#river test

28th November 2021-Lower Test and home

I enjoyed seeing the moon which I took the first picture in this photoset of, nice sky scenes with thin white clouds, autumnal colour on the leaves of trees visible from my room, Collared Doves, Goldfinches and views generally in bright sunshine as I got up this morning.

We went to Lower Test this morning/early afternoon where funnily enough we also went a year ago tomorrow on a very sunny Sunday morning/early afternoon. This morning it was lovely to see the in places rushing river shimmering in the sunlight, the vast reedbeds gloriously illuminated to create special views with little bits of red colour in the trees still, bits of green in trees still such as willow with again much dark green mistletoe clinging to some trees. All the more so uplifting to see in harmony with the visible signs of an urban and industrial area. I took the second-seventh pictures in this photoset of views and the water here today.

Towards the mid point of the walk where we turned to go back it got really exciting for birds. Firstly a falcon, a lovely Kestrel gliding through the air. Then a quick view of an exciting Jack Snipe bounding over a wet field. On the way back flowers grabbed my attention too, white-dead nettle or bee nettle looking like pearls among the greenery and some delicious yellow pineappleweed as well a flower I learnt at Lakeside back in the summer that holds on well and has been one I’ve really enjoyed seeing many times as the year went on.

When nearly back walking back alongside the river the moment of the day came as I spotted one bird of prey in the air and another bird with it I didn’t really get a chance to properly look at the second but believe it was the same species. I was thrilled to find in the binoculars when looking at the first of the birds a second falcon for the day, the magnificent Peregrine. A glorious view of them up against a blue sky, and I have had a really good run for seeing these birds towards the end of the year in a really good year I had for seeing them with so many sightings. Indeed this was the second sunny early Sunday running we enjoyed seeing Peregrines after the brilliant Slimbridge trip last week both in the WWT reserve and on St. John the Evangelist Church on the way.

When home outside the back garden it was nice to notice some green plants springing up where some do some with purple flowers I believe a type of vetch. There was a lovely garden snail on the fence too which I took the eighth picture in this photoset of with my macro lens. I also enjoyed the hebe, fuchsia, yellow flowers one shown in the ninth picture in this photoset and bits of white flowering on the bush which I took the tenth picture in this photoset of as the colourful season in the garden shows signs of fading and I liked seeing the Goldfinches, Starlings, House Sparrows and Collared Doves more when back. The Goldfinches and Starlings in particular it was lovely to see visiting the balcony feeder as many are doing lately whilst I had a relaxed afternoon on the middle level of the house allowing really intimate views. With it dark when I get down here after work and at weekends now it was a novelty seeing out the window from this level for an extended period today. I hope you all have a great new week.

The English Countryside

If you site your Sherlock fics in England, odds are it will take place in London. But... should a case entice him and John to visit the English countryside then it helps to have a better sense of place. Retirement stories also provide opportunities to paint scenes authentically. 

To help with that visualisation, I will post a few things that are key to understanding the southern England landscape. 

The above photo is a chalk stream. It is found all over the southern parts, usually named a river even though a lot of non-English would scoff and call it a creek or brook because it is not deep or particularly wide. 

The rivers will generally have their headwaters in the North or South Downs- a ridge of high hills that run on an east-west axis, separating southern England from the Cotswolds and midlands of central England. Over these hills the climate changes.  The south is generally warmer and drier.

The rivers are fed by aquifers that lie in the chalk downs, which release their water in the summer months. Provided that there has been a wet winter, these rivers will keep the banks and surrounding fields green even in a dry summer. 

Because the water is purified through the chalk, it comes downstream extremely clear. 

I live less than 1,000 meters from the upper River Test (yes, it is called that rather than the Test River). It is renowned as England’s finest brown trout chalk fishing.  The trout are carefully managed to provide anglers with the ultimate experience- it costs over £500 a day to fish here and you only get to keep two!

As the river enters the village it is split into five different streams (it’s called a braided river) two parts of which used to drive two mills in the village. It still does power one mill wheel today, restored to working order and generating enough electricity to light the Upper Mill house. 

The different strands of the braid are managed through sluice gates which are opened and closed depending on the needs of the land-owners. Some leats are allowed to run dry in the summer; they will be put back into use when the winter rains swell the flow. 

If the water rises too high, gates are opened to flood water meadows like the one below. As a result, the river through the village has not flooded in centuries.