It is springtime!
Our first in Lancashire and it marks the completion of our first year of living in the beautiful Ribble Valley, where we have delighted in observing the seasonal changes from summer to autumn, through winter and into spring.
What better way to celebrate than a walk, our walk today taking us out of Waddington and along the River Ribble, across fields and through woodland, providing the ideal opportunity to brush up on our knowledge of the many spring wildflowers in our beautiful Lancashire countryside, where Mother Nature paints a scene more beautiful than any Constable I have ever seen.
After a delicious lunch in Waddington (there are three good pubs to choose from), we left the village over the old bridge, pausing to take in the babbling brook running below, before continuing on the West Bradford Road along the edge of the Forest of Bowland, passing the lovely gardens of the Hospital Cottages, historically Alms Houses for widowed women in the 1700's.
Turning off the road we followed a lane past a milk farm, towards the River Ribble. Beyond the farm and over a stile, we carefully skirted a field of pretty jersey cows and their calves, heading downhill through the lengthening grasses to descend into a small copse, the narrow path winding between clouds of pink and white English Hawthorn, the heady scent from its spring blossom accompanying us up rickety steps and into a meadow.
We were welcomed by the shining faces of a million buttercups, their buttery heads like shining saucers of sunshine nodding in the gentle breeze. Nestled beneath this glorious yellow mist, were cheerful common daisies, white smock and delicate blue hare bells as well as the bouncing heads of purple and white clover.
The River Ribble appeared ahead of us, its wide span glittering in the sun, a family of canada geese occupying the shallows and grebes sunbathing on the rocks whilst a pair of mallards and a lone oyster catcher enjoyed the more challenging mini rapids of the faster moving water.
Along the riverbank path, we were dazzled by the acrobatics of a pair of metallic green damselflies as we headed north; as the path hugged the river, we were surrounded by pink big root geranium, cow parsley and purple columbine, now a favourite in many cottage gardens, including my own. Oak saplings were also dotted along the way providing the promise of shade in summers to come; isn't it reassuring to think of our children and grandchildren walking these same paths under the shade of those future oak trees?
Just south of Grindleton, we left the river to navigate around a small settlement, returning to cross the bridge and follow the road for a short while towards Chatburn.
Ignoring the path on the left, we continued up the hill to join the Ribble Way, doubling back on ourselves on the opposite side of the river, back towards Clitheroe.
At first, the path led us through woods above the river, surrounding us with the last of the bluebells, hawthorn, white wood anemones and wild garlic, and the intoxicating smell of a woodland in springtime.
Emerging downhill and back at the riverside we rested awhile, watching a trio of Mallards racing in circles above the hedgerows, round and back down to the water. Trout could be seen, leaping to leave concentric ripples from bank to bank, and ducklings paddled between the rocks at the edges.
The trail undulated, staying close to the water: through a small copse, beside a field of lambs bleating for their grazing mothers and across grassy meadows.
At the Bradford Bridge, we crossed the river and made our way back to Waddington, spotting yellow bird's-foot, forget-me-nots, pink thrift and trefoil (sometimes called bacon and egg plant) as we wandered across the fields, whilst purple speedwell and ivy-leafed pink toadflax formed a colourful blanket on the garden walls of the houses as we re-entered the village.
It was interesting to see that the cottage gardens in Waddington were filled with many of the flowers that we had seen out in the fields and woodlands and along the riverside today, along with the many, many insects, bees and butterflies enjoying them.
A lovely place to rest and refresh: Waddington, with its babbling brook and beautiful Coronation Gardens, a worthy recipient of the title of 'Best Kept Village in Lancashire' on many occasions - and of course those three pubs to choose from, for a refreshing drink in the warm spring sunshine.
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