Stepping Back in Time – Donnington Castle

Some black and white photos of Donnington Castle, near Newbury, taken in April when we visited.

Snelsmore Common and Donnington Castle

Yayoi and I went for yet another one of our weekend walks away from Windsor back in April – I’ve only now got round to writing about it, as work has been keeping my mind busy with other things.

We went on a roundtrip starting at Snelsmore Common near Newbury, over the A34 to Donnington Castle, and then followed the River Lambourne through some pretty villages before heading back into Snelsmore Common again.

Snelsmore Common is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), its importance being due to the wildlife inhabiting the common – ground-nesting birds, rugged heathland, and soggy bogs. It has been a country park since 1972 and has a load of Exmoor ponies roaming around!

Passing through Snelsmore Common – where it is very easy to get lost! – we headed towards Donnington Castle.

Donnington Castle was built in 1386 and famous for being involved in the Battle of Newbury and sieges during the English Civil War in the 17th Century.

There are some great views across the countryside and down to the River Lambourne from Donnington Castle. We followed the river back over the A34 and through some villages before returning to the car through Snelsmore Common once again.

It was really lovely walk and day out. Yayoi and I also managed to capture a few videos, which I will post soon.

Windsor – Long Walk, Pheasants, Deer, and Clouds in May

On 3rd May, another lovely Spring day took Yayoi and I out for a walk around our back garden of Windsor Great Park.

We ambled down the Long Walk within the Deer Park, taking photos as we went. As well as a few pheasant in the woods, we also took some photos of all the deer grouped together – we didn’t go any closer as they can be a bit dangerous at this time of year.

The sky was incredibly beautiful on that day and deserved some photos, too!

Peacocks in Windsor Great Park

Yayoi and I went for one of our walks in Windsor Great Park last Friday afternoon after work.

There were a lot of butterflies about, including the usual Cabbage White and a few Commas, but there was also an Orange Tip, which unfortunately didn’t stay still long enough for me to get a photo.

We did manage to capture these shots of a Peacock butterfly though.

More information about Peacock butterflies on the excellent UK Butterflies website.

Yayoi and I have also seen a couple of Blues flying around, but no identification and no photos yet…

On our little walk, we also came across this tiny cute rabbit.

And some tadpoles in the pond we often visit in Windsor Great Park.

A Walk along Jubilee River

The day after Yayoi’s birthday, we once again went out for a walk. It was glorious day. This time, we chose the Jubilee River, starting close to Eton Rowing Lake in Dorney, and running down towards Slough.

We had driven over the river past the The Pineapple pub in Dorney and on through Eton Wick to get home to Windsor many times, but this was the first time we stopped to walk along the banks.

Jubilee River was built in the late 1990s to act as an overflow from the River Thames, to prevent flooding in the towns nearby – Windsor, Eton, and Maidenhead. At the time, it was the second largest man-made river project in Europe.  Didn’t know that – thanks, Wikipedia!

Jubilee River is now a nature reserve and is home to a myriad of different species of birds and animals. There are also a number of hides for photographers or bird watchers to catch a glimpse of visiting species. Yayoi and I saw a few men with very nice cameras with large zooms. One day, I would like one of those!

We wandered down the river as far as Manor Farm Weir and back again.

Jubilee River is a really nice place to take a walk. They even have a boardwalk out into the middle of the river, so you can get closer to the wildlife. The more I get into photography – taking nice photos anyway – the more I would like a nice camera and get closer to subjects further away. Jubilee River nature reserve is a great place to do that. One day!…

Walk in the Valley Gardens, Windsor

If the weather is nice, Yayoi and I sometimes drive over to the other side of Windsor Great Park and walk through the Valley Gardens that are part of the Royal Landscape.

We did just that a few weeks ago and here’s a few random photos of shrubs, trees, and butterflies. It’s a really nice day out.

Yes, the butterflies were out and I managed to capture a Red Admiral – one which I didn’t manage to get last year.

Windsor Great Park and a Frog

It’s been really nice weather recently, so at the weekend Yayoi and I wandered over the road and went for a walk in Windsor Great Park.

We go for walks there quite often if we can’t be bothered to take any daytrips away from Windsor.

We wandered up to the little pond we usually go to – very few animals were around as it was still quite cold. Just a few ducks. All the grass had been cut back, ready from the Spring and Summer plant growth.

On our way back home, we came across a little frog – which looked like it had just crawled out of the ground and was making its way back to water. We initially thought it was dead, until we noticed it breathing and then it moved!

Daytrips from Windsor – Leith Hill

Last Saturday was the first time Yayoi and I used the best of our Xmas presents – a year’s membership to the National Trust, kindly given by my sister and her boyfriend.

With Yayoi’s love of high places for the great views, we pootled down from Windsor to Leith Hill, near Dorking in Surrey.

Leith Hill is the highest point in south-east England, topped by a Gothic 18th Century tower built by a Richard Hull (who is buried beneath it!), and has panoramic views towards London and the south coast.

It was quite a hazy day, but the views from the top of the tower were quite amazing.

There are also a few marked walks around Leith Hill, which we will try out next time – perhaps in May when the rhododendrons  and bluebells are supposed to be out.