22nd: Nipstone Rock – Shropshire

This place is all about dramatic views across the patchwork quilt that is the Shropshire landscape.

The reserve was pretty easy to find and a short hill climb brought us pretty quickly to the tor (a free-standing outcrop that rises from a rounded hill summit or ridge) and also to the dramatic views. The area became a reserve in the 1960s but it wasn’t until the 2000s that the conifer plantations that blocked the views and had destroyed the habitat were felled. Now a heathland of heather and whinberries cover the area, allowing for the wildlife to return, along with the views. Whilst there we heard the extremely distinctive call of the stonechat and had a fantastic encounter with a young wren that may have to be included somehow in any artwork I do.

The cloud cover was extremely low, making for a strange mixture of stunning views and an oppressive compressed feeling. The tor provided a superb foreground for these views and the cloud did clear enough to get the odd flash of sun and blue sky to break up the monotonous grