Mott's Road, Carding Mill Valley,
Church Stretton, Shropshire, England

My first ever first to Carding Mill Valley was on a frigid dull December day and the next time I was around there was when I was returning from a walk around Knighton. Train times meant that my return was earlier than I'd have liked it to be, so I dropped in on Church Stretton to capture some scenes on film before continuing on my way. As it happened, that session was truncated by the only passing shower of rain that I remember from that spring day.

The photo you see here was taken on a more showery day and one in the month of December too. In fact, my arrival in Church Stretton was greeted by a rain shower that made me wonder if I had made the right decision. It cleared in its own good time as I sheltered at the train station and came up gloriously as I carried through Carding Mill Valley to retrace those steps from my first ever visit. The lack of stature in Shropshire's hills shouldn't fool you into think that they're no test for legs since they are steep-sided and there's a decent pull on the way up Mott's Road too. Such is the seclusion that you'd be inclined to think that the modern world is very far away as you puff your way uphill, a good way for things to be.