Here we are back in Lud's Church and I really hope you enjoy these shots s much as I do. Of course for me the pictures also have some associated memories which add something on a personal note. For example the first picture shows a money tree at the entrance to one section of the cleft. My daughter and I hammered a couple of pennies into the dead wood and as we did so I recalled another time when I had done the same thing on another woodland walk. It may just be me but I think the end of the trunk looks like a head facing downwards with the chin on the ground, what do you think?
You can see from these pictures how narrow the passageway was in places, he fourth and fifth pictures show a really narrow gap and it was only just possible to pass through this part although this wasn't the only way through. I did take some pictures of my daughter squeezing through but they won't find their way onto my blog...
The pictures for today's post are of Lud's Church in Staffordshire.
Having walked along the Roaches and across a very boggy area of moorland my daughter and I followed a woodland path through an area known as the Black Forest above the village of Gradbach. We were looking for Lud's Church but almost walked past as the path we were on passes the entrance but it would have been easy to miss as it was a cleft in the rock.
Although from today's selection it may appear quite small it is actually an immense cleft up to 15 metres high in places, and over 100 metres long but just a couple of metres wide (even less in places) which was caused by a landslip.
There are many legends associated with this wonderful place, it is said that Robin Hood had used it and the Lollards (followers of John Wycliffe) who were considered heretics used this as a place of worship in the 15th Century and that is where the name originates from.
The title of this blog post however relates to stories that it was this church that was the model for the "Green Chapel" in the medieval poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight".
I had seen Lud's Church featured in a TV show and determined that I would have to visit. It took some effort getting there but I have to say that it was well worth it as I am sure you will agree.
Along the ridge known as the Roaches there are some pretty interesting rocky outcrops and formations. The first one in today's selection looks like the head of a dog and the second looks rather like a head, facing across the valley.
I like the different shapes and the way the sandstone has been worn away by the elements and the different colours in the rocks as can be seen in the next two pictures.
I also like the final picture looking south along the ridge with the moors to the left and the patchwork of fields in the valley to the right. This really is a green and pleasant land.
It was a bit of a trek up to the top of The Roaches in the Peak District, but with views across Staffordshire in one direction and Derbyshire in the other it was well worth the effort.
The moorland at the top was covered in this expanse of cotton grass in full bloom and in the breeze as it was waving gently it looked really beautiful. A little way along the path was Doxey Pool which was a quiet spot for a short break before setting off on the rest of our walk.
Although my intention when I went out with my daughter to the Peak District was to take some landscape pictures I couldn't resist getting my macro lens out for the busy little bumble bee at the start of out walk. I love that you can clearly see how the bee is feeding on the nectar from the tiny little flower cups, I also like the dusting of pollen that you can see coating the bee's furry coat.
Then right at the end of the day on the final leg back towards the car this beautiful little bunny popped up at the side of the road and again I took this snap for everybody who like me loves verge bunnies
I was originally going to call today's blog stronger together but I suppose "Standing Alone" is a better fit.
Today is a big day, what with the EU Referendum and all that and so I have picked a selection of flowers in the colours of the Union Flag. I am not going to say how I voted or suggest how anyone else should because this isn't a political blog. I am just glad to live in a country that gives me the freedom to vote and more importantly where I can get out and enjoy beauty like these blooms.
When all the fuss, arguing and debate has faded away these pictures will still be bright and beautiful and I am thankful for that :)
There is so much that I love about summer and I really feel for anybody who suffers with hay fever because there is so much they can miss out on. Last weekend my daughter and I went walking in the Peak District (pictures to follow soon) and she really struggled with streaming eyes and runny nose for much of the time. Luckily I don't usually suffer like that but yesterday I did and I felt rough. I cheered myself up by listening to the song The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count
But there is a safe and sneeze free way to enjoy a little bit of the outdoors and summer colour and that is to look at my blog...
Grass pollen is a killer for some people but the first picture is pollen free, guaranteed.
I love the colours of the next three pictures and the humble bumble bee is making the most of the abundance of pollen so you don't have to.
I love these beautiful Irises, such strong colours and fragile petals. I also really love the way the flower emerges from the slim pencil shaped bud with its inky blue tip slowly becoming exposed as it rises upwards.
So the culmination of our stacking efforts last weekend was this stone arch. It took a couple of attempts to get it right and the construction was a real team effort but it was the first time we had tried to build an arch so I was very pleased with the result.
I have taken pictures from slightly different angles and from both sides to try and get the best image. In the final picture you can see the tree from yesterdays shots reaching across the river with the two small stacks balanced on it. I have deliberately used the depth of field to keep the background just out of focus so that the eye is drawn to the arch in the foreground.
I really like all of today's pictures; I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite. All of them are good reminders of a great day out with my kids, moments to treasure.
Walking along the river bank we found a large fallen tree that stretched out into the river and I had the idea to balance a small stack of pebbles on the trunk.
To begin with I took an easy option and built it close to the edge as you can see in the first of today's pictures. Taken from a different angle it actually looks like quite a stable and really easy stack but from this angle you can see just how precariously the stones are perched and I have tried to get them angled to reflect the line of the tree as it stretches out behind.
For the next two pictures I wanted to do something a bit different and so I framed the small stacks with the ferns and built them against a darker background with the moss and the spaces between the rocks, I think it works quite well.
So far these have been fairly simple stacks and so we decided to ramp up the pressure and so I suggested building a stack on the end of the tree. This involved standing on some fairly slippery rocks out in the river and it was eldest son as you can see who drew the short straw (to be fair he volunteered). He had to catch each stone one handed as I threw them from the river bank as he held onto the tree and then he carefully balanced them one by one.
You can see the sliver of daylight beneath the bottom stone and in the final image you can see just how finely balanced they are. I am really pleased with our day's work and the pictures that resulted from it.
After this we took things a bit further and for that you will have to come back tomorrow, I promise it will be worth it...
