At varying intervals steam trains travel on the line past Aldermaston Wharf, passing through Aldermaston Station. Last weekend a steam train came through which I missed, luckily it returned this weekend for another pass. This time I was ready with my camera to take pictures of the 60009 Union of South Africa, here’s a selection of my favourite views:
Click on the pictures for the larger versions.
As I’m writing this it’s cloudy in West Berkshire, quite please that I went out for a sunny Sunday morning earlier today in the morning. I used a route I found last weekend, taking me north from Aldermaston to the outskirts of Beenham. Then turned west passing north of Douai Abbey to Kiff Green. Here I turned south and walked to Upper Woolhampton, from where I continued to Woolhampton. In Woolhampton I crossed the Kennet and Avon Canal, which I then followed along the towpath east back to Aldermaston Wharf. I saw a variety of things, here are some of them in a picture gallery (click on the pictures for the larger versions):
The map used for this walk was:
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With some nice early morning sunshine and clouds forecasted for late morning and the afternoon I decided to head out for an early walk today. What was originally planned for a 1-2 hours stroll turned into a 3 hours walk as the sunshine held up longer than forecasted and I discovered a few footpaths I hadn’t used before. My route took me from Aldermaston Wharf via Mill Lane to Home Farm near Padworth College. I then followed the road south until the junction before backtracking to Upper Church Farm, where I took the footpath west towards Aldermaston. Reaching the road a short stretch along the road, then turning north again on the footpath towards Fisherman’s Lane. On Fisherman’s Lane back towards Padworth Mill. A short stretch on Mill Lane before taking the footpath over to Padworth Lock. Then back to Aldermaston Wharf along the Kennet and Avon Canal. A few impressions from my walk:
Click on the pictures for the larger version in a gallery. The map for the area is:
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Every once in a while I see a Red Kite having a go at another Red Kite, I assume defending its territory or invading another. Most of the time I don’t have a camera to hand (e.g. when I’m out jogging). Recently I spotted a pair having an aerial altercation just outside my flat, so I was able to quickly grab my camera. Unfortunately the light wasn’t great and it was quite hazy, so the pictures didn’t turn out that great (and my photoshop skills to improve them perfectly aren’t that good either), but I decided to share them anyway:
Click on the pictures for the larger versions.
Went for a walk locally in Aldermaston Wharf today, mainly to get in some practice with the DSLR and the big lens, having not used it much (or better, hardly at all) over the last 6+ months (mainly due to my heart surgery, where I wasn’t able to lift it for several months). Not an awful lot exciting about today, I managed to get some decent shots of a Magpie in a tree and of a Wren trying to hide in the undergrowth. Not to forget the obligatory Red Kite. I’m still fascinated how they can twist their bodies.
(Click on the pictures for the larger versions)