We came upon this Birches Barn on a walk that took in the edge of the woodland near Ross on Wye known as Penyard Park. It has the characteristics of quite a few old barns I've seen in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire - two-storey, stone built, slate roof, full height doors on both long elevations. What was odd, however, were the two lean-to extensions and the fact that the pointing (and the roof and timber) looked quite recent. A little research suggests that the barn was part of an old farm site that had been the subject of a planning application (refused) to turn it into a dwelling. That could explain the work done on it. Barns such as these provide landscape interest and a tangible link to the past. It's good that some of them endure. Incidentally, the splash of blue on the wood edge is bluebells and the nearby white, ramsons, also known as wild garlic and stinking onions.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2
