Sarsen Stones at the Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire, England.
Overcast, dark morning, so I popped up to Avebury to makes some images of the Standing Stones when the sky had form and textures.
This stones were erected here 6,000 years ago, before those at Stonehenge. Shear manpower was used to transport them from the top of the Marlborough Downs down to the site at Avebury. Our Neolithic ancestors had to make do with Deer Antlers as picks and their version of rope, made from the hides of animals cured and platted together. Many of the stones weigh over 16 tonnes each
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This is shot from Tan Hill, just off the Wansdyke Path, Wiltshire, England. The view is of classic downland, a significant part of rural Wiltshire. It is great walking county and unlike North America, there is a network of Public Footpaths that insure access to some beautiful walks, It is against the law for farmers to block or obstruct these Footpaths.
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Foggy start to the morning but it became brighter (cold wind though). Shot around mid-day while out walking the dog. Every time I look at this landscape of the Downs it takes my breath away.
Bluebells belong to the Family Liliaceae and can be found in woods, hedges and shady places throughout Britain. The flowers appear in April to May and produce a spectacular carpet of blue on the woodland floor. Just beginning to appear and it will be another three weeks before they are all fully open.
Shot from a tripod with MLU and processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.4.
MLU. RAW File processed with DxO Optics Pro 8 ELITE Vs. 8.1.5.<br />
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Healthy growth of Lichens on show here. Lichens are extremely sensitive to Sulphur dioxide (a pollutant) and their profuse growth in this manner are an indicator of good Air Quality. Shot in my back garden in Wiltshire.
The Eurasian pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus), often known simply as the pygmy shrew, is a widespread shrew of northern Eurasia. It is the only shrew native to Ireland.[3]<br />
Active throughout the day and night, the Eurasian pygmy shrew lives in undergrowth and leaf litter and lives off small insects and invertebrates.[4] It has an average weight of 4 grams[3] and has one of the highest metabolic rates of any animal, meaning it must eat at regular intervals — every two hours or so.
Saw this outside an Antiques Shop on my travels and could not resist it The shed behind is enormous and filled from floor to ceiling with old furniture. Just liked the delapidation and the the mix of odds and ends all around this old British telephone kiosk. The owners business is house clearances and he sells a good selection of old chimney pots as well for those looking for for period replacements for old homes that they have bought.
This Beech Coppice is growing on a Tumulus beside the Ancient Ridgeway Path, Wiltshire, England. Tumuli are Neolithic burial mounds dating back ~4500 years and can be readily seen as the farmers do not disturb or grow crops on them. It is comforting to think that my ancestors lie below and provide nourishment for the trees above. There is such a thing as life after death.
Situated on a high plateau of chalk grassland, Fyfield Down displays the best collection of sarsen stones in Britain. Sarsen stones are large boulders of siliceous sandstone that were transported to the area through glacial action during the ice age. Ancient peoples used these stones for building purposes and today they support rare lichen and moss communities. Mapping and excavations have established that settlements were in use here 7,000 years ago. The stones at Averbury were brought from here.
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