The Year in Review: July – December 2016

Posted on January 12, 2017 by johnshortlandwriter

The second half of 2016 went just as quickly, if not quicker than the first. No sooner have the nights drawn out than Midsummer Day is upon us and, gradually at first – and then rapidly – the nights close in on us. In England our really warm summer weather does not arrive before July and with luck extends well into October. In bad years it never really arrives at all. blewbury-manor-copyright

In July I travelled just about as far west as is possible in the UK for a few days holiday in Cornwall. Cornwall is a land of contrasts with picturesque, small fishing villages, spectacular cliff walks and golden, sandy beaches. Inland, the scenery is bleak moorland with granite outcrops and the houses appear to squat low in the landscape to shelter from the gales that sweep in off the Atlantic. Luckily, the evening we went to the Minack Theatre was warm with only the lightest of sea breezes. Lucky because the theatre is carved into the cliff face. The idea of Rowena Cade, in the 1930s she and her gardener spent a winter moving rocks and to create a stage and seating. This Herculean effort was more than worthwhile, it was… well, click here to see for yourself. 169 copyright 172 copyright

August saw me on the other side of Atlantic Ocean in the American State of Arizona visiting another cliff-face achievement, the Canyon de Chelly. The houses of the Anasazi people were carved out of the sheer rock face hundreds of years ago and can only be reached by precarious toeholds. Today it is the home of the Navajo. The canyon is unique amongst the National Parks of America for it is the only one that is… check this link to find out what. Canyon de Chelly (3) copyright Canyon de Chelly (5) copyright

There is nothing like a bit of bragging and September saw me unashamedly showing off about the small lake I created some years back. These days, it looks as if it has been there forever and is home to numerous wild duck, fish and small mammals. Originally a rubbish dump click here to see how it has been transformed. pond-build-3-copyright pond-2-copyright

I am always telling you how beautiful our Cotswold Hills are and how lucky I am to live in the middle of the secret valley, away from traffic and houses. In October, I took you all on a virtual tour of the valley. The crab-apple tree lined lane leads to the wonderfully winding river that features on the blog header. After a mile of visual treats the lane narrows even more as it passes our tiny, stone cottage. Occasionally, there is a traffic jam – but rarely by cars. To take the tour again click here. secret-valley-2-copyright cotswold-traffic-jam-copyright

In November we went treasure hunting – looking for fortune in the garden. We didn’t have to dig it all up, only walk around it for we were searching for plants originating in China and Japan. The little-known story of how Robert Fortune, a 19th century dour Scotsman travelled to the for side of the world to fight with pirates before smuggling out what has become one of our most popular drinks is told here. dicentra-spectabilis-copyright tea-plantation-copyright

Travels and ancient buildings in Sweden and the south of France, hidden Exmoor, and attracting butterflies to your garden all featured in December‘s review. If that all sounds too exhausting, take a slow, slow canal longboat ride through the stunning scenery that can be found within a few miles of the university city of Oxford (here). 133 copyright

2017 is seeing a lot of changes politically and culturally both here in Britain, in the USA and elsewhere in the world. Some can’t wait for what will happen and others are dreading it. Whichever ‘side’ you’re on, come and escape to Life in the English Cotswolds and the secret valley which will always be, hopefully, a little haven of peace. dorn-valley-copyright

Best wishes for 2017 and many thanks for your post -and future – support.

In the Footsteps of the Danes

Posted on November 20, 2015 by johnshortlandwriter

In 858AD Hubba the Dane invaded England to be defeated by the Saxons at the Battle of Arx Cynuit. Recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles by Asser, biographer of King Alfred the Great, the site of the battle it is thought took place at Countisbury, a tiny clifftop community on Exmoor. Whether true or fanciful, a walk to Wind Hill hillfort* is well worth the effort. It is a place where it is possible to experience all the elements that Exmoor offers in one glorious 360 degree panoramic view.

Countisbury copyright

All the best English country walks should start and end at a pub and there are plenty of options to choose on this one. Mine started from the Blue Ball Inn at Countisbury which is as welcoming now as it was when I first crossed its threshold fifty years earlier.

Blue Ball (2) copyright

Turning left from the pub, walk down the road for a few yards before entering a gate to National Trust land, also on the left and the starting point of several extensive walks. Our destination is a short walk and is the high point close to the road. The path to the fort is well defined and grass covered; it merges with a field access track that leads gently uphill to its entrance. The second photograph below is taken from the fort: the pub is the white building. Wind Hill (9) copyright Wind Hill (5) copyright

The fort is a rare example of a promontory fort where the natural landscape has been adapted to create the defences. The coastal cliffs which form its northern defence are the highest in England rising to over 300 metres, to the west and south the East Lyn River has cut a deep gorge. Where necessary double ramparts were built to defend the weaker areas: at the entrance they still rise, after two thousand years or more, to an impressive thirteen metres.

Wind Hill (10) copyright Wind Hill (2) copyright

Although it is possible to make Wind Hill part of a longer walk I prefer not to do this. It is rare to meet anyone else here and to be able to explore the 85 acre site in splendid isolation gives a real feel of the place. Just spend time enjoying the silence, lying down with your back propped against the ramparts listening to the wind and sheep calling. As mentioned earlier, the views from the fort are magnificent: heather moorland, ancient woodland, hills, villages, sea, cliffs, the distant coast of Wales as well as wild creatures, ranging from the iconic red deer to seabirds and butterflies.

Wind Hill (8) copyright

* also known as Countisbury Castle

Links:

Historic England

The Megalithic Portal

Exmoor National Park

The Blue Ball Inn

Purple Haze

Posted on August 18, 2014 by johnshortlandwriter

Ask those that know Exmoor – England’s smallest National Park – to conjure up just one image of it and you would get a number of different answers. For some it is the wild ponies, others the rushing streams but mostly the answer would be the sea or the moorland. On Exmoor you are never very far from either.

At this time of year the moors are, perhaps, at their very best: awash with a purple haze of heather in bloom, speckled with the yellow flowers of furze – the local dialect word for gorse. During the cooler months, however, the heather looks very different, drab browns and greens giving no hint of the glory to come.

The heather is an important resource for animals whether it is food for the ponies, sheep or cattle that roam the open spaces or the deer. In the past – they died out in 1969 – black grouse fed here too, the record of their existence recorded in place names such as Heath Poult Cross, heath poult being the dialect word for the grouse. For other birds that nest close to the ground the heather protects them with its cover.

Although at a glance the heather all looks the same, there are three types, quite easily distingushable when in flower. Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix) has paler flower clusters at the top of the stems; Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) is a rich crimson-purple in flower whereas the true Heather or Ling (Calluna vulgaris) is softer both in colouring and appearance. Together, they blend to create a colour mix of shadow and light.

To keep the heather moorland in good order, controlled burning is carried out once the plants have become old and woody, an ancient method called swaling. Only selected areas are burned, usually on a five to ten year cycle between October and early April.

The fires are watched carefully, not just to prevent their spreading to other areas but to ensure that the rootstock is not damaged from which the new, tender shoots soon grow. The burning of the moor is both exciting and interesting to watch for the smoke can be seen for many miles. It is difficult to imagine when the stems are blackened and charred that life will ever return. The photograph below shows the regrowth after four years.

Exmoor has the highest cliffs in England and these are made even more dramatic by the moorland which extends to their edge, the heather even clinging to the steep sides as they tumble to the sea, caring little for the salt-laden winds that continually buffet them. On a sunny day in August the combination of blue sea, purple heather, yellow gorse and blue sky, combined with Exmoor’s splendid views, is a sight rarely forgotten.