The job hunt it still ongoing, I am not as bothered as I could be as it is giving me the opportunity to have more of a role in the family walking holiday business. Yes it means plenty of office work but the field trips make it all worth it! Some of these include looking out walks along the Kennet and Avon Canal, the Cotswolds, and soon I will be heading further afield to Snowdonia and the Highlands of Scotland!
The Kennet and Avon walk that we looked out was a walk across to the lovely village of Hampstead Marshall where there is a beautifully preserved and maintained Saxon church, which really makes a fantastic final mile stone before reaching the pub! The estate at Hampstead Marshall is surrounded by lovely wild flower meadows and fantastic trees and avenues as well as some rather large, albeit slightly out of place, architecture in the form of ornamental pillars. These pillars come out in rows from the front of the house like the spokes of a wheel; this was where there were once avenues of trees which the residents used to ride down. Hampstead Marshall also boasts a rather charming section of the Kennet River chalk stream as well as a pretty lock system on the Kennet and Avon Canal itself.
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| The Saxon Church at Hampstead Marshall makes for a lovely landmark. |
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| The Kennet River is one of the best chalk streams in the country and as such is an important habitat. |
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| One of the pairs of columns that are placed in the grounds, they are very intricately made. |
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| What a lovely section of the canal, very serene for a day out! | | | |
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Overall the Kennet and Avon made for a beautiful day out especially on such a bright lovely day!
Sadly the Orchids on the hillside are now going over, although the Pyramidal orchids are giving one final display before they disappear. There are however still plenty of butterflies flying around and Butterfly Conservation are currently entering into the final week of their Big Butterfly Count which I have been joining in with, it is very easy to join in and can simply be 15 minutes of your day sat in your back garden. I have been treated to Gatekeepers, Skippers, Peacock Butterflies, Burnet Moths, Small Whites, Painted Ladies and Meadow Browns over the last few weeks.... and thats just been when I have been counting them!!!
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| Phoebe the family spaniel enjoying the last of the Pyramid Orchids. |
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| This is a Burnet Moth sat on Lady's Bedstraw which is a common sight on the downs at the moment! |
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| This is a pair of Marbled White Butterflies which are one of the most common butterflies at the moment. |
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| This is a Peacock Butterfly which is one of the butterflies which is most common and well known in this country. |
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| This is a Silver Washed Fritillary which is rather uncommon and I was very excited when I managed to snap this photo! |
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| This is a Large Skipper which is by far my favorite butterfly with their almost moth like look. |
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Overall it has been a fantastic summer for flowers and butterflies and the next month will see me crawling around on my hands looking for a particularly rare orchid called Autumn Ladies Tresses which grows on the local hillside, by any luck my next blog may have pictures of them!!
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