Swan Song

Another lousy sermon!

From the Boss: This picture was taken many years ago when there was a pair of swans living on the pond beside the church.

Another dew pond

And I won't go into this one either!

From the Boss: This dew pond is fairly new, having been made only within the last ten years, and is lined with plastic sheeting. It is quite near the Roman camp and at the top of Wild Park.

From the Roman Camp

Yesterday afternoon the Boss took me across 39 Acre field and round the Roman Camp - one of my favourite walks.

From the Boss: This is looking almost due west across Patcham. In the middle distance, just right of centre, is a windmill which, although it doesn't look it, actually stands at the top of a hill. It was originally built in the village at the bottom of the hill and when relocated it was pulled up the hill by oxen.

Signs of spring

Despite all the snow, ice and frost, Mother Nature seems to think that spring won't be long in coming.

Christmas trees

I got quite a surprise when we went to Stanmer again this afternoon. Somebody had decorated several trees for Christmas.

Before the snow

One of the lilac bushes was trying its hardest to bloom before the snow arrived. Now the flowers are all brown and shrivelled.

I must make sure...

...I don't lose the new ball Father Christmas brought me.

The path home

Through the gate, across the road, then follow the signpost.

The gate

After the stile, we cross the fields and go through the woods, coming out at the gate to the Upper Lodges of Stanmer Park.

The stile

On the way home the Boss goes over, I go under.

The dew pond

I wouldn't go into this in the summer so I'm blowed if I will now!

Red, white and blue

Still in Withdean as we can't get to Stanmer. I hope the birds like their food extra cold.

Not Stanmer

This isn't Stanmer woods, but Withdean park where we walk in the mornings. The Boss says that we won't be going to Stanmer until the roads are clear of snow and ice, but I'm quite happy with this.

Not all is mud

Off the paths and under the trees there is a two-inch thick carpet of cleaner leaves.

Still muddy

Given the state of the paths in the woods it's really no wonder that I come back covered in leaves, sticks and all sorts of other bits and pieces. But I do enjoy my walks.

I'm back!

The Boss picked me up from kennels yesterday and this afternoon we went back into Stanmer woods as the ground is pretty solid in the cold weather. He forgot to take his camera, so here is a picture from when the weather was warmer and people were picnicking by the church.

On to the cotoneaster

Now that the berries on the rowan tree have been eaten, the birds are moving on to the cotoneaster, like the immature blackbird in the shot below.

The Boss was right

The birds have had a feast off the rowan tree.

It's a memorial

And someone's eaten the head of that turtle, or tortoise, or whatever it was supposed to be.







From the Boss: The memorial has been there for more than 200 years and is certainly in need of some TLC. The inscription reads, "To the memory or Frederick Frankland, Esq: MP: Died March the 8th 1768 aged 73. This monument is erected by his ever affectionate and most truly grateful son and daughter Thomas Lord Pelham and Ann his wife June 1776." Note that despite his proclamation of affection and gratitude, it took his Lordship no less than eight years to erect the memorial!

What's that?

That thing up there on the edge of the woods. Let's go and have a look.

Heading north

At least there's plenty of room to chase my ball.

From the Boss: Continuing northwards from the mulberry trees, we catch the first glimpse of the village as we breast a rise - the chimneys of Stanmer House and the church tower.

The first frost of the winter

I love frosty mornings. There are loads of different smells, like on this ivy.

Round and round the mulberry tree

From the Boss: A little further into the park we come across this group of trees planted in rough grass at the edge of the wood. I'm sure I read somewhere that they are mulberry trees, but I don't know enough to be sure.

A closer look

From the Boss: Stanmer park and woods are used each year as the venue for horse driving trials and these posts are a permanent fixture as one of the obstacles the drivers have to drive their carriages through.

Towards the woods

Look, Boss, the woods are just up there. Can't we go there today?

From the Boss: Looking towards the woods - in the opposite direction to yesterday's picture. Could those be tree guards? We'll take a closer look tomorrow.

Under the spreading chestnut tree

It's just not the same having trees all spread out. I do like being able to snuffle through the woods.

