An English Winter ~ Herefordshire, UK

Morning Dog-Walk
Frosty ground, bare trees and a tender pink sky: it’s a winter morning in Burghill, Herefordshire.
(23January2015, iPhone5)

Landscapes – Passing Like a Dream…
Trains are a wonderful way to get around: the cold, bare winter fields and trees flew past as I travelled north-west from London.
(22January2015, iPhone5)

Morning Frost
Jet-lag had me up early on my first morning in Burghill: the frost was thick on the grass …
(23January2015, iPhone5)

Fence Post
… and made lacy patterns on the fences.
(23January2015, iPhone5)

Winter Trees
The morning sun – once it made an appearance – cast a golden light on the winter trees.
(31January2015, iPhone5)

Holly Berries
Nothing says “English Winter” quite like the bright red berries on the holly bushes along the roadway. (24January2015, iPhone5)

Over the River Wye
Most days, my walks took me over the River Wye: always beautiful and ever-changing in the soft winter light; …
(23January2015, iPhone5)

West over The Hills
… on other days, I donned gumboots and ventured into the hills and countryside (see: Credenhill Wood).
(08February2015, Canon EOS 5D MarkII)

Park-View Sunrise
Another morning: another magnificent winter sunrise over the old St. Mary’s Hospital parklands.
(02Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D MarkII)

Deer Park
Founded in 1868, St. Mary’s Hospital at Burghill – or the Hereford County and City Lunatic Asylum, as it was originally known – was a psychiatric facility. It was later expanded to include patients with tuberculosis, before being closed in 1994. Today the grounds, which include parklands, a large duck pond, and a deer park, are home to a modern housing estate which incorporates some of the historical buildings.
(03Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D MarkII)

West over Brecon Beacons
The walk from Burghill down into Hereford gives views over the fields to the snow-topped Brecon Beacons, the popular mountain range in South Wales.
(02Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D Mark II)

Hospital Farm
Down hill from the site of the old St Mary’s Hospital is the wonderfully textured and rusty “Hospital Farm”. I can only surmise it once supplied the hospital kitchens.
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 6D)

Dead Leaves
Last season’s dried out oak leaves cling to the trees.
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 6D)

Snowdrops
In the leaf litter at the base of the trees, the snowdrops are already blooming.
(06Ferbruary2015, iPhone5)

The Oxford Arms
The Midlands is “Black and White” country (see: Medieval Ludlow), and a few of these distinctive half-timber buildings survive in Hereford itself.
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D Mark II)

Hereford Rooftops
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D Mark II)

Victoria Footbridge
Built in 1898 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria the previous year, the Victoria Footbridge is a three-span suspension bridge over the River Wye.
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 6D)

River Wye, Hereford
The bell tower of Hereford Cathedral is an integral part of the city view from the footbridge.
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D Mark II)

Pigeon
Pigeons rest on the footbridge stays.
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D Mark II)

Victoria Footbridge
On the south side of the footbridge, Bishop’s Meadow and the King George V Playing Fields attract walkers and cyclists …
(26February2015, iPhone5)

King George V Playing Fields
… who make use of the pathways through the wet fields and leafless trees.
(26February2015, iPhone5)

Pampas Grass
Even at midday, the winter light angles steeply.
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D Mark II)

Afternoon on the River Wye
(04Feb2015, Canon EOS 5D Mark II)

Under the Umbrella
Of course, some rains did fall …
(13February2015, iPhone5)

Fish and Chips
… but a local pub with some typical British comfort food was never far away.
(28January2015, iPhone5)