Tag Archives: walking
Underfoot and Overhead
Completing the meandering loop of this week’s walk brought me to the oak woods of Coedbach Park. It looks like there is plenty underfoot to keep the squirrels going through the winter. Overhead the twisting branches of these wonderful crooked trees will provide progressively less shade from the weather as the season moves on. Whatever weather the seasons bring, it is unlikely to stop me enjoying the sights and sounds I encounter on my walks.
Woodland Ways
Having crossed the local park, the salt marshes and farmland by the river Loughor, my walking route took me up the Castell Ddu road alongside a woodland stream. The woodland is private but I still got to enjoy the sights and sounds of the stream and the birds as I followed the stream back up to the main road. You can listen to these below (along with the distant aircraft and motorway!).
Castell Ddu stream and woodland
Passing Underneath
The puddle below tells the story of the weather and the long horned cows underneath the M4 motorway bridge know that story as well as the farmer and I do. Having constructed a coral for his cattle the farmer has given some convenient shelter to these mothers with their calves and allowed me to walk without fear of being pronged by one of those sharp looking objects.
The railway bridge which also crosses this footpath is made of older material than concrete and the various colours of the stone used create a fascinating pattern within pattern in the construction of the bridge. You will have to watch the video at the end of the week to see more.
Twists and Turns Along The Way
Most walking routes have various twists and turns to them and my walk this week is no exception. Initially the twists in the footpath come as it follows the river Loughor across the marshes, but there are other twists and turns to be seen en route as well as those in the grass or mud.
The twisted roots of the tree below can be seen in monochrome at Leanne Cole’s Photography blog post Monochrome Madness MM 2-32.
This photo is the only one throughout this week that is in portrait format. The reason for this is that I have been working on an experimental StillWalks video (which requires all images to be in 16:9 widescreen format). It was not my intention to do any production on this walk and so I only had my iPhone 6s with me. Therefore all the images you see are from my phone and the video I have been working on also uses video and sound recording from the same device.
I will post the finished video at the end of the week and you can judge for yourselves whether or not it was worth my while.
Walking Across The Salt Marshes
The next stage of my walk this week takes us across the salt marshes next to the Loughor river here in South Wales. I say “walk”, but perhaps I should say paddle as there had been a high tide and significant areas of the marsh and footpath were still draining the sea water. I was determined to carry on and knowing the tide was on the ebb I could be sure the way would only become easier.
Day To Day Walk
My walk this week is another one I take quite frequently – I know it well but there is always something new to look at or listen to. The start of the walk goes through our local park and as can be seen, the rain has finally arrived with the colours of Autumn.
You must not let a little rain put you off walking in this country (or a lot of rain for that matter). Indeed, it is the damp weather we so often seem to have that provides us with so many wonderful mosses and lichens.
NBGW and Reviewing The Week 44
This is the smallest of the three lakes at the National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW). It is the one that welcomes you along with the ducks when you arrive and makes for a beautiful and relaxing memory to depart with along with all the amazing scenery, flowers and plants, architecture, art, science and history of the place and of course, walks. It is well worth repeated visits and having watched it develop over these past fifteen years or so, I look forward to a lot more growth in the future.
Click the first in the block of images below to view the week’s photos in sequence.
