Winter Wonderland

Everything gets coated in thick ice to form weird and wonderful shapes. The frozen bubbles have to be my favourite.

Water runs continually out of the mill pond, through the pipe to drop down into the tail race. In the very cold weather, the dripping and splashing freezes - captured in time - to form the most amazing ice sculptures.

 Water drips from the roof and turns the grass below into glass-like strands.

Water Wheel in the Woods

A few weeks ago we set off for a bit of a walk. We hadn't intended to go far but, coming across a signposted bridleway, we thought we'd take it and, hopefully, end up cutting a corner and so make a good circular route. Down a hill, through a gate (and lots of wet and mud) and then another gate....lots of undergrowth....ford a stream...and then no sign of the path whatsoever. But! We then spotted this grand little waterwheel:

Sitting in a pit, the water supply would have come from above (overshot) and run away on down a bit of a slope to the stream. Just beyond the wheel is a cottage and a group of outbuildings and the marks of a trackway through the woods. But still no sign of the path we wanted. At that moment, someone drove up to the cottage. We asked the way, but were met with dire warnings about trying to use any footpath or bridleway - turn back, we were advised, or the local farmers would come after us!