A swan on its nest nurturing its eggs

I visited another couple of mills – Lodgemore and Fromehall – for a walk with my camera. Now the weather is more springlike it is a real pleasure to be out in natural settings again.

Lodgemore Mill is the only remaining working mill in the Stroud valleys. At one time in the nineteenth century there were at least fifteen still in business in the Golden Valley alone. I collared a man walking between the buildings and he told me they were very busy. Their main products are now the smooth baize cloth for snooker tables and a different cloth for tennis balls, which for them is a global business.

The swan was on the former mill pond which would have fed the water wheels of Fromehall Mill. There is an island in the middle of the pond which keeps the swans' nest safe from predation by foxes. This swan's partner was swimming and feeding in the relatively shallow water of the pond which is sadly getting silted up.