisley. The church does not look anything unusual till you walk in the door and see the most amazing Norman font I have seen

 

Downs above Blewbury

This week the Downs above Blewbury, not many photos as this was not the main place I wanted to go its at the top of Woodway road and was probably not my best idea in driving all the way up as I felt the car ground out not that I was going very fast but I checked when I stopped and nothing looked amiss

This is the end of the road I went up, carry on walking along the track and you will come to a place called Lowbury Hill

Had to wonder what this was in front of  the gallops but it hold the huge cutting blades of a combine harvester. Mow a days they take them off and tow the thing, I remember as a kid them driving a harvester along the roads and the cutter only took up a small part

I saw the tractor coming up the road after taking my last photo so waited till he went past but he stopped and mentioned I should not be parked here as there are race horses coming up the road. I said I was just going and waiting for him to go. I think he spotted me driving up and came to see what I was doing. The yellow blob you see is the harvester cutting the field

  

 

I stopped to let the race horses by and too the photo as the walked up the road. Next week more photos of where I went next

 

Happy SkyWatch 

 

St Nicholas, Grosmont

 

This week the Church Explorer visits, St Nicholas, Grosmont. The last of the first day tour of churches in Wales and Hereford. By the time I got here the rain I had been dodging finally came

 D

Some views of the Downs

This may make someone homesick and I hope he remembers the place. The Downs is outside the village I live I call them the Berkshire Downs even though this part is now in South Oxfordshire. On the 1st I went out to get some photos of the downs in the next village along.

Part of the lower downs near Aston Tyrrold

They had been cutting the crops and the trailer is full of straw bales 

The downs I know are on the far side of the wood you see here which are called the plantation

The path here goes back towards Aston Tyrrold

Last one looking towards Kingstanding Hill most likely called that because a King Æthelred camped there the night before beating the Vikings in the Battle of Ashdown  

Happy SkyWatch 

St Mary & St David, Kilpeck

 

This week the Church Explorer visits  St Mary & St David, Kilpeck to look at the superb Norman carvings on the church

 

Sunset on a hot day

 

You might have noticed we had a heat wave here in the UK with the temperature getting hotter by the day, we mostly hid inside out of the heat trying to stay cool. On what I thought was the hottest day I poked my head out of the bathroom window to get a photo of the remains of the sunset

A glow on the horizon

I though the air looked hazy from the back

South no different

The sky has some color out the back

It hit 37 C that day, next day was hotter

Happy SkyWatch 

St Faith Bacton

 

This week the Church Explorer visit's St Faith Bacton a chance stop off on my tour after seeing the church was only a short distance from the road I was on. The visit was worth it for the Elizabeth I connection 

Sky on the lake

 

After putting up for the last few days with over 35c  looking at the sky's in Wales brings a lot of wishful thoughts

Going round the lake with the dog  in the morning while my wife packed ready to go home I looked at the sky thinking it could be rain

In fact I'm sure it was raining in the distance

Looked grim that way as well

It was low over Aberedw hill

 The weather might be cloudy but it would be welcome this week, especially in Wales as they had it as hot    

Happy SkWatch 

Swans on the lake

 

Morning walk we took in Wales the past time we were there 

 

The swans were swimming up the lake

The family swimming in a line

The duck have now taken over the swans nest to rest up in

 Further up the lane a couple of lambs had manage to get out side the gate for a forage

Take Care