.Newtown - ancient village on the estuary

So there is this place. It's kind of old and off the system. In medieval times it was apparently prosperous; an important port. Important enough for the French to once invade it and for it once to send two MPs to parliament. Now it is a cluster of rather lovely old houses looking down across meadows towards a salt marsh, the remains of a harbour and some crumbling salt-pans. Oh and there are some bird hides.

It's called Newtown (like many other places - but this is the one on the Isle of Wight) and it is rather unworldy and rather special. Old woodlands here run to the sea, with ancient oak trees warped into wonderful shapes. Here birds sing and red squirrels hide and this Springtime bluebells battle with wood anemones for attention.

View of the old harbour

Shelducks

seahorse weather-vain

the flowers of the horse chestnut 

and a flowering cherry

the old town hall

And three landscapes - a view of the estuary, where oaks meet the sea and a carpet of bluebells.

Walking the Way of the Blackthorn.

The blackthorn is a feature of the English countryside in Spring. Its confetti of  blossom arrives early and it flowers before it sets its leaves. Compare with the hawthorn where flowers follow leaves.

A little corner of countryside close to Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. 

Catkins on the English Oak 

blackbird in the wild cherry

and this is somewhere else - more of this another day.

Where jackdaws nest.

There is an ancient church, St Cyriac's, (14th century) in the famously picturesque Wiltshire village of Lacock.

Its gargoyles have almost crumbled away but there is enough left for at least two of them to be adopted by Jackdaws as safe little basins in which to make nests.





In the photos the Jackdaws seem to be lining their nests with sheep's wool.

Grammars Wood and the Long Stone

On the trail of bluebells and red squirrels! 

First, a woodland walk on the flank of a down.   

And here be bluebells:

The new leaves - wonderfully green
against the blue sky.

Then out onto the top of the down for a view to the south for the West Wight

And a view to the north towards Freshwater Bay and its chalky cliffs. The yellow gorse is already in full bloom. 

A solitary barn on the down.

And not far away is a sanctuary for red squirrels. A gate leads to a conifer dominated forest.

Not a red squirrel.

Handsome gorse.

Sadly no squirrels seen but here a couple of pine cones carefully opened to find the seeds hidden inside. 

Spring Spring Spring

Down in North Somerset the trees are starting to blush green and the Spring flowers are stretching up to face the increasingly warm sun.

Lesser celendines

And all the birds are getting busy!

Duck and daffs

a wren

Mallard pair

Action in the canal-boat themed nest box:

Blue tit in front of new home.