I spent the weekend in one of my favourite walking areas, Mortimer Country, land of the Marcher Lord Roger Mortimer who led the successful revolt against King Edward II and was rewarded by being hanged at Tyburn. I have walked the whole area extensively for many years but spent the weekend mostly around the Croft Ambrey area, an iron-age hill fort with superb views over the Welsh Marches. Just west the River Lugg which has some excellent grayling fishing winds through a beautiful wooded valley while just north-east is High Vinnalls the highest point of Mortimer Forest. Just south of the fort lies Croft Castle which has some magnificent ancient trees, oak/horsebeam/beech and in particular a long avenue of old chestnut trees about 400 odd years old said to originate from the ships of the Spanish Armada. After the battle in 1588 avenues of trees were planted on Croft Castle said to represent the formation of the line of ships, the chestnut avenues representing the Spanish ships while the oaks represent the English ships, the chestnuts for planting were reputedly plundered off the Spanish ships ''as the story goes''. I saw eight fallow deer by the hill and one roe deer down by the river lugg. There is a good population of fallow deer throughout the whole of the forest including a rare unique type of fallow called the Long-Haired Fallow Deer which is found in Mortimer Forest only and nowhere else in the world, they first came to attention in the 1950s when the then head ranger of Cannock Chase Gerald Springthorpe discovered them, they are recognised by tufts of long hairs on their ears, head, and long tails.
For anyone interested here is a description of the unique Long Haired Fallow Deer of Mortimer Forest
http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1969.tb03908.x
And heres a link & video about same
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/shropshire/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9339000/9339680.stm
A couple of vids showing & telling the story of the oak/chestnut avenues planted after the battle with the Spanish Armada (taken on warmer days)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZgy6CITFMI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh-ph12YUpk
For anyone interested here is a description of the unique Long Haired Fallow Deer of Mortimer Forest
http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1969.tb03908.x
And heres a link & video about same
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/shropshire/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9339000/9339680.stm
A couple of vids showing & telling the story of the oak/chestnut avenues planted after the battle with the Spanish Armada (taken on warmer days)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZgy6CITFMI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh-ph12YUpk
