Walking East Stoke's lanes this April

May 21, 2024

Well this month we doubled our ventures out around the village’s lanes, which sounds grand but in reality it’s easy to double a single walk isn’t it? This month we headed out along our old favourite Moor Lane but also along Church Lane and down to the River Trent. I’m not even sure I can put this down to the weather entirely either, but maybe Easter at the start of the month was a contributing factor. It is sadly another month without a visit to the Red Gutter, but when we get there again I know it’ll be worth it.

So let’s head out, shall we - let’s start by heading down to the river past the fabulous brick wall of East Stoke Hall and looking across to the new lambs, who also seemed intrigued by me, and were no doubt planning some high jinx if they’re anything like the ones closer to the main road and bus stop who regularly escape their field, for fun.

Ferns starting to unfurl their new growth - but growing out of a brick wall — CHURCH LANE

Looking up to two lambs in their field through a gap in the hedgerow — CHURCH LANE

It’s great to see the lambs in the fields around the village, and to hear them bleat throughout the day and usually as we go to bed too - it’s something I’ve never experienced before, and something I hope to never tire of either.

It had been raining before we set out down Church Lane and so we weren’t sure if we’d make it along to the Red Gutter or not (not a spoiler - we didn’t) but instead we headed down to the Trent as we were both keen to see just how wet, muddy and squelchy it was down there or how well it had recovered from the flooding.

looking down church lane with the trees and hedgerows in leaf and few muddy puddles ahead — CHURCH LANE

Looking across the field next to the Red Gutter path - with a cloudy sky above — CHURCH LANE

heading towards the trent - white clouds and blue sky above and a single tree in the centre of the picture — CHURCH LANE

And along the way we enjoyed seeing the hedgerows and verges springing back to life, these pink and most likely weeds were a cheery sight.

Almost reaching the river the grass has returned and is looking very lush - the pub on the opposite side of the river is just visible in the distance — AT THE END OF CHURCH LANE

Once we reached the end of the lane it was so good to see how the river path was recovering - the vegetation looked so lush, as you’d expect with the amount of water that had been there only a couple of months before.

lush green vegetation closer to the river's edge- which had previously been under water/flooded — ALONGSIDE THE RIVER TRENT

I’m not sure we’ve spotted this little jetty before - I think since I started this series of posts at the start of the year we haven’t got anywhere close to the river’s true edge, so it was good to see things at more normal levels.

The views walking down towards the Trent are fantastic, but then once you get there and turn back, the views are even more spectacular - I’m sure that once the river path is drier and more walkable for this mud-adverse and less than hardy walker, these will be something I’ll miss, so I’ll need to remind myself to turn around and look back at where we came from.

I did also walk to the bridge on Moor Lane this month - not the bridge over the A46 in this photo, the smaller one at the end of this series of photos! Last month I was pleased to see daffodils growing in the wild, well just imagine my joy when I spotted this row of almost flowering tulips growing in the verge.

They were joined by plenty of flowering dandelions and the start of the cow parsley too.

There was also plenty of new growth on the freshly laid hedging, which was good to see. There was still plenty of evidence of mud along the lane, and the tractor’s tyre tracks were a good example of how things are continuing to dry out, slowly.

I’ll end with two of my favourite views from Moor Lane - though I was surprised to see that the trees in the photo above were not yet in leaf, surely it can’t be long before they are?

From the brick bridge in Moor Lane, looking at the stream with sky and clouds reflected in it and yellow crops in the field on the left — MOOR LANE

And the bridge - it’s a marker for our walks down this lane - but isn’t it good to see the sky and clouds reflected in the stream, and the yellow crop in the field on the left, it definitely feels more spring-like at last.

Walking East Stoke's Lanes this March

April 27, 2024

Two in a month - I’m getting back to my original planned schedule, well closer anyway. Though not wanting to get your hopes up too much when I looked back over my photos for March I saw there weren’t many. That’s an indication of the weather we had - in summary, rain, rain and more rain with quite a bit of wind thrown in too. None of which is conducive to pop out for a walk, but that’s how it is and it’s worth noting the weather too, and hoping that this time next year is more favourable.

It’s another month without a visit to the Red Gutter, and this month we didn’t even make it down to the Trent either. However, taking our chance with a break in the weather, and after another dismal weekend, we headed out on one Monday and one Saturday heading along Moor Lane on both occasions, so that’s where all of this month’s photos were taken.

That said, it was great to see the blossom appearing bringing with it hope that the seasons were changing, and that the rain and wind would stop at some point!

And there’s proof it didn’t rain the whole month, it just felt like it.

The hedgerows and some blue (cloudy) skies

We made it to the bridge in Moor Lane which there and back is a decent three miler, and taking about an hour is (or should be) relatively easy to fit into our days. I’m writing that to convince and remind myself that all of this is on my doorstep and it doesn’t take that long, so needn’t be a great expedition.

It was really good to see the water levels much lower than they had been, and I’m sure I’m not the only one to be pleased with this. I can’t imagine the aggravation and hassle that the weather this winter has brought to farmers and builders, and anyone who’s work is primarily based outside.

