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