In Crowgutter Wood

We'd been meaning to find these woods ever since they were recommended to me as a lovely walk by Steph at Curlew Country. On Tuesday we at last found our way there.

Luckily we always have wellies in the back of the car because they were needed after the recent heavy rain. It was very muddy!

It was so quiet and peaceful in the wood. All we could hear was the calling of pheasants across the nearby fields, smaller birds twittering and singing high in the trees and the babbling of a nearby stream.

Wild garlic was growing along the banks of the stream, alongside it dog's mercury and wood avens all coming out to greet the mild, spring weather.

We walked along up hill, down hill, over bridges up and down steps, and by old stone walls until we reached the end of the walk.

Which came out onto the canal just by Consall Station on the Churnet Valley Railway. The only people we saw for the whole walk were on the boat passing by on the Caldon canal.

We'd walked along this stretch of the canal on Good Friday morning and it was quiet then, too! Except for the sound of the wonderful steam train which passed by as we stood and watched.