The Hodder Valley

For someone who loves the countryside so much, I live a remarkably urban life. So a day like today is very welcome.

And it has had some key ingredients. 

One of my favourite locations in the North-West - the Whitewell Estate in Bowland, owned by the Duchy of Lancaster (the Queen).

One of my favourite public houses for lunch - the Inn at Whitewell (also owner by Her Majesty). More inaccessible than it used to be, as a landslip last November  has blocked the road so we had to follow a diversionary route.

Great walking country, although we had to abandon our idea of crossing the stepping stones across the river by the Inn, as the Hodder was too high. The fields are still sodden, so all the young lambs will have very wet feet.

And those great sounds of early spring - lapwings peewitting, oyster catchers perpetually sounding excited,  and curlews rising in the air and trilling magically.

Oh - and our first swallows of the year. No sand martins - I think they've got a job to do repairing their burrows, once the sandy banks of the river dry out a bit.