Another Trip to the Country

 After a busy morning testing the waters, including some extra sampling at Belmont Pool where we tested a favourite duck/swan feeding spot for excess phosphate and ammonia (tl:dr both chemicals were present at high enough concentrations to be classified as polluting but it may not be the fault of poopin' wildfowl).

Photo 1: Popular Feeding Spot on Belmont Pool

One piece of good news was that all eight cygnets hatched this year by the resident pair of swans had survived, at least until now ...

Photo 2: One of Eight Surviving Cygnets, Belmont Pool

It was a warm, if overcast, day so we decided to spend the afternoon out in the glorious Herefordshire countryside. On this occasion, we plumped for Bringsty Common which is about a half-hour drive away. For lunch, we took some vegetarian sausages, a packet of mashed potatoes, some homemade pickled cucumber, and home-grown cherry tomatoes to cook in the campervan.

We parked in the small car park just off the Bromyard - Worcester Road and near the Gospel Oak Tree (Landmark ② in Figure 1).

 

Figure 1: Map of Bringsty Common

Photo 3: Gospel Oak Tree, Bringsty Common (1st October 2023)

Mary did a rough & ready estimate of the tree's girth (700 cm) and estimated the oak tree was around 350 years old. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any corroborative evidence to confirm its true age.

After lunch, we climbed up the hill to the Jubilee Monument and viewpoint (Landmark ① in Figure 1) ...

Photo 4: Panoramic View from Jubilee Hill, Bringsty Common

... with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the Malvern Hills in the distance ...

Photo 5: Malvern Hills from Bringsty Common

... with the Worcestershire (red dot) and Herefordshire (blue dot) Beacons marked. And Mary drawing the same scene ...

Photo 6: Mary Sketching View of the Malverns

Returning to the campervan, we crossed the A44 to reconnoitre the Walking with Elgar route and, on the off chance, spot a hobby; unlikely as they should all be on their way back to Africa. We will come back again to do this 4-mile walk when the hobbies are back.

Before leaving the common and returning home, we just had to have a look at The Live & Let Live Pub ...

Photo 7: The Live & Let Live Pub Sign on the A44

... which, unfortunately, is closed due to a family illness.

Just as we were leaving, Mary asked for a photo of some staddle stones circling the pub car park ...

Photo 8: Staddle Stones, Live & Let Live Pub

... which, after a quick clean-up with Magic Eraser, was ready for Mary to sketch and paint.

Photo 9: Staddle Stones w/o Modern Day Intrusions