Grinshill walk March 2013

Signs of Spring?

After several months of very enjoyable walks led by the Baschurch Saturday walking group, we took to the lanes and fields around Yorton and Clive.  We met up at the Black Birches car park next to the Country Garden Plant Centre and after a shaky start – retrieving one of the party lost in Harmer Hill – soon set off down a lane lined with snowdrops towards Grinshill.  Although it was a mild day there were not many signs of Spring yet, in contrast with March last year which was unseasonably hot, but we spotted a few primroses, violets and celandine in the hedgerows. 

On reaching Grinshill we left the country lanes and headed up the hill on a muddy track and then came down again through woodland into Clive.  From here we took field footpaths back to Yorton, admiring some beautiful mares with their foals on the way, and then again took the side roads back to Black Birches.  We rounded off our morning with a very welcome lunch sitting in the sunshine at the Plant Centre coffee shop, trying our hardest to ignore the half price roses and tempting pots on sale.  As the last of us got into our cars to come home, the heavens opened and the hail poured down, followed by several hours of snow! 

All in all a very pleasant morning.  (Thanks to Dot for the photo!)