Late October view of Goodrich

Coppett Hill is an area of common land above the Herefordshire village of Goodrich. It is owned and managed by a Trust of local people that bought the land in 1985. On a recent walk we looked down from near the summit (201m, 659 feet) at the rabbit-cropped grass, over the autumn-brown bracken to the houses and church below and then across the south Herefordshire countryside. The ploughed fields, pastures and the fast-appearing winter wheat framed by green, brown and yellow hedges and trees told the story the advancing season, as did the showers and intermittent sun that dogged our brief walk.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Woodland track

Currently the woodland track that crosses Coppett Hill, above Goodrich in Herefordshire, is bordered with bluebells. At least that is the case in the areas where the trees are well-spaced and sufficient light has penetrated to the grass below. In these parts it has something of the character of heathland with the occasional hawthorn so heavily laden with blossom it almost looks like there has been a recent snowfall. I grew up in the Yorkshire Dales where "bluebell woods" were known and celebrated. In the part of the Marches where I now reside bluebells are more widespread and even give areas of open grassland a blue hue, as was the case a couple of weeks ago when we ascended May Hill in Gloucestershire.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100