From the Boss: As we go further into the park towards Stanmer village, we pass this chestnut tree with its spreading branch.

I lost my ball in the long grass yesterday and even though I'm supposed to be a sniffer dog it took me ages to find it again. The Boss said the exercise was good for me but he just stood and watched.

From the Boss: Looking a bit further east again. The white gate lodge on the left is at the entrance to the park and was on the right of yesterday's picture. The buildings on the far slope are Brighton University (as opposed to the University of Sussex which we saw two days ago). The white spots on the football pitch (right foreground) are gulls.

On the grass again

I'm still not allowed in the woods, even though the sun is shining. The Boss says it will take a few days without any rain for the paths to get dry enough.

From the Boss: This picture was taken from the same spot as yesterday's but looks a little more to the east. The construction site is the new stadium for Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

"If you go down to the woods today"

The Boss has said that we can't go to the woods for a while as it's too muddy and I get in a dreadful state, so this afternoon we went to the grassy part of Stanmer park.

From the Boss: This picture shows the buildings of the University of Sussex which nestle in a downland valley between Stanmer and Falmer. The buildings were designed by Sir Basil Spence, who also designed the "new" Coventry Cathedral.

The bottle tree

Now there's a thing! I've never seen those growing on a tree before.

Winter wheat

Earlier this month, we drove to Falmer, the next village along from Stanmer, and went across the Downs from there. The winter wheat was already starting to show.

How did that happen?

This old yew tree seems to be a bit warped and twisted.

Wot, no picnics?

The Boss doesn't often bring me down into this part of the park in the summer. He say's there are too many picnics, but can you have too many picnics, I wonder?

From the Boss: This picture was taken a few weeks ago, which is why it all looks so green. It's far too rainy today to take pictures in the park.

Not guilty

Someone has been painting my initial on trees - and it wasn't me! Most of them are in red, but this one is a very fetching shade of pink. The boss says that all these trees are dead and are marked to be felled.

Bracken

Bracken. That would be a good name for him if I had a brother.

Rather surprising that the bracken has not yet started to turn to brown. I'm also a bit surprised to find it in Stanmer woods as they are, I always thought, on chalky ground and I didn't think bracken liked chalk. But I'm not a naturalist, so what do I know?

Moles

After the 1987 storm, somebody carved a fallen tree into a family of moles. They are looking a little the worse for wear now.

Reflections

The church reflected in a window of Stanmer House.

I'm off to kennels soon - back in a week.

Cottages in the village

All the cottages in the village are built with flint, a popular building material on the chalklands. Nasturtiums still in bloom even this late in the year.

Hello?

Anyone at home?

Mine!

It's mine! I'll catch it!

Cottage door

Do click on the picture for a closer look at the sign.

Stanmer House door

The Boss says the red carpet isn't for me and I must keep my muddy paws off it.

November theme day - doorways. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

From 39 acre field

I like 39 Acres as much as Stanmer woods, and the Boss enjoys the views. This is looking east across the valley of Wild Park with a corner of Stanmer woods just above the houses on the left. Beyond are the buildings of Sussex University and the two white buildings on the horizon top left are what remains of the buildings of the old Lewes race course. The main road is the A27 Brighton to Lewes road, and the buildings to the right of the crane are Brighton University. The crane is being used on the construction of the new stadium for Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club. One of the stands is well under way. The white marks in the hillside behind Brighton University are chalk pits at Lewes, several miles away.

Wow! A man-made tree!

But the real things look better.

It's good to have a friend

From the Boss: Not one of my grandchildren, but the son of another dog walker.

After the storm

The storm was actually long before my time, but I have heard about it. This tree was broken by the storm and the stump has been carved into an armchair.

From the Boss: The storm was the Great Storm of October 1987, the worst storm to hit the British Isles since 1703.

Stanmer church

I wasn't particularly happy about it, but the Boss wanted to take another picture of the church so I went along with him.

Flying a kite

What is the point of doing that? I can chase a ball, but a kite? That's worse than chasing magpies!