Looking for Snowdrops at St John the Baptist, Berkswell

 

I went along to Berkswell village a few days ago to look for snowdrops in the churchyard there. I've done quite a few posts on this village and church but it is a place I really love and not far from home.  

Parts of the church are Norman and the Preaching cross in the foreground has a medieval base but the cross at the top was changed in 1850.

There is a lot of graffiti on the tower from the last couple of centuries.

I was too early for the snowdrops to be in full display - they were just emerging and a few were showing buds. I will try and go again in a couple of weeks.

Next to the church is Well House which was once the Rectory. Maud Watson who is buried in the churchyard lived there with her father who was the vicar. She was the first Wimbledon Singles Ladies' Champion.

The Gothic War Memorial by Sir Charles Nicholson 1921.

By now it was starting to rain but this cottage once housed a small museum sadly it is now closed.

It was good to get out for an hour or so even if the snowdrops were not yet fully out. 

I didn't go inside the church on this visit but if you want to see the interior please see this post Berkswell Church

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

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

Recent Reading, Knitting and in the Garden

 

Recent Reading

A combination of wet weather followed by cold weather plus a cold that has spread through the family means I still haven't managed to get out to look for snowdrops. Reading has been my main occupation!

I enjoyed the second book in the Dartmoor series more than the first. It has a very dramatic ending, full of action, if a trifle far fetched!!

This was a lovely book to read full of sketches by the author's grandfather. It was a good find in "Books Revisited" Coleshill.

I am still enjoying the Mitchell and Markby books.

Knitting

Its taken ages but I have finally finished my "cappuccino" jumper. It the same pattern I used before knitted in chunky yarn but I made the body and sleeve lengths shorter this time.

I'm now knitting my son a jumper in extra chunky yarn which is proving a bit laborious as the 10mm needles are quite long and seem cumbersome to use.

Garden

The winter leaf salad is growing well and the pot before it contains garlic planted by D last autumn.

There is not much in flower in the garden - Bergenia, Winter Jasmine and Wild Primroses have buds. No sign of any Snowdrops yet but it is always February when they appear here.

The colder weather has brought more birds to the feeders including the Ring-Necked Parakeets, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a female Chaffinch. Like many of you I will be doing the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend and I look forward to reading what others have seen.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

The Herefordshire Oak 2022

 

A year in the life of the Herefordshire Oak

As mentioned before we can see this tree across the fields from the static caravan at Hatfield and I love watching it change throughout the seasons.  I'd love to get closer but looking at OS Maps there is no public foothpath across the field.

Debbie (Rustic Pumpkin) asked if I'd thought of doing a post on the tree again from last year's photos - so thank you Debbie.  Yet again I have failed to make a collage of pictures but thanks anyway Mandy for the links you kindly sent me a year ago. One day I will get round to researching how you make one!

17th March

8th April

11th May

26th May

4th June

22nd June

21st July

3rd August

20th September

6th October

17th October

9th November

11th November

2nd December

3rd December

7th December

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330. (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).