A family of cows at France Lynch

Camilla picked me up from our house mid-morning and we drove off in the receding mist up the Golden Valley to Chalford. We have been trying to trace the owners of a mill in Stroud which Stroud Preservation Trust amongst others is concerned about.  There is serious water penetration down the two hundred year old limestone walls because the gutters are blocked with plants and leaves.

We have sent letters of approach to the rumoured owners but no-one is really sure who is responsible at present. Our aim was to find a house near the hamlet of France Lynch close set on the hilltops above Chalford. We luckily met a man living at the house, who said the man we wanted was the previous owner who sold it three years ago.  The good news was that he lived just a few hundred yards away.

Camilla and I then walked to the top of the hill and followed the single track road around a field towards the farm. We couldn't resist looking through the hedgerow at a small herd of cows. I slowly moved to a position where I could take some pictures and this small family stayed still long enough for me to get this snap. I was a bit concerned as they were in the deep shade of the trees with dew on the ground whilst the rest of the field was by now in bright sunshine. I have had to crop the picture as well so it is not an ideal exposure, but I like it.

Then we carried on and found the next house where the man we wanted opened the door to us and invited us in. So we managed to express our interest in possibly raising funds to investigate options for part of the mill which the owner will consider allowing us to do so.  So it very good news and we can accelerate our initial plans.