Dragon's breath at Winterbourne

Some morning walks are too beautiful to stick in a round up of beautiful morning walks; they need a post to themselves. Like this walk at Winterbourne, just outside Bristol, a few days ago.

The fellow-dog walker we met at the end of the lane, returning as we set out, was marvelling at how amazing the fields looked spread with mist. And once we were through the kissing gate, we agreed. 

The mist was less noticeable in the lanes, but there all the same.

St Michael's, Winterbourne

I was expecting an early autumn this year, after such a hot, dry summer, but it's only getting going now, right at the tail end of October.

Entering Monk's Pool Nature Reserve

Bradley Brook

next year's catkins in evidence

Heading into Bradley Brook nature reserve

Crossing Bradley Brook

By the time we were retracing our steps to the car, the dragon's breath had melted away.

wild radish

haws

vetch

back through the lane

A summer walk in Winterbourne

Having really enjoyed two spring walks in Winterbourne last year, I decided to revisit with Cwtch the collie and see how different it feels in high summer.

The high-walled lanes at the start of the walk certainly felt more enclosed and mysterious ...

... but re-following the route felt like greeting an old friend. Cwtch ran on ahead, recalling every turn with evident delight.

The footpaths off to the side looked even more enticing this time of year, and I made a note to look them up and maybe explore them next time if they looked promising on the map.

I think - maybe - a fledgling thrush bit the dust here

Heading towards St Michael's Church

Parts of St Michael's Churchyard are left very pleasingly overgrown

ground elder

We then headed on down to the two small nature reserves beyond the church, namely Monks Pool and Bradley Brook. It made a change not to be sloshing around in deep mud. 

wild angelica

It was so good to see more evidence of Cwtch's increased confidence around water. I don't think she'll ever be the sort of dog who loves going for a dip - and that's as well, given the issues around flea and tick treatments for dogs and how they affect the insect populations in bodies of water - but she's now happy to go to the water's edge on her own for a little drink. 

field roses

On our way back to the car, we passed the church again, this time at a distance, before branching off down one of those aforementioned side footpaths. This diversion gave me a better view of the three wind turbines at Gaunts Earthcott that we can see from our bedroom window (though barely visible in photos against a pale blue sky), but meant a long haul up dusty Swan Lane, which wasn't quite as pleasant as the shadowy, sunken green lane that would have been our route otherwise.

Time constraints meant we had to eschew this diversion off the diversion, but its stone stile was appealing. 

Greater celandine

The footpath back to the walled section of lane

Before we returned to the car we completed a turn of the green space at the back of Tesco Express but it was late morning by now and hot, and Cwtch kept flopping down in the shade, so clearly time to make our way to the friend-formerly-known-as-'Er-Over-The-Road's patio and a nice cooling bowl of water. (Cup of tea in my case!)  

A lovely change of scene for a dog and her pet.