Return to Herefordshire - Part 1: Hatfield

 

Last week we returned to Herefordshire for a few days.  

There have been changes in some of the Herefordshire Trees in the fortnight we have been away.

A definite hint of autumn colour in the leaves of the Herefordshire Oak.

The Octopus Tree seems to have lost most of its leaves!  The "octopus" shape is becoming more apparent now - well to me at least!

Meanwhile the Constable Tree looks more or less unchanged.

We arrived on the Tuesday lunchtime.  We didn't do the usual click and collect at Morrisons in Leominster in the afternoon as we are trying to use up food in the freezer and tins, pasta and rice in the cupboard in preparation for when we close the caravan down for a few months.  We did stop at a small Morrisons in Bromyard for just a few items and also Legges - a farmshop to buy cheese and some Peter Cook bread.  Peter Cook is a Herefordshire baker who has won many awards and I really wanted to try one of his loaves - it was delicious!

After lunch we went a walk through the site to the Hen House to buy some eggs.  The autumn colours on trees are really starting to come out now.

Mint seems to be taking over this herb pot by the office!  D has suggested when we finally get round to re-doing our own herb pot we should plant mint separately.

"Plants in Walls"

Oontitoomps!

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D carved a pumpkin

Timothy glad to be back on his shelf and a rose we picked from the garden.  There are still a few plants in flower - hollyhock, periwinkle, heather, fox and cubs and an ice plant.

A few photos taken by D in the "golden hour".  View from the side of the caravan.

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Views to the rear of the caravan - you can see the Herefordshire Oak.

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Pumpkins in Hatfield Village

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We saw and picked up bats on the bat detector on one of evenings and walking back from the Hen House saw an unusual bird of prey.  I am not sure what species it was although it did look very like a harrier - another possibility is an Osprey as they have fish in the pool at the site and Docklow Pools fishery is nearby. Although it is probably a bit late for an Osprey on passage. It definitely wasn't a Red Kite or Buzzard, Kestrel or Sparrowhawk which are the species we have seen there. Sadly we only got a silhouetted view of it in flight and the very record shot doesn't really show any details of plumage.

Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. Photos marked *D taken by my son with the Canon SX50 HS  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).

Visit to a Pumpkin Farm

 

Most years I take D and E to a pumpkin farm to buy pumpkins for Halloween. Usually we go to an event near Stoneleigh but this year for a change we visited a more local farm - Wood Barn near Solihull.  We went in the week when it was quieter!  I find these events are to be avoided at weekends and school half term!!!

There were loads of different varieties of pumpkins being sold although sadly I couldn't find a "Turk's Turban" which is a shame as I have a good recipe for Turk's Turban soup!

There was also a Christmas shop which we had a brief look at.

Timothy being brave by a wyvern!

There was a pumpkin field where you could pick your own which D and E promptly did!  There were also reindeer in an enclosure but you might know I looked in the wrong area although D and E found them!

The Christmas Shop

Wood Farm also sells real Christmas trees. I felt a bit guilty after reading this as we have a plastic tree although to be fair we have used the same one for years and years.  I do have a real tree in a pot outside which we used to put in the porch over the Christmas period but it has been repotted into larger tubs that many times that it is now too heavy to lift!  

We bought several pumpkins of various sizes - some to carve and some to cook with.  I remember one year I grew pumpkins and the two that formed I named Henry and Humphrey - a bad mistake to give them names as I found I just couldn't carve or eat them! D tried to grow some this year without success - slugs and snails decided they were tasty :(

We stopped off a Marks and Sparks on the way home to buy some Halloween sweets and chocolates and some sandwiches - sadly the doughnut stall at  the farm was closed and we were hungry!  I've decided Friday afternoons are not a good time to go out - the traffic was awful :(

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