Winter Woodland

I think winter is absolutely the best time for taking atmospheric photographs of countryside and landscapes. This was why we shot off down the A303 the other day to take pictures at Avebury (see below). Much more interesting than blue skies and sunshine.

Anyway, one of the things I do is go horse riding at a local stables that specialises in Arabian horses. The yard is located in 6000 acres of Forestry Commission land and is about 1.5 miles down a single lane trackway. I love its location - there's something about living in the middle of woodland which I find deeply appealing. It's not actually remote - the yard is part of a hamlet of about 15 or so properties but because it's so far away from any main roads, the sounds are those of nature rather than cars. When you go riding, you can be out for hours at a time and literally see or hear no-one else at all. This is both deeply pleasant and a bit concerning - what happens if you fall off the horse? Answer is to take a mobile phone, not actually go out riding alone but have someone with you and, frankly, trust to luck.

I went to the yard yesterday, not to ride because my favourite horse is a bit lame at the moment, but just to check in with everyone, have a cup of tea and take photos. It was foggy, you see, but thin enough for the sun to get through - irresistable! See if you agree (you can click on each picture to make it bigger):