A Walk in the Snow

It snowed here last week, which was annoying (because, hello, where is Spring? I want it to be Spring, please!) but also rather gorgeous.

I popped out to take "a few photos" and ended up going for a three and a half hour walk, taking rather more than a few photos along the way...

The beach itself wasn't covered in snow (unlike earlier in the month when the Beast from the East brought us LOTS of snow and a blast of very cold temperatures), but enough had settled on the benches and fences and bushes along the beach to make everything very picturesque.

I love the lines of snow clinging to these poles...

... and how the sand dunes looked like iced gingerbread.

 

There's a steep footpath that leads up from the beach and down through the golf course on the other side. I couldn't resist walking up it to take a peek at the snow-covered course.

Can you spot the Old Church of St Nicholas on the hill in the distance?

Then I carefully clambered back down the path (to the great fascination of a passing dog which was amazed that a person had magically just appeared on the beach) and walked further up the beach and down Beach Road towards Uphill village and the boatyard.

The road should have been closed that day for the local half marathon, but the organisers had taken the sensible decision to cancel due to the weather!

My winter shoes were lovely and cosy, but I wish I'd brought wellingtons so I could have braved the muddy paths around the boatyard. I went this far and no further, retracing my steps back to the road.

Uphill hill was looking almost other-worldly in the snow, a bleak but beautiful landscape of white and brown and grey.

I followed the path up through the nature reserve, past groups of kids on sledges and people out walking their dogs (both dogs and people wrapped up warm against the cold).

I love how transformative snow is - making the ordinary extraordinary, at once concealing and revealing.

 

After all that walking (and taking my gloves on and off so I could take photos with my smartphone) it was definitely time for a cup of hot chocolate at the boatyard cafe (yum) then to head home and get warm!

You might also enjoy my walk in the fog, and to see how different the nature reserve looks in May.   

A Sunday Walk: Walborough Nature Reserve

Since moving to Somerset, I've been going for a lot of walks. I used to do a lot of walking on my Nice Days Out but I rarely just went for a walk, the walking was a thing that happened while journeying from A to B or exploring a new and interesting place.

I've been sharing photos from some of my recent walks over on Instagram, but I thought it might be nice to occasionally share a few special walks with you guys here on my blog... starting with yesterday's outing to Walborough.

Just south of Weston-super-Mare you'll find the village of Uphill, Uphill Hill itself and Walborough Nature Reserve.

With it being a sunny Bank Holiday weekend, there were a lot of people out walking and cycling along the main path through the reserve.

 

 

Little kids on cycles and scooters, people sitting on benches and watching the cattle, dogs sniffing and yapping at each other, strangers opening gates for each other and saying polite "hello!"s as they passed by, and everyone in agreement that the guy climbing this rock face was "utterly bonkers".

This time of year is so gorgeous, all that lush green abundance bursting forth. 

 

 

I got a little sunburned but it was totally worth it.

I walked back to Weston via Uphill Village, which is really very charming. I especially love this row of cottages, which makes me want to go buy a tub of Neapolitan ice cream! The house with the yellow doors always has a seasonal wreath on the door - it's so nice seeing it change through the year.

 

At the edge of the village is my new dream house, aka the gatehouse of Uphill Manor (which sadly suffered a major fire last year), and Donkey Field. A few weeks ago the field was full of bluebells, but now it's a sea of long grasses and buttercups. So lovely!

For lots more pics from Weston-super-Mare and its environs, check out my Instagram: Weston-super-Magic.