Cley Hill (from over the barley field)

Cley hill, west of Warminster, Wiltshire, at 244m above sea level, stands up out like a sore thumb, especially considering the immediate surrounding area is about half that. I had been up the hill when I first bought my first digital SLR, almost five years ago and guessed it was high time I returned.

Considering that this was the last day forecast of bright dry and hot weather (thunder and rain coming in overnight) I was keen to get out early, not relishing the 4 mile walk each way from Warminster rail station in 30+ degree heat, that came later.

So left home at 6.30, this taken two hours later, on the way up the hill. There are a few poppies, here appearing black, in the growing barley. I was following a public footpath that just petered out, ending up in the middle of this field. The light was quite misty, with lots of haze, the polariser on the Tamron SP 17-50mm f2.8 helping, then lots of selective added contrast after the black and white conversion.

Cley Hill is a natural hill, of chalk, that has been an iron age fort, has old agricultural strips carved into the slopes and chalk has been mined from one face. A large burial mound can be found on top. Six species of orchids grow there now. I shared my picnic spot on the top with a herd of cows. (I hope they appreciated the glorious 360 degree view! The National Trust now manage the site.

Look at the hill in LARGE