May Visit to Herefordshire - Part 2: Fencote Station and St Leonard's, Hatfield.

 

On the Wednesday morning we did the usual click and collect at Morrisons Leominster. To be honest I would rather do it on the day we arrive and get it out of the way but B likes to relax on the first afternoon. We stopped off at B and Q and I came away with a perennial wall flower (Bowles's Mauve) for the border at the caravan and a pepper plant to bring home for D.

In the afternoon B wanted to garden so I took myself to nearby Fencote to look for the restored railway station on the disused railway line which I seem to be totally obsessed with!

Fencote station was a stop on the Worcester Bromyard and Leominster railway. Great Western Railway rescued the railway from bankruptcy in 1888 and the line was completed in 1897.

Due to lack of use the line was closed to regular passenger services from September 1949.

In 1980 Fencote Station was purchased by a former railway employee who restored it to use as a private residence. The station and signal box etc are all fenced off so you can't access the site but you can view it from the bridge that goes over the track. The signal box has also been restored and sections of the track re-installed.

As you can see it looks beautifully restored. I understand that in the past there were occasional open days so you could look round but the station has been recently sold I've been told - thankfully to more railway enthusiasts!  So I just hope there may be more open days in the future.

This is the view from the other side of the bridge.

I did wander down to the station fence and gate but as you can see it is marked private!

The hedgerows are full of Cow Parsley.

There is another restored station on the same line at Rowden Mill, near Bredenbury, which is not far away but that has been converted into holiday accommodation so I doubt that could be accessed either.

On the way back I stopped off at St Leonard's in Hatfield.

I must try and time a visit so I can go the Flower Festival later this month.

I had a lovely chat with a lady in the church who was decorating it for a VE Day service.

East Window

The copse with the trees now in leaf taken at the "Golden Hour".

On the Thursday we popped into Tenbury Wells and then a visit to Burford House Gardens but I'll write about that in the next post. 

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would appreciate an email first - thanks.)

May Visit to Herefordshire - Part 1: Hatfield

 

We returned to Herefordshire last week arriving on the Tuesday lunchtime.

The Herefordshire Oak in all its glory

The Octopus Tree

I was quite pleased to see that the new owners  have not mown the top field just a strip around the edges and we are now starting to get wild flowers appear - masses of dandelions :)  A new warden for the site has been appointed but we haven't seen him or his wife to speak to.

The Constable Tree(s)

There has been quite a change in all the trees particularly the Herefordshire Oak since our last visit in April.

I just love May with the hedgerows full of flowering Hawthorn, Cow Parsley, Dandelions, Wild Garlic, Garlic Mustard, Greater Stitchwort and a few late flowering Cowslips.

Hawthorn

I saw bats and listened to them several nights on the bat detector - I am sure they are Natterers from the large range of their echolocation calls as revealed by the detector. I treated myself to this bat suncatcher to hang in the window by the table.

A trip to the Hen House for eggs and lots of Dandelions in the field there too.

We have masses of flowers on the Rosemary

There is a lot of blossom on the apple tree in the garden and I am hoping for a bumper crop this year.

Forget me Nots - the centre of the flowers fade from yellow to white when they have been pollinated to alert insects that no nectar is now available.

I don't think Periwinkles ever stop flowering!

Garlic Mustard

Stamens on Hawthorn flowers change to a dark red colour when the flower has been pollinated and just as with Forget Me Nots it alerts insects to the fact that there is now no nectar available and they need to look elsewhere.

White Honesty

One of the bee hotels is very popular with a species of mason bee - Red Mason Bee I think.

Timothy back on his shelf!

I bought this paper tree to hang Easter decorations and I decided to take it to the caravan as it would be ideal to hang the silver birch bark apples I bought at Tenbury Wells Apple Festival. I would have preferred a natural tree twig but it is finding one that is the right shape that is proving difficult!

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks.)