Compton: A Fine Day In Berkshire

Compton: A Fine Day In Berkshire
16 January 2000

Location	Compton, Berkshire, OS Explorer 170 (east). I walked northwards from Compton at the south edge of OS Explorer 170. At the Ridgeway I turned eastwards but then used the Berkshire Circular Route around Lowbury Hill and back towards the aptly named crossing Crows Foot and eventually Compton. The last part of the walk, past Crows Foot and all the way to the tunnel under the disused railway, was definitely the most enjoyable. Compared to the Chilterns or Devon this part of Berkshire is a bit bland. There, there is always something new around the next bend. In Berkshire, well, there just aren't that many bends.

Weather	It was even clearer this weekend than last. In many of the pictures it looks like it was very cold but it wasn't. To begin with the wind was a bit chilly but it warmed up, particularly in the sun.
Click on the images to see larger versions.

	The landscape in this part of Berkshire is pretty open and not very hilly. Still, I liked the way this copse nestled in the slight depression in the field.

The skeleton-like colour of an elder bush caught my attention. It shows up very well against the blue of the sky.

	When I took this picture I was thinking of calling it Moon Over The Ridgeway. It has such a romantic tone to it. Then I realised that this was on the much less glamorous sounding Berkshire Circular Route and that you can't even see the moon very well. Oh well, it's still a nice picture.

A very uncommon sight was this lonely fir tree. Firs are not what I associate with England but I noticed several fir groves on today's walk. One thing I like about firs is the way that sun and shade look on their bark.

	As I said earlier the Berkshire landscape is a bit on the bland side. It also has a quiet, dignified beauty that, unfortunately, is hard to capture with anything less than a panoramic camera. I hope this picture shows at least some of it.

I don't know the species of this tree but I liked the way it was outlined against the sky and the way the sun shines on its bark.

	The last part of the walk was between old, neglected hedgerows like these. It appealed much more to my curiosity than the earlier open areas. Just what will I find behind that bend?

This is what I found. A hazy view into the valley and to the ridge beyond. Worth waiting for, don't you think?