Delta Ged, Volunteer Ranger @ National Trust Lyme Park : Week 47 03/12/2014

Photo Blog Week 47 - Wed 03 December 2014

First frost of the year with a bright sun greeted me this week, Beautiful haw frost on the leaves and grass and shaded ground white almost as if dusted with snow but just frosting. For walking around, the sun meant that it wasn't too cold though finger tips began to suffer late afternoon. The walling team down at Four Winds had to contend with stone that was frozen together.
On the plus side, as the ground was frozen they weren't ankle deep in mud this week.

Arrived promptly as showing a new volunteer the ropes. Result of prompt start and clear sky delaying darkness is that I was back up to a longer distance this week. A shorter walk in the morning was followed by a pass across the back of Park Moor in the afternoon. I encountered Red Stags from both the Park and Moor herds today.

Low sun greeting me by Admissions

Spiky haw frost on horse chestnut leaves

route: The House; Four Winds; The Knott; Pursefield Wood; Paddock Cottage; Drinkwater Meadow; Knightslow Wood, Drinkwater Meadow; Main Car Park; Timberyard

South face of Lyme Hall above a cold car park

Stags on The Knott

Darcy's Pool on Drinkwater Meadow

(film location from BBC Pride & Prejudice production)

Route: Drinkwater Meadow; Paddock Cottage; Deer Clough; Cluse Hey; Park Moor; Bowstonegate Farm entrance

Alderley Edge escarpment outlined against the mist on the Cheshire Plain

Across the Moor from above Cluse Hey to Bowstonegate Farm on horizon

Looking down into a still frozen Cluse Hey

Blue sky over the ridge from rock outcrop

Rock outcrop from below in Cluse Hey

Cluse Hey bottom covered in frost

View back after climb out of Cluse Hey bottom

Looking back after climb to first summit on Southern boundary

Bowstonegate Farm can often be seen from Southern Greater Manchester area when the sun lights it up from the West

The spectacular ??? Stag House

Often searched for by people expecting a building due to it's indication on OS maps.

Looking down the Moor across Knightslow and Hampers Woods to the Cage

Sheep grazing in farmland adjacent to the Park over the boundary wall

route: Bowstonegate Farm entrance; Knightslow Wood; Drinkwater Meadow; Main Car Park; The Stables; Lyme Hall; Main Car Park

Pollution haze clearly visible as the afternoon temperature drops over Manchester and Cheshire

Red Deer Moor Herd

The deer thought the tractor was coming to the Winter Feed station and gathered from across the moor. Unfortunately for them, the tractor was actually delivering fence sections to secure a boundary wall collapse and went right past.