Amelia's photos with the keyword: Maesbury Marsh

Taken on the last day of meteorological summer.

The common name comes from the leaf's supposed resemblance to a colt's foot. The plant is believed to have been brought to the United States by early settlers for its medicinal properties. Coltsfoot is a perennial herb, rhizomatous, 2-20 in tall with large basal leaves and scaly-bracted stem. The plant is now native to Europe and can be found in stream banks, moist field or pastures, roadsides and disturbed areas. It can also be found in drier sites and in poor soils, but it is intolerant of shade and is not commonly found in wooded areas

Large numbers of tiny female flowers form a dense, sausage-shaped spike on the stem below the male spike. In larger species this can be up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 1 to 4 centimetres (0.4 to 2 in) thick. The seeds are minute, 0.2 millimetres (0.008 in) long, and attached to fine hairs. When ripe, the heads disintegrate into a cottony fluff from which the seeds disperse by wind.

If this canal was in The Netherlands, people would be skating here. Adrian tried to break the ice and couldn't manage it. Today is meltdown.

The work on this part of the Montgomery Canal is largely done by enthusiastic amateurs, although certain parts have been completed by professionals using lottery money. The goal was to complete quite a long section down to where a new winding hole and mooring area has been professionally constructed. However, since the coronavirus pandemic all work has ceased and the target for completion at the end of this year of the section from here to the winding hole is now almost impossible to reach. Not all of the parts of the canal are even 'in water', but the wild life is thriving.

I've just been watching a programme on TV where Gareth Edwards, the rugby player, and his wife are relaxing on the canals on the Welsh English border. They were on this boat being towed by a horse. We were walking this canal 3 days ago. As you can see there is the possibility of self isolating in an area like this.

The Morton Farm Lift Bridge, (No 82a), was constructed to enable the passage of farm animals and equipment across the canal. We have walked this stretch of canal numerous times and have never seen the lift bridge down until now.

The Morton Farm Lift Bridge. (No 82a), constructed to enable the passage of farm animals and equipment across the canal. We have walked this stretch of canal numerous times and have never seen the lift bridge down until now.