Herefordshire 2023 October Visit - Part 1: Hatfield and a Walk along the Lane

 

E's had some holiday from work so we've all been to Herefordshire for a short break.  We were so lucky with the weather and yesterday in particular was like a summer's day :)

Timothy back on his shelf!

I think there are now definite signs of a slight change in colour on the leaves of the 

Herefordshire Oak

The Octopus Tree and  possibly the

Constable Tree

One morning I went a wander round - the owners of the site keep it looking beautiful with the displays of flowers.

The dahlias are actually in one of the gardens which is looked after by an owner who has had a caravan there for years and years. I think he's been there longer than anyone.

Part of the site is in a Walled Garden (which I think was possibly originally part of a large house next door called Hatfield Court).

We finally have a Poached Egg plant flower!  A few plants came up but B still has loads of seeds left so we will plant them earlier next year.

Heather and Ice Plant (sedum) are now flowering in our small garden and the hawthorn hedges are full of berries.  Hopefully the Redwings and Fieldfares will return soon although it looks as though the House Martins have departed.  The bats were still around on the Saturday evening when I took out the bat detector. They usually enter hibernation in November. There are always Buzzards soaring over the site and on this visit there was a Red Kite over the upper field.

As I am writing about Hatfield I'll include the walk D and I did yesterday after we visited the church to see the Harvest Festival displays which I'll write about in a future post.

Just past the church there is a little lane on the right which eventually leads just to a farm so you don't get any traffic and I've wanted to explore it for ages.

So leaving the car at the church we passed the Old School House, which dates back to 1852 ,and wandered down the lane.

For some time I have been quite fascinated by a disused railway line nearby seen on the OS map and wondered how to access it.  When we leave the Worcester Road and take the lane to Hatfield we do pass an old station with signal box and I understand some of the rail track remains. BUT I suspect its been converted into a private residence so its not as if you can just walk down there.

As we walked toward the farm I could see in the distance what looked like a railway embankment and lo and behold

the lane passes between what remains of an old railway bridge :) I can't tell you how chuffed I was to find this!

The line was a section of the Worcester Bromsgrove and Leominster railway connecting the latter two towns.  The line was approved in 1874 but not completed until 1897.  This section was closed in 1952.

Interestingly, I've just googled the line to try and get more information and there is an article written early last year in the Worcester News about plans by WBL Greenway in Leominster hoping to turn it into a 25 mile walking route which would be accessible to walkers, cyclists and horse riders.  Although one snag could be that the line is now owned by many different land owners! It would make a lovely walking route and I've walked along disused railway lines before that have been turned into paths and they are always super places to walk.

There are still plants in flower such as umbellifers (Hogweed - I think),  Blackberry, Herb Robert and Bindweed.

We saw many Red Admirals on the walk usually nectaring on ivy flowers.

The red berry necklaces of Black Bryony were strung along the hedgerows.

Umbellifer seedheads.

And finally back to the car and St Leonard's.

In the next post we'll visit the OTT delights of the "Strawberry Hill Gothick" church at Shobdon.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

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 I would appreciate an email first - thanks).