Sunday 29 September 2013

Charlecote West Park

                     

With a poorly husband and children at home, I managed to escape for a few hours to Charlecote yesterday.
I don't usually visit on a Saturday but knowing it would probably be my last visit to West Park for awhile, nothing was going to stop me. Rutting season is about to start and this side of the estate will be closed from October. I am really going to miss this walk, it feels a little sad really. I now have to wait patiently for it to open again! Guessing the next time I see this area, it will be covered in frost or snow.


Can you believe my husband tweeted this to Charlecote while I was there yesterday? He thinks he is funny, well he is sometimes :).. '' @Charlecote @lifewithAutism1 is such a history fan that she even left us home alone suffering horribly with just a bowl of gruel each :o) '' ...For those who don't know, my twitter name is 'lifewithautism1'



 Yesterday did not disappoint me, I had 4 beautiful hours at Charlecote, wondering around the grounds, taking in the views with me camera. I have a new lens my husband bought me for my birthday earlier this month and Charlecote is the perfect place to try it out! All those shots I couldn't get before, I can now.


 The photo below show's that all mothers make sure their children have clean ears :)


The Deer's were in full form yesterday which made the day even better. I had jumping deer, hiding deer, very cute looking deer and a couple of lonely buck wondering about getting stuck in trees and even picking apples!


A couple of times while walking up the avenue of trees in West Park, I had the pleasure of enjoying the deer running right in front of me. The photos look like they are jumping, but then I guess if you watch them run, it is a sort of run and jump.
                           


Walking towards the arched gate, there was another small group of deer, I don't think they saw me at first, as I moved quietly forward, they just stayed where they were. Maybe they know me by now :)


 I have learnt with time, moving slowly through West Park is your best chance of getting a nice photo. The seen was beautiful, the arched gate in the background and these little deer just popping out from behind the trees. This cleaning of the ears was happening a lot.
                             
                             

Here they are just watching me but not moving.


As I was walking back around the park, there right in front of me was a beautiful buck, it walked through the long grass and then sat down. He was so close to the people walking around that area and they didn't even know it. 


Unless you actually saw him sit down, you would never have known he was there. The camouflage worked well!


This is the same buck coming out of hiding.


   He is such an amazing animal, all fit and healthy and looking his best for the mating season to start. Here he looks like he is watching all the visitors coming through the gate.


I watched him wonder off into the trees and have a little snack, they so often get their antlers stuck in the branches or wander around with twigs on their head.


                                                                                                                               
Here is one which seemed to be stuck for what felt like ages.


We must not forget the sheep on this estate either, they can be found in both areas of the park from time to time.


                  I think these deer are confused, wrong herd!




This photo made me laugh at the time I took it, all I could see were 3 sheep's bottoms bouncing up and down as they ran down the hill. Well it was funny at the time :) When I got home I really liked the picture, I have never taken a photo from just here before and I was quite pleased with it.



Here is that amazing buck again.


I have added a few more pictures to this blog than I wanted to but I saw so much and could not pick which photos to post and which to not. It really was a wonderful last day in West Park, I couldn't have asked for better. It was such a welcome break for me and fresh air in ample supply, just what the doctor ordered, as my mother always used to say.



I met some lovely people on my walk too, had some nice chats about Charlcote and what they had and hadn't seen. So nice to have a conversation with people outside of my house, a rare thing these days and I even got asked twice, if I worked there hahahah . Guess my feelings for the estate are obvious :) 


This next photo I thought was cute, taken in the apple orchard.



Well I guess it's goodbye to West Park, you have kept me sane and given me the break from normality that has been much needed and much appreciated. 


 But I still have the rest of the estate to explore and Autumn colours are just starting to show by the lake. For now I think my lovely family have given me their bug which I thank them very much for!


Hope you enjoyed my page.

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