As I went a-walking one morning in Spring

In half term as well as heading to the Big Smoke I tried to get out and do some walking too. The prospect of the 30 mile hike at the end of the year is enough to try to get some practice in!
It's nice to get out and see that signs of spring are around if you look hard enough.
Most of our dog walks are from our house but when we have a bit more time we like to explore around where we live. This walk was from a village less than ten minutes away from our house but one we don't ever have cause to go to.

Will have to come back here in the autumn- look at all the hazel catkins!

It was mostly across farmland, with lots of interesting trees. The catkins on the alder were still an amazing shade of purple (but my photo of them swaying in the breeze was just a blur) and the hazel catkins were everywhere.

Hazel catkins

Willow tree

with a wild rose growing out of the trunk

After walking along a farm track you enter the grounds of the local estate.
Lots and lots of snowdrops and by the look of things there'll be bluebells in a couple of months.

snowdrops...

...and wood aconites

You then enter the parkland proper

Over little bridges and past waterfalls...

until you feel as though you're trespassing.

An island on the lake

Walled garden envy

The brown patches on the far side of the lake are rushes (I think) and gunnera so it will look fabulous later in the year.
We were virtually back to the car now, just through a tiny church yard and then back home for tea and biscuits. Mabel was on the walk, incidentally, but she is always 2 feet behind me as I clearly look as though I may get lost if she doesn't shepherd me along.