Blaise Castle Walk

Last week I wrote of my walk to Canford Park and WEstbury on Trym from my sister's  house in Southmead in Bristol. Well, I didn't stop there.

I carried on walking, along a main road and a sharp did, and found myself on what I hoped would be a walk up to Blaise Castle, a feature I'd seen on a map but had no idea what was there.

As it turned out, it was a long, sticky walk along a path along the Hollow Beck, where children damned the stream and the occasional algae filled pond opened up beneath stone bridges.

The stream was at the bottom of a gorge, and high above rock walls stood vertical, lit by late afternoon sun. If there was a castle it was well hidden for sure.

I kept going, passing families out on bicycles and on foot; the path began to spiral.

I'd more or less given up finding anything when abruptly the route opened up onto an open field filled with people enjoying themselves, a cafe, playground and museum.

A crenellated tower was just visible above a stand of very tall trees, but when I tried to walk up to the castle I could find no route. Bugger that, I thought, and had a cup of tea amongst everyone enjoying the warm sun.

It isn't even a real castle - it's a folly!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.08.19

Barrows of the Dead in Bristol

I've just had a few days in Bristol with my sister, which was very nice even if the getting to and getting back were two similar, but totally different nightmares, with public transport. 16 plus hours travelling in total.

But, the company was worth it! My sister has a nice little house, two beautiful cats, and Bristol is a very green minded city where it is actually council policy to remove roses and such flowers from public parks and replace them with pollinator friendly species.

Two such parks / reserves were within decent walking distance of my sister's place. Badock's Wood, which I visited on Wednesday, is a nature reserve with an added extra - a bronze age burial tumulus, the sort of thing I've never been able to get close to before.

It's hardly Silbury Hill, but the fact that there is a 3500 year old tomb in suburban Bristol is quite mindblowing to me! There's a short horror film begging to me made about this I reckon, and I might well write it.

Thursday I took myself on a much longer walk to Westbury on Trym, there to visit  Canford Park, a Victorian era public space with an antique water fountain, a pond that looks like it's empty but put bread in and goldfish go on the rampage. Here were also dragonflies and butterflies on those pollinator friendly plants, but I didn't stop here, I went further...

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.08.19

Obvious Bristol Tourist Shots are Obvious

It wasn't all rock and roll and uncooperative gorillas when I was in Bristol.

I did take the opportunity to head up to Clifton Downs to take in views of the suspension bridge on the Saturday pre-gig, to enjoy the views, take the obvious photographs and enjoy all the people using the public open spaces.

It is a wonderful city filled with interesting sights and people; alas like all such cities it isn't exactly cheap to live there. However, by coach it is cheap enough to get there for visits!

BTW I got fed up with my old Chromebook and today bought this new one for £99 thanks to an offer through work!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 24.04.19

Woo-Hoo - Bristol Zoo

So I have had an exciting weekend away visiting my sister, in a warm, sunny and very hip Bristol.

One of the conditions for my visit was that I was allowed to treat her to a visit to Bristol Zoo, a conservation zoo founded over 150 years ago and located down the hill - a long way down the hill as it turned out - from Clifton Suspension Bridge of which more later.

It was a very hot day, and this tended to make the animals rather torpid although I don't think the pride of place two asiatic lions needed much of an excuse to flake out, to be honest.

It's a long time since I've been to a zoo - probably over 20 years at least, and things have changed greatly in this time. Bristol Zoo is no longer about having the big marquee animals like elephants, big cats and other mega-fauna, but rather perhaps less glamorous species in need of conservation. Animals are sourced from rescues or other collections, no longer the wild, and the rarest creature in the place is a species of snail now classed as extinct.

However, that isn't to say there aren't some very striking animals present, and on a hot day like Easter Sunday all manner of of families were out there to see them, followed by crowds of jackdaws looking out for dropped beefburgers.

The highiight for both me and my sister was probably the penguin and seal enclosures. The penguin enclosure has a number of african penguins pottering about, but also a squadron of stunning black and grey terns that swoop around your head screaming.

We met the seals just in time for tea-time. At the sound of a whistle all 4 of these beautiful creatures stopped swimming and leapt 5 feet out of the water onto their appointed rocks, to be given mackerel in exchange for performing moves that while keeping the crowd entertained - diving, spinning on the spot, raising fins or barking - enable their keepers to assess the health of the animal.

Sentimental visitors would have enjoyed the fact that the lemurs and the golden lion tamarinds had babies. No weepies or cooing from me though, I'm made of sterner stuff. Indeed my favourite individual animal was the big silverback gorilla, who sat with his back to the visitors and deliberately refused to allow any photo opportunities of his face. My spirit animal!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.04.19