Spring walks in Torquay, Devon, England during pandemic ..

The pandemic came a month after my second knee replacement op.. we were told we could go for walks alone and I took the opportunity to exercise and strengthen my knee by going out for an hour or so.

I saw on my walks many things I’d not seen when whizzing past in friends cars. A small wild Wood seen through an arch.. charming alleys, short cuts leading to streets above and below my own, a great view of Babbacombe along with ships in the bay including the Queen Elizabeth, but my favourite discovery was a wood in the street above mine.

I’ve seen it in all weathers now and I especially like Spring. Trees bare, skeletal suddenly coming alive with rich, ripe brown buds ready to burst into life.

Bluebells, Wild Garlic, sunshine yellow Celandine, tiny Violets and Daisies carpet the once barren, earthen floor..and purple Honeysuckle competing for attention with the ivy, to curl up trees. And mustn’t forget the Dandelions, beloved of bees.

Birds in the trees are more often heard then seen. Robins singing, Blackbirds, Wrens, Crows, Jays rushing from tree to tree. Buzzards, four once, circling and mewing high above in a blue sky.

Foxes and Badgers can be seen locally, but I’ve not seen them in the woods. But there are a variety of insects.. bees, hoverflies and delicate moths.

How enriching this has become in my life..it’s given me a feeling of continuity and peace.

Walk alone and quietly into the woods.. it enters you as you enter it.

Meadfoot meadow and woods and Torquay/Devons only adults only park…

Meadfoot meadow and woods and Torquay/Devons only adults only park…

Took a walk into one of the coastal woods of Torquay. It was quiet…. with only the sound of bird song and the fluttering of leaves in the breeze to disturb the silence.
A small stream runs alongside the path which glittered in the sun. Usually a place of abundance in butterflies and insects it was strangely empty…

I caught sight of this Green-veined White Butterfly settling on the pure white flower of wild garlic, which grows thickly alongside the bluebells in the woods. Delicate almost see through wings marked deeply with green veins, patterned like the stained glass in the church windows of old. Something so simple yet so beautiful and unseen by most walkers in the woods.

Later we stopped in Torquays adults only park. Sounds naughty, but its the only park I know in Torbay or even in Devon that is just for adults.
Adults like the elderly lady, very unsteady and wobbly on her feet, but obviously feeling safe walking on the pathways of this hub of tranquility. Like the middle-aged man doing yoga…where else could he be free to pursue his exercise in peace without stares and comments.
Adults like the couples of all ages walking hand in hand giggling and reminiscing without noise disturbance or the young man reading a book or the teenager crossed legged on the grass meditating or the young shop assistant having her lunch and then nodding off for a few moments…… its that kind of place.
Later a child appeared kicking a football around accompanied by his mum. I don’t know if she knew that the park was for adults only. He was well behaved but his shouts disturbed the peace…
Sometimes silence is precious. Its hard to find somewhere were noise isn’t constant and sometimes intrusively loud and I treasure this haven…as do all the users young and old who use this park….I wish there were more areas like this for adults. We seem to cater for children whilst forgetting that not all adults enjoy loud noise, shouts and screams and music. Adults of all ages like a bit of peace and quiet and we would like that recognised.

An English wood in early summer…gentle, tranquil, yet vibrating with life.

Torquay Woods, Devon, England.

Today was a hot summers day, one of the first this year. I took a walk in one of the many small woods surrounding Torquay. The sun shone brightly giving much needed warmth and light to shaded areas of forest.

A Peacock butterfly bathed in the sunlight. An extraordinary butterfly with brownish-red wings and a prominent smudged eye spot on each wing.
I saw only one of these apparently common butterflies last year and then only fleetingly, so this beauty sunning itself on some garlic plants was an unexpected treat.

Striped wing, orange and black, Tortoiseshell Butterflies flitted amongst dandelions and leaves close to the stream.

Robins could be heard singing throughout the woods. Here a young Robin in the bushes. The sun reflected on his head giving him a golden halo. Completely unafraid and curious he sat on a branch and watched as I took photos of him.

A Bee-Fly sunned itself on a rock opening its wings for warmth.

Bluebells and wild garlic grew in profusion filling the air with perfumes sweet and distinct.

Woods are to me magical places, like the Amazon Rainforest that I love, once inside a wood you are in a different world. Some people find woods and forests frightening, I find them soothing….like walking into an empty church. The soaring ceiling of trees gives the wood grandeur while the wild flowers and wildlife…insects, butterflies, squirrels …. give it comforting familiarity.