There were other signs that Spring was on its way, daffodils growing in the wild always bring a smile. In fact daffodils growing anywhere are guaranteed to raise a smile from me.

A clump of daffodils in the verge by the bench on Moor Lane

But the fencing that was laid previously wasn’t showing any sign of growth just yet, though I’m sure it’s early days and for the ones that were cut, I’m sure it’s been quite a shock so that will take some time to recover from. (Spoiler - they look different in next month’s instalment!)

Thanks for joining me this month, I’ll be back to sharing the next instalment around the third week of the month, but in the meantime if you enjoyed this post you may also like some previous series where I revisit the same place - there’s my year in Greenwich Park and remember that time when I followed a tree?

Walking East Stoke's lanes this February

April 2, 2024

What is it they say about best laid plans?

Yes, well here we are more than a month after my first post in this series and a bit later than intended, and a lot wetter than I’d like - so that meant we didn’t get to walk the Red Gutter at all this month.

Though we did get to walk along the bridleway to Elston for a fantastic Sunday lunch, so it’s not all bad. And as well as a roast spud or two (on my plate) there was lichen along the way, which is always a win for me!

Lichen filled branches overhanging the fence on the bridleway to Eltson

A carpet of early february snowdrops among small tree trunks — AN EARLY FEBRUARY CARPET OF SNOWDROPS

And just as we approached the village I spotted a carpet of early February snowdrops alongside us in a small wooded area. An absolute joy - in our London life we would spot some in the garden, but to see anything on this scale we’d need to take ourselves off to either a National Trust garden or a woodland a car journey away, so it was quite the treat.

still wet fields with a lot of surface water along Moor lane — FIELDS ALONGSIDE MOOR LANE

A lichen topped post with a ditch full of muddy water behind — MOOR LANE

In fact looking back to the view from the bridge in last month’s post, I think it’s higher - I told you it felt like it’d been a wet, wet month.

A cloudy sunset over a sodden field in Moor Lane — MOOR LANE

Later in the month we walked Moor Lane again and noticed some work in progress to lay hedging - I’m guessing this is a job that’s not done every year given the size of the trunks that have been cut and laid, and is a way of maintaining the land. Part way along willow had been weaved at the top of the stakes, which I’m sure brings strength and structure to the newly laid hedges.

This month we also walked turned off Moor Lane towards Thorpe walking along Main Street which brought a much welcomed pop of colour - which was much needed in a dull month.

the start of this year's valerian growing out of a brick wall in Thorpe — MAIN STREET

BLOSSOM - MOST LIKELY MIRABELLE — MAIN STREET

We walked through Thorpe and out the other side, turning around shortly after this photo of a not-so-recently fallen tree, which is clearly making the most of its new surroundings and outlook on life, something I’m sure many of us can relate to too!

AN UPTURNED TREE (NOT RECENT) AND ITS REGROWTH BEHIND A WOODEN FENCE

This month the skies have been large, they’ve been grey but increasingly blue in the breaks in the rain - and as the month went on, more and more blossom appeared in the hedgerows - it really is nature’s way of letting you know there’s something better around the corner isn’t it?

WHITE BLOSSOM ALONGSIDE THE A46 ON THE BRIDLEWAY TO ELSTON — MUCH PRETTIER THAN THE A46

This pretty white - and most likely blackthorn blossom - seemed to turn the hedgerows frothy as the month continued, and it’s way more prettier than a view of the A46 as we once again walked along the bridleway to Elston. I’m hoping for a drier few months ahead, I’ll let you know how that worked out soon…

It wasn’t until the end of the month that we walked down School Lane to the River Trent. And boy did we choose a spectacular day for that - pink blossom, blue skies and actual warmth from the sun. You could be fooled into thinking it really was spring, but I think it was most likely ‘fools spring’ as it didn’t last.

looking up to pink blossom and a deep blue sky — SCHOOL LANE

the curved brick wall on Church Lane bordering Stoke Hall — CHURCH LANE

A CLOUD REFLECTED IN THE NEWLY FORMED SECOND RIVER ALONGSIDE CHURCH LANE — CHURCH LANE - STILL A FIELD NOT THE RIVER TRENT (SURPRISINGLY)

The photos above taken just past the church on Church Lane show just how wet February was - these puddles - and that seems a complete under-description, are or were fields. Instead they looked as if a new river had formed a mile or so away from the Trent - but it was great to capture the cloud’s reflection in one of them.

The ditches alongside Church Lane were also still full, though slightly less photogenic.

ditches alongside Church Lane remain full of water — CHURCH LANE

Looking over towards Fiskerton this month it’s clear to see that the Trent has not yet returned to its previous course, and the water is even more inland than it was in January. I’m sure many people will be wondering when and if, it will.

Thanks for joining me this month, I’ll be sharing the next instalment around the third week of the month, but in the meantime if you enjoyed this post you may also like some previous series where I revisit the same place - there’s my year in Greenwich Park and remember that time when I followed a tree?