October 29th – A real wet feet moment up on the old Ironstone Road at Bleak House. Time makes you forget where the deep standing water is.
Note the scraping afterwards – thats wet grit in the brakes – the sound of wearing components!
December 26th – A ride up to the Chase on a windy but beautiful day. Starting late, I had to be back early too, so it was a bit of a race with a good companion who’s considering buying a bike and borrowed a steed for the occasion.
Near Cuckoo Bank, we saw a herd of deer in a roadside copse – I assume they’d moved off Chasewater which was very busy, to avoid the dogs and crowds of folk enjoying a Boxing Day walk.
In the low sun, the dear looked beautiful, and there were at least ten or more loafing in the scrub. I didn’t take these photos, my companion did, but they’re too good not to use.
A lovely ride.
March 13th – Always nice to see the deer; this large herd were between Norton Bog and Cuckoo bank, and didn’t seem much bothered by me al all, eventually being scared off by a the noise of a siren on the nearby main road.
It was quite misty so the photos aren’t as clear as I’d like.
They look healthy and content.
August 11th – I’d planned a long ride, but my energy levels – and a grim, persistent wind – didn’t allow it. My speeds were poor, and there were too may distractions, like the deer I spotted along the way. I spotted the first group – 6 or so red deer, including some impressive stags – on Cuckoo Bank, just off the Cannock Road north of Chasewater. They showed well, until something spooked them and they disappeared back into the thicket.
Further on, at Penkridge Bank on Cannock Chase, a few skittish hinds were loafing in the bracken. I had thought the red colouring meant the one was juvenile, but this is not apparently the case, and it’s just a different marking.
It’s always good to see the deer, even on a ride when the wind never really gets behind you.
June 10th – Grainy, and very long range, this is a red deer hind and her young fawn. The females should at the moment be with young, or preparing to give birth, for which they tend to split from the main herd and search out protective cover. This lone mother was on cuckoo bank in just such conditions, and was very nervous and twitchy for her offspring. A wonderful, summertime sight, with births occurring up until mid-July.
November 17th – An early finish from work, and a spin over from Chasewater to Cannock Chase. As the sun set over Norton, I surveyed the scene from the Cannock Road near Cuckoo Bank. As you may have gathered now, I’m fascinated by the signs of technology that dot the countryside – transmission masts and pylons in particular. A symbol of the modern age, to me they’re awe-inspiring, mysterious and, in their own way, beautifully elegant. Some folk regard them as ugly and a blot on the landscape, but I feel they’re a symbol of our progress.
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