Nounsley

No rain on Saturday so we were out, this time Nounsley, a small hamlet near to Hatfield Peverel. The lanes were running with water, small streams trickled across, and ditches were full of muddy water. Nounsley has only houses and a pub on offer, but pretty nevertheless. The pub we had been to only a couple of weeks ago to have whitebait (which was a speciality). Good yes, though a great plateful with the salad was rather too much, and their tiny black eyes looking reproachfully through the batter was a bit offputting. Anyway the beer seems expensive so I'm reliably informed, and when we there this saturday, a tv with the match of the day was on, which rather spoils conversation, but it's a nice pub to sit out on a summer's day, and watch the people walk by with their dogs.




There are many footpaths round this area, an ideal place to come and live if you want to walk the dog and exercise every day. The photo above shows the small River Ter in flood, the water is up to the three and half feet level, so no car could get through. The river was racing under the walkway, muddy swirling waters, eddying away down to the River Chelmer which it joins further on. But you can see how the fields are flooded everywhere which must mean that crops will go in late this spring.


This elegant barn in Nounsley belongs to a 'big' house, probably a farmhouse in former days. The roof is thatched with wire netting on to keep the birds out, there is something rather beautiful with the copper leaved beech hedge against the old black timbers, such barns are surprisingly common in Essex.

A willow standing in its flooded field, happy I suspect to have its feet in water, the branches are beginning to tinge that golden colour as the sap rises for spring.

The swirling waters, fascinating patterns

This formal willow was much more forward, I think it is the Japanese 'torturosa' willow, but its colouring is very different to the one I had., the louring sky behind and the green of the fir show up the orange of the willow.