Through The Woods by H.E Bates Through the Woods by H.E Bates. When he was a child the writer Herbert Bates wanted to be a painter. He describes the paintings that he enthusiastically produced as being of ‘horrific badness’. So the introduction to this book, written by Laura Beatty tells us. I am so glad…

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And a Partridge in a Pear Tree. Advent – Day16 A partridge in a pear tree is one of the most unlikely pairings, if you will pardon the pun. The British grey partridge is a bird whose numbers have declined but much is being done to help the bird regain ground. Creating deep wild flower…

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Richard Jefferies natural historian, was a close observer of nature and prosaic writer. The writing of Richard Jefferies, natural historian, deserves a special place on everyones book shelf. His lyrical, almost poetic account of the British countryside and rural life has a magic all of its own. Richard Jefferies was born in 1842 at Coate…

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Trees can inform us about the geology beneath our feet

Slow Down for Trees. Most of us love a walk in woodlands. The swell of woodland birdsong in Spring, the smell of woodland decay in the Autumn, the noise of wind rushing through branches in Winter, a woodland provides a rich broth for the senses but it’s time to slow down and observe individual trees…

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Ramblers lost footpaths

Lost Footpaths, the Ramblers Project. The cry ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’, apt that when it comes to re-discovering Britain’s lost footpaths. The Ramblers group of Britain are passionate about keeping open over 100,000 miles of footpaths in Britain. However many of these footpaths have been lost, they are unmapped. As a…

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The web of the Orb Spider

What nature inspires art, could it be the orb spider? Many artists and writers use nature to inspire their work. I felt inspired by the orb spider on my walk in the field today. It made me think how nature inspires art. The landscape artist looks to the shape and texture of the landscape and…

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Hawthorn Syrup, a Winter pick you up. Homemade hawthorn syrup is Autumn packed into a bottle. Mindful of leaving haws on the trees for the birds, the hawthorn berry syrup benefits us as well.  They are beloved by many of our birds, including blackbirds, thrushes, fieldfares and many smaller finches. Watch as these birds swallow…

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