Trail Cam Hedgehog Footage

 

I am not quite sure if the video will work as I've not uploaded one before.

I've finally got round to beginning to go through some trail cam footage and, if it works, here is a video of a hedgehog from Herefordshire.

Recent Visit to Herefordshire - Part 5: St Michael and All Angels, Croft Castle and Flowers

 

Before leaving Croft Castle I popped briefly into the Church of St Michael and All Angels.

I wanted to get more photos of the medieval floor tiles which came from workshops at Malvern and Monmouth.

The font is 14th century.  I wanted to get more photos of the Croft tomb in the chancel  but as there were other people in that area I decided to leave it.

Timothy resting on his favourite shelf!

The tree I watch through the seasons.

I enjoyed watching several juvenile Pied Wagtails foraging round the caravan.

View to the front of the caravan.

There is a gentleman with a caravan further up the hill who really does have the most amazing little garden. He spends so much time lavishing attention on it. Here are a few pictures of the flowers there.

As we walked back to our caravan a Red Kite flew over. Sorry a really rubbish photo and not even worth cropping!

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic FZ330 bridge camera.

Reference: Pevsner Buildings of England Herefordshire by Alan Brook and Nikolaus Pevsner, Yale University Press, 2012.

Recent Visit to Herefordshire - Part 4: Ancient Tree Walk at Croft Castle

 

After looking round the Walled Garden at Croft Castle we decided to walk again the 1.5 mile Ancient Tree Trail.

Looking back towards Croft Castle and St Michael and All Angels.

Then down to the pool and 

along the path to a grove of old Sweet Chestnuts.

Unfortunately I forgot to look for the Quarry Oak - one of the oldest trees at Croft being around 1000 years old.  Last year I struggled to find it.

An avenue of 400-500 year old and more recently planted Chestnut Trees.

And then onto my favourite part of the walk the Spanish Chestnut Avenue which was originally the formal approach to the castle.  A story suggests that the Sweet Chestnuts were taken from captured Spanish vessels and planted at Croft between 1580 and 1680 to represent the battle plan of ships at the Armada.

Some of the Chestnuts have died from "Ink Disease".

Leaving the Chestnut Avenue you enter a grove of very old hawthorns. They were planted as though they were in an orchard and one idea suggests that they were rootstock plants for a medlar tree orchard and when the medlar trees died the hawthorn rootstock took over.

The walk back to the castle takes you by the more recently planted chestnut trees.

This 500 year old oak tree was named after Sir William Croft who supposedly died under this tree after being wounded in the Civil War.

Should anyone visit Croft, thinking particularly of Bovey Belle, I can really recommend this walk.

The next and final Herefordshire post from the last trip will include a quick interior visit to St Michael and All Angels and a few flower photos from the caravan site.

Take care and stay safe and well everyone.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.

Reference: National Trust Ancient Tree Trail leaflet.