now you see it...

The big field around our house is being sprayed with slurry just now, so I decided to walk in the opposite direction this morning. This is the edge of our neighbour's garden and the green lawn is where a large Victorian mansion once stood, built in 1864 and demolished just over 100 years later, replaced with a modern house behind the trees.

The old railway sleepers and the ditch in front of them form a landscaping feature known as a ha-ha. In former days, the fence would not have existed, and from the big house there would have been an uninterrupted view over the fields and down the valley.

In the 1870s the owner of the house planted a fine collection of trees including Japanese cedars, monkey puzzles, Wellingtonias, the rare Spanish fir, chestnuts, oaks and yews. One of the redwoods is now almost 60m high. Before Covid times, the gardens were open once a year under the Scotand's Garden scheme.

Bivvy night tonight :-)

Today's walk - around the fields, close to home. 3.1 miles, sunny and mild.