A celebration of trees: January

If you’re a friend of mine on Facebook you will know that one of my photography projects this year is a celebration of trees.

I love trees! Not only are they beautiful to look at, trees provide food and shelter for humans and for wildlife; trees release oxygen and clean our air by absorbing greenhouse gases; trees help reduce flooding and water pollution, and stabilise ground at risk of erosion; and so much more.

To celebrate both the beauty and benefits of trees I intend posting a photo each day of a tree or trees. If you’re interested, you can see these photographs in my Picasa album here. 

30 January, after an overnight dump of snow. Magical!

I am also going to share my favourite trees in a monthly blog post – this is the first of those. For January, because we’re in the depths of winter, it seems appropriate to select a snowy tree scene, and this is one of the local trees I particularly cherish. Although there are large numbers of trees here in Cheshire, it’s actually quite difficult to find a solitary tree. I especially love where this tree sits in the landscape, in a field on higher ground above Pickmere Lake so, not only can you see the mere below, you also see a sliver of the lovely Cheshire countryside beyond.

22 January, cold and a little misty

As you can see from the series of photos here (taken since I arrived here at the beginning of November 2014), I return often to this tree, partly because it sits beside one of the walking circuits I most enjoy and partly to photograph it in the ever-changing weather conditions.

Life’s better with trees!

11 January, blue with the cold

3 January, a cold and windy day

25 December. I was walking off my Christmas dinner!

24 November, a lovely late autumn day and the tree still has some leaves

Cheshire walks: Around Pickmere Lake in the snow

Elated by last night’s dump of snow I headed out this morning to enjoy our white winter wonderland. I decided on a circuit of our local lake, Pickmere, with a slight detour to the lime avenue at Great Budworth, walking partly on the narrow country lanes and partly along some of the public footpaths that criss-cross local farmland. I’ve included a map of where I walked – the numbers mark the kilometres (this was about 6.5kms all up so quite a short wander) and the blue dots are the places where the following photos were taken (sometimes more than one at each spot) (a small selection of the 200-plus I took!). 

I hope you enjoy walking along with me – it was magical!

We start off via the footpath that runs along the top of Pickmere Lake. It's a favourite walk for local dog-owners.

Looking out across the lake. That’s the tower of the church at Great Budworth on the skyline.

On Park Lane, looking back across the lake. This is one of my favourite trees hereabouts.

Looking in the opposite direction, over the fields towards the Millenium Wood. There’s another footpath that heads in that direction and it's also a lovely walk - another day, another blog.

The lane heads through a small section of wood called Pickmere Rough.

Three photos from this spot. The first is looking over farmer’s fields on the other side of the Rough.

And, from the same spot, looking over the fields towards Great Budworth.

And the third shot looks over the fields towards Hield House Farm. As you can see, the clouds were looking threatening at this point so I started striding out for Great Budworth.

The magnificent lime avenue at Great Budworth. It’s a long planting that runs either side of this narrow footpath. I sheltered here while a hail and sleet shower passed through.

From halfway along the lime avenue, I headed down this public footpath across the local farmer’s fields.

There are a couple of photos from points along this footpath – this first one has the lime avenue on the right and looks towards the Church of St Mary at Great Budworth.

This path is very muddy during the winter months, but was made easier today by the covering of snow, though I had to be careful not to slip!

The footpath comes out on to Hield Lane, which changes its name at the bottom of this slope to Dark Lane (the border between neighbouring councils runs through at this point, changing from Cheshire East to Cheshire West and Chester).

Looking back towards Pickmere Lake, along one of the streams that feeds into it.

On Dark Lane now, looking back toward Hield Lane and Hield House Farm.

And my last shot for today, taken of my favourite trees in Earle’s Lane, before I headed home to dry my wet feet and warm up with a hot cuppa. I hope you enjoyed my stride in the snow as much as I did!

Cheshire walks: Pickmere Lake in the snow

When I posted a couple of photos on Facebook this morning, excited at waking up to a white landscape after overnight snow, my New Zealand and Australian friends mentioned their recent high temperatures – it was still 32 degrees at 5pm in Nambor, it was sweltering in Ashburton, Christchurch had had a high of 34 degrees, and one friend en route to Cambodia figured she’d be wishing she had some snow after a few days in their scorching temperatures.

So I thought I’d share snapshots from my white walk in our 2-degree temperature here in Wincham in the heart of Cheshire. Hopefully, just looking through these will help cool down all you hot and sweaty Antipodeans!

If you follow my daily photo posts – this year it’s a celebration of trees – then you’ll recognise this scene, though the sheep are a charming addition. They’re probably not locals – farmers who live on higher ground, both in Cheshire and in counties further north, often send their flocks south to over-winter.

Across the road from the sheep is one of the three access ways off this lane to Pickmere, our local lake.

The access ways leads to the fields behind these houses. I often think this would be a pleasant place to live, with picturesque views over the fields and lake.

Down the fields we go, towards the lake in the distance. This is a public footpath and, as you can see, I’m not the first person to walk this way this morning. Usually, everyone follows a more narrow route but the field is a bit mucky today so walkers have been meandering, seeking a less muddy path.

Pickmere Lake. It’s looking quite full following recent rains. It’s home to flocks of mallards and other ducks, coots, swan and seagulls.

There’s an old jetty, though it’s beginning to fall apart. The seagulls are often to be seen roosting on the end as they are today. It’s very misty down here today.

The jetty again, and those seagulls, and a coot swimming by.

Further round the lake, past the kids sledging down the hill (sorry, no photos of them!), to the area where the ducks usually congregate, waiting hopefully for humans to bring them bread. Cute snowman on the water’s edge!

Homeward bound. I was hoping for better landscape photos as we’re on a bit of high ground here but it’s just too foggy. Still, I quite like the indistinct trees in the distance.

Now we’re heading along one of the other pathways, back towards the lane where we first started our walk. There were lots of other locals out for a walk, with family, friends and dogs.

Looking along the footpath in the other direction.

The last photo for today. Just before we reach the lane, there’s a pond that a small flock of ducks calls home. They also get fed bread by the locals so came heading over when I stopped to take this photo. As you can see, the pond was partly iced over – shows how nippy it’s been.

I hope all my Southern Hemisphere friends, who’ve recently been overheating, are now feeling a little cooler after that brief stroll through England’s white and chilly lands. I’m off for a hot cup of tea!