Morning light shining on Butterow

I woke far too early before the sun rose, so I went to make tea and feed Bomble whilst listening to the gloomy radio news. When I did re-surface after enjoying my cuppa, the sun's rays were cresting over the north side of the valley, giving Butterow and its residents their early morning dose of light.

When we moved here, I was very certain that I wanted to be on this side of the valley, so that we would enjoy sunshine all day. Butterow is shaded after midday. Some houses in winter hardly ever have direct sunlight in winter. Brrrrr. The village has evolved along the spring line halfway up the hillside, where the water percolates through the limestone until it reaches the bands of clayey strata and oozes out of the earth as springs.

Above the houses, mostly built since 1800, the trees mostly reflect the very steep slopes, and become more scattered. The open cleared land is Rodborough Common, grazed by cows for much of the year according to the old traditional commoner's rights. There was also an Iron age camp just at the top of the slope, overlooking the five valleys and the Severn Vale.

I am away for a couple of weeks so won't probably be blipping as often as I'd like. I may well be visiting other blippers in the meantime. See you soon.