alithoughts

Sunday, November 01, 2026

Halloween fun

Thursday, August 06, 2026

A visit to Shropshire - Wenlock Edge

August 6th

We’ve been learning -oems by heart.

1. Housman’s On Wenlock Edge. We visited the spot in June this year, and walked around, along an easy path from much Wenlock, then a trickier one down the other side of the through the woods, until we could see the Wrekin’s ‘forest fleece’.

We later spent half an hour or so in Uricon (Wroxeter)

On Wenlock Edge the wood’s in trouble

His forest fleece the Wrekin heaves

the gale, it plies the saplings double

and thick on Severn snow the leaves.

‘Twould blow like this through holt and hanger

when Uricon the city stood

Tis the old wind in the old anger

But then it threshed another wood.

then, ‘twas before my time, the Roman

At yonder heaving hill would stare

The blood that warms an English yeoman,

The thoughts that hurt him, they were there.

There, like the wind through woods in riot

Through him the gale of life blew high

The tree of man was never quiet.

Then ‘twas the Roman, now ‘tis I

The gale, it plies the saplings double

it blows so hard, ‘twill soon be gone:

Today the Roman and his trouble

Are ashes under Uricon

Labels: Housman, poetry., Uricon, Wenlock Edge

Long Mynd.

The Long Mynd - Shropshire

Another ‘literary’ pilgrimage - I read loads of Malcolm Saville’s adventure stories when I was a child.

But the walk was lovely, through Ashes Hollow, along the stream, as the heat increased throughout the morning. We reached the summit at around eleven, then headed down to Church Strettlon via Townbrook Valley. a most welcome coffee and cake set us up for the hot walk back - only a mile or so along the road! The light umbrella/ parasol came in very handy!