Today's walk was in Coed Tamsin (Tamsin's Wood), named after Bob and Felicia's daughter Tamsin who was tragically killed in a car accident many years ago. Bob has been nurturing the biodiversity of these woods for the benefit of nature as a whole but also for therapy for people and up until a few years ago when he began having problems with his sight he worked as a master wood worker.
Within the shelter of the trees and the sun shining overhead it was lovely and warm as we began our walk. Later the clouds rolled in, it got colder and there were even some short showers.
Although I didn't take any photos that show them clearly the bluebells had begun flowering along with the wood anemones while in the more open spaces the celandines were shining brightly in the sun. Overhead the woods were filled with the sound of birdsong.
It's always interesting walking with Bob as he is so knowledgeable about trees in general and the plants in his woodland in particular. The hornbeam (below) has grown in this odd table top shape as a result of being shaded by the canopy of trees above. Bob thought he was going to lose the tree when rabbits stripped all the bark from the trunk but remarkably a fuzzy growth appeared and eventually the bark regrew.
We ate our lunch in the clearing by the wood workshops before walking around another part of the wood. Then of course we had to go and look around Felicia's beautiful woodland garden (photos tomorrow). By that time it was getting late so I declined the offer of a cuppa in order to rush home just in time to rescue my work trousers that were getting rained on on the washing line.
On the walk we came across badger paw prints in the muddy path and a little way further there was the entrance to the badger sett, or possibly the home of mutant giant rabbits.
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