Exploring Our Surrounds

Today pulled our wellington boots on, grabbed our cameras and walked across the fields behind our house to explore and enjoy our first proper autumn walk. It wasn't a 'nature walk' as such but inevitably we end up collecting natural treasures along the way and today was no different.

We are lucky to have quite a few walks around us, many of the public footpaths cross over farmers fields. Some are full of cows so we carefully skirt the field without spooking them. I've heard some horror stories involving walkers and cows.

The styles that you see in some of the photographs are a common feature in the English countryside. I had never seen one until we moved here, they were in all my childhood stories though. I remember the absolute delight I felt upon seeing my very first one when we moved here nearly 8 years ago. Funny how something so small and insignificant and bring delight.

The church pictured below can be seen from our living room window. It's about two, maybe three farmers fields away. We could see a small country church from our home in Chesterfield, which eventually became our home church. I don't think this lovely little church will become our home church though but we really wanted to walk around the churchyard and have a peek. Sadly the actual church was all locked up.

There was an amazingly beautiful Horse Chestnut tree in the churchyard. The ground was littered with leaves and conkers. We collected a good lot and popped them into a glass vase that is now sitting on my Welsh Dresser.

These days we tend to display our nature finds casually around the home rather than have a formal nature table display. A vase of hawthorn and twigs of rose hips, a hurricane vase filled with conkers. That sort of thing.

What is it about conkers that brings delight to even an adults heart? I think it is the childhood memories of autumn days spent engaged in conker wars in the schoolyard. 

In the UK we still have conker championships and festivals that are well patronised and enjoyed by children and adults alike. Isn't it wonderful how this small fruit of a rather majestic tree seems to be such an important part of the culture of this country?

After exploring the churchyard we headed back home. We got caught in a rain shower which is always fun when out on a walk. We met our farmer landlord on our return, he was telling us that there are quite a few good walks surrounding us and that he has a book of them all somewhere which he will dig out and give to us. Isn't that kind of him?

Even though it wasn't an official 'nature walk' it seemed to have inspired my girls to get out there nature journals and paint some of our finds. I love seeing them do that unprompted. Its been an age since I last worked in my own journal, I think I might get it out this week and follow my girls' example.

Have a lovely day everyone 😊