Friday 29 May 2015

On Hambledon Hill in May





 Late spring and a green, bright Dorset day.
An unknown path through woods bursting with blossom and leaf.
Hawthorn and ash, tree ivy climbing.
Fields on a manicured farm stop dead
At lines of trees.
With a high hill fort behind.



                                 Red copper beech unfurls young leaves,
                                 Among the lime green oaks
                                 Where the hill ascends.



                                   White Park cattle graze by the gate.........



...and watch us climbing.






                              Up a steep path we walk, then rest,
                              Eyes on the far horizon.





                               Shimmer of blue and yellow flowers beside our feet.

                               Milkwort, sapphire blue, and scented thyme.

                               Burnet, Yellow rattle, buttercup and cowslip leaf.



Gateways in iron age rampart walls
Show village and farm beneath 



                                Where a solar field harnessing sunlight,
                                Glitters grey mirrors to the sky.
                             


                             
                               A high path showing miles of the westward view.



                              Back across curves and dips of ancient terraced hill,
                              A track leads down to a wood of oak and one dark yew.


                           
                               Maybe a meadow saxifrage among the grass?



                              Out in the north west view, another terraced hill.


                     
                                Cloud shadow sweeps across folds of sculpted down.




Vale of the White Hart stretches out beneath,
With villages and wide green miles of fertile land and trees.



                               
                                Striding the high path........
                     


                                 
                               Childe Oakford and its manor far below.



                               Orchids almost missed, hiding in a rampart ditch below the path.




                                At last, down the hill again, and
                                Calm, half-dozing cattle watch us pass.



8 comments:

angryparsnip said...

Wonderful photos.
You live in a most beautiful place.

cheers, parsnip

Bovey Belle said...

Lovely to see you blogging again and what a beautiful walk. It is SO many years since I was last up there (and we climbed up through the little bit of Yew forest at the bottom). How I miss the flowers of the chalk downland, and what fabulous Dorset views. Loved your words too - like a poem. Beautiful.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I have missed you; lovely to see you back and lovely to read your glorious words and matching photographs. Our may blossom is not even in bud yet up here in North Yorkshire.

Ragged Robin said...

A lovely post with beautiful words and photos - have missed your posts and its great to see you back. Beautiful views of Dorset and the countryside :)

Rowan said...

I stayed in Dorset a few years ago and climbed Hambledon Hill - it's a wonderful place especially for wild flowers. I climbed Hod Hill as well - I'd love to go back to Dorset again one of these days. Your post brought back some lovely memories.

Louise said...

Lovely post and photos - welcome back!

Crafty Green Poet said...

what a wonderful place to go walking!

Morning's Minion said...

What beautiful views and a lovely walk. I can almost imagine that I have been there. The varied colors of green in May are so fresh and tender.