The spring by the Lime Brook

Today was a return to voluntary activities, meeting both District and Town council staff to advance various local issues. I walked into town in the sunshine, which was delightful and a sign of the warmer settled weather to come. I seemed busy all day and instead of going to photograph a nearby community garden which the council has been supporting, I decided to stay close to home and walk down behind the house to the stream.

The Lime Brook runs down and helped form The Horns valley, which is only about a mile in length. It flows continuously, fed by the various springs which pop out of the sides of the valley. I can hear its gentle tumbling voice from our garden, particularly after wetter weather.

It is very steep behind the house on Power's Hill and the very old path has slowly been sliding down the hillside. When it reaches the bottom, the path uses some large old stones to step across the water before immediately ascending straight up to the old Weyhouse site. The stepping stones appear to be part of an old mill which was recorded as being here in about 1600. Another record refers to a mill on this stream at about 1200. I would love to find out more about the local archaeology, as I feel the Weyhouse is a very old property beside the 'Weg', or way. It still has the remnants of a hollow way running down from it to the old fording point.

Just below the stepping stones, a spring runs into the Lime Brook at right angles, flowing out from under the steep bank. A couple of trees have grown right on top of it. One of them, which I think is a type of rose, is in full bloom and looks beautiful in the dappled light beneath the large overhanging oak tree sitting on the opposite bank to the spring.

I've always liked the feeling of being beside this spring. Tonight I sat down on the oak tree's exposed roots and just listened to the sound of trickling water, whilst watching it flow over the small stones and gravel, at the point at which it joined the main stream, whihc is just to the right of this scene. It's a view towards the back of the spring, showing the little cavern which is slowly being formed by the water escaping from the underworld. It reminds me of a spring I know on the Isle of Mull, where the fairies live according to my friends whose land it is on. They always say hello whenever they pass the spring, as I do when I come here.