Chaplin House B & B

Frozen Jellyfish!!

We had a great Christmas break away from Chaplin House B & B and travelled up to Wentbridge House Hotel in Yorkshire.  On Christmas Day we went for a magical walk up the Went Valley.  The little river was partially frozen over and we came across these ice sculptures which looked all the world like frozen jellyfish.

There was such a depth of hoar frost covering everything that it looked as if it had been snowing.  The sun caught the ice crystals on the ground and vegetation so the whole landscape was sparkling.

Walking by Tennyson's Brook!

  Wonderful walk in the Lincolnshire Wolds this afternoon!  We set out from Hagworthingham in glorious sunny weather and headed off on an undulating walk across the wolds and were treated to views of buzzards, bullfinches and sparrowhawks as well as many small song birds - magical.  Bag Enderby was the half way point - we just love the place names round here as they make us think that hobbits probably live nearby!  And then back across 2 fords to Hagworthingham, a total distance of about 5 or 6 miles before we went home to Chaplin House for tea - a short 20 minute drive.

  Here's David closely consulting the map.

Just beyond this point, we entered the wood you can see in the background and crossed the River Lymm although at this point it's more of a stream than a river.  It is possibly the stream that inspired Tennyson's lovely poem 'The Brook' and it certainly fitted the central part of the poem:

I chatter over stony ways,

In little sharps and trebles,

I bubble into eddying bays,

I babble on the pebbles.

 

With many a curve my banks I fret                 

by many a field and fallow, 

And many a fairy foreland set

With willow-weed and mallow. 

 

I chatter, chatter, as I flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may comeand men may go,

But I go on forever.

Woodland Umbrellas and Parasols

Chaplin House B & B Fungi Foray

 

This seems to be a brilliant year for fungi.  We visited Ostler's Plantation in Woodhall Spa twice the other weekend, once with friends and returned the next day with our camera to capture some of the stunning fungi we had seen. They were everywhere. Every footfall seemed to step into another fungi vista.  The good, the bad, the ugly... and the beautiful were all around.  Had we a deep expertise we would have been tempted to pick some but rest assured that, although we do serve mushrooms for Chaplin House breakfast,  we did not gather any fungi to experiment with on guests!  All were left, appetising or not, in situ.

Just to peak our excitement, an adder slithered between one of David's strides, completely indifferent to us, and eased smoothly way on its own reptilian business.  This has been one of our most interesting walks this year - highly recommended.

If there any fungi experts out there, we would love some input on identifying what we saw.  Apart from the four photos below, there are nearly a hundred shots of possibly twenty different species.

 

Snowdrop Time Special Offer

Snowdrops are still with us to cheer the spirits after such a long weary winter.  There is a lovely walk almost from Chaplin House B & B front door along Car Dyke to Metheringham on which to enjoy the spectacle of lots of snowdrops.  So it's possible to delight in history - Car Dyke is of Roman origin - and nature at the same time.  Who knows, the Romans might also have enjoyed the spring message of snowdrops in the woods in these cold northern climes.

Snowdrops  by David Lockyer

Welcome yawns of waking,

Snowdrops snow freckle the woods

Allowing winter one last stir

Transferring snowfall from drear to promise

Why not enjoy a late winter break at Chaplin House B & B?  There is plenty to see and do nearby.  Book a 2 night stay and receive a complimentary bottle of white wine to toast the snowdrops!