In the words of Wallace "twas a grand day out Grommit", ok for Hugo, Rockmonkey & I it was anyway.
The day started off in the grips of a good haw frost and sub zero temps, to the point we couldn't walk up the lane as we normally do as it was akin to a skating rink, so up the fields it was - shame
So cold in fact, the horses and ponies in the paddock had highlights added by Jack Frost to their coats
Where we were headed, beyond the furthest most hill in the picture
One of the many skating rinks in the fields, still at least there was no cloying mud this week as the ground was frozen iron hard.
Up the track and despite it looking soggy, it was like walking on rock, well, in most places
View out towards the hills
Early Periwinkle in the farm yard, albeit it's south facing and has an old wooden barn behind it
further up the lanes and tracks we arrive at our first destination for the day, the Piney Woods as we call them, in reality they are a mix of a Redwood plantation and naturally seeded Ash & Sycamore,
we tried doing some carving while we were in these woods, not a chance, the wood was frozen solid, so we stashed the wood and headed on our way
nearing the top of this path
and out into glorious sunshine and a view along the South Downs
A shrafter in his element
Gorgeous landscape
where had come from
Old farm that is no longer a farm, there's a Spitfire down there
couple of general landscape shots
Up past the old pits
Looking south towards the English Channel
Lunch stop, and time to break out the Monkey Boy stove and my curried spoon
Fed and watered it was onwards and downwards
not long before we were back in the woods
and then after a short walk, we were at the bottom the hill and in the still icy coombe
and then on our way down the hill and back to the cars.
as always it was a great day out, we covered just under eight miles in total, roll on next week, by all accounts, we could be bimbling in the snow
The day started off in the grips of a good haw frost and sub zero temps, to the point we couldn't walk up the lane as we normally do as it was akin to a skating rink, so up the fields it was - shame
So cold in fact, the horses and ponies in the paddock had highlights added by Jack Frost to their coats
Where we were headed, beyond the furthest most hill in the picture
One of the many skating rinks in the fields, still at least there was no cloying mud this week as the ground was frozen iron hard.
Up the track and despite it looking soggy, it was like walking on rock, well, in most places
View out towards the hills
Early Periwinkle in the farm yard, albeit it's south facing and has an old wooden barn behind it
further up the lanes and tracks we arrive at our first destination for the day, the Piney Woods as we call them, in reality they are a mix of a Redwood plantation and naturally seeded Ash & Sycamore,
we tried doing some carving while we were in these woods, not a chance, the wood was frozen solid, so we stashed the wood and headed on our way
nearing the top of this path
and out into glorious sunshine and a view along the South Downs
A shrafter in his element
Gorgeous landscape
where had come from
Old farm that is no longer a farm, there's a Spitfire down there
couple of general landscape shots
Up past the old pits
Looking south towards the English Channel
Lunch stop, and time to break out the Monkey Boy stove and my curried spoon
Fed and watered it was onwards and downwards
not long before we were back in the woods
and then after a short walk, we were at the bottom the hill and in the still icy coombe
and then on our way down the hill and back to the cars.
as always it was a great day out, we covered just under eight miles in total, roll on next week, by all accounts, we could be bimbling in the snow
