Tuesday 31 May 2016

Favourite Views

Continuing my series of "faves" from the past 5 years of "By Stargoose And Hanglands" here are some traditional and not-so-traditional landscape views. East Anglia, being fairly flat, has few spectacular and obvious viewpoints, but there are a few if you care to seek them out.

Very "English" scenery with green fields, hedges and gentle hills in the much-overlooked county of Hertfordshire, just north of London.

The Wash, a wide shallow sea inlet between Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Great for birdwatching, especially in winter.

Spring in the fenlands of Cambridgeshire - wide fields under even wider skies. The bright yellow line marking the horizon is a field of oil-seed rape or, as it's known elsewhere in the world, canola.

Winter on Grantchester Meadows, near to the village where I spent much of my life. Many come here during summer but few see this winter wonderland - that's just frost, not snow.

The wide horizons of the North Norfolk coast. I think this was near to the village of Stiffkey.

My present home is in the village of Meldreth, once a place of many orchards. There are still a few left and they look splendid in the springtime.

Dodging back up to Norfolk again, to Wells harbour. Wells is more corectly known as Wells-Next-The-Sea, which indeed it used to be. Changes in the coastline however now mean that it should be called Wells-A-Good-Half-A-Mile's-Walk-And-Even-Further-If-The-Tide's-Out-From-The-Sea.

The shady, mysterious course of the River Cam near to Byron's Pool, a little upstream from Grantchester Meadows, but perfectly in keeping with the lyrics of the Pink Floyd song Grantchester Meadows:
A river of green
is sliding unseen
beneath the trees
laughing as it passes
through the endless summer
making for the seas.
   

Real English countryside that John Constable would recognise, though this is Hertfordshire once again not his stomping-ground in Suffolk.


The road less travelled - a minor by-way near the little town of Sandy.


Take care.





16 comments:

  1. Hi John - wonderful and so so English .. just as the rain is teeming down here on this last day of May .. typical British weather.

    Stunning photos - cheers Hilary

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  2. Wonderful and highly enjoyable series.

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  3. All lovely views but the one of Grantchester Meadows in winter is really beautiful.
    Wells-A-Good-Half-A-Mile's-Walk-And-Even-Further-If-The-Tide's-Out-From-The-Sea really made me laugh:)

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  4. Some areas look so much like this island of Prince Edward. Every scene is beautiful!

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  5. Those are some excellent photos!

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  6. You've picked a view of the Wash where somehow there are no wind turbines!

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  7. I am very partial to that wide view of the Wash John. All beautiful though.

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  8. I am enjoying your series, first the beasties and now your favorite views. What's next? We wait...

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  9. Such beautiful views you have shared here with us.

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  10. Some great photos, I especially love the frosty, winter scene!

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  11. As a passionate lover of the English countryside (I do long-distance walking there quite frequently), I truly love these images, John. By the way, I discovered your site through my friend Pat's blog, "The Weaver of Grass," and decided to check it out. Glad I did.

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  12. Beautiful photos John! My favorite is the Winter on Grantchester Meadows.

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  13. Nice memories of wonderful places. Real English countryside looks exactly like some of our country sides. Great pictures!

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  14. I love the countryside, and your photos do it proud John. I also thoroughly enjoyed your Favourite Beasties, all of them are beautiful, but the cat surrounded by cow parsley is a gem.

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  15. So incredibly beautiful. I've only seen a tiny bit of this, and even that stunned me.

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