Life beside the A46 south of Cheltenham

I didn't leave for my circular tour of shops and garages in west Gloucestershire until teatime. As a result I hit the rush hour, as far as that goes in these parts. The worst part was outside GCHQ where the massive car park disgorges the hordes onto the suburban roads of Cheltenham.

After much shopping and planning of future shopping, at the DIY centre, I eventually headed home on a road I don't often frequent at this point, the A46. I was climbing up out of the lowlands of the Severn Vale ascending the escarpment, when I saw a huge old stag tree, which has now completely died. I managed to turn the car round and return to near the spot, then walked down the roadside verge and found a stile into the field in which the tree is the only one left.

Sadly I couldn't get a good angle in the setting hazy light and found the sky was taking over. After a few attempts I decided to head back to the car which I had parked at the junction with a small farm track leading to a house, or possibly a farm. As I neared the car I spotted these cows having their drink,[probably from a spring, since the ground was so wet. I was intrigued by the offer of the logs too, so may have to come back here as well as part of my next shopping expedition to these parts.