Getting to know the wildflowers of the Peak District
Whenever the camera and I set off on one of our Peak District Drive Time journeys together, I never usually know quite where we will end up, as in a nutshell, this project is all about personal discovery.
I am beginning to find it will be easier for me to try and write about my days out in a blog, which I’m hoping will eventually become incorporated in a website about my travels…I suppose this is all part of the learning process for me, and as the project develops then so will I, so please bear with me.
Yesterday was slightly different in as much as I knew before I left home that I was going to spend the day in search of wildflowers, well it’s a Bank Holiday weekend, and it seemed the perfect way to spend a quiet day with nature.
I take different routes up to the Peak District and yesterday I went via Middleton by Wirksworth where I stopped to take this photograph. I have always found it to be a welcoming sight, an invitation if you like, despite the fact that I’m actually leaving the village rather than just arriving.
Continuing on my journey it wasn’t long before I reached the turning for Stanton in the Peak. I have visited this hilltop village only once before and that was for a beer at The Flying Childers, a great traditional village pub with plenty of history, particularly in the name http://www.flyingchilders.com so it was nice to take a leisurely drive along the lanes this time, taking in some beautiful distant views on my route. I made a couple of stops for photos before having to make a decision whether to turn left or right. Left it was and as I slowly started to descend I spotted a lovely bank of trees…
I wanted to get closer so taking the road towards Rowsley I soon found myself parked by the side of it. I have to be honest and say I’m not sure whether I should have walked into the field or not, but the gate was open so I took my chances as I really couldn’t resist my findings…bluebells! I hadn’t seen them from the top lane but there they were, an absolute delight, so that was the next couple of hours taken care of!
Eventually after some 200 photographs later, I left this pretty new found location and headed for Peter’s Stone, Wardlow Mires, an area I was already familiar with and where I was first introduced to some particularly beautiful wildflowers of the Peak District. I have yet to photograph an orchid I feel completely happy with but it would be wrong of me not to include one from my day along with a personal favourite of mine, the cuckooflower.
Again I had parked within sight of my destination, where a short walk took me to a little dip in the landscape and these tiny but beautiful flowers. The occasional walker passed the time of day with me as I enjoyed a picnic and sat writing for a while, before finally putting my camera into action.
I decided to finish off my day with a drive to Froggatt Edge before starting to make my way home, as the light was beginning to fade.
So until the next time…
All my images were handheld and taken with my Panasonic Lumix G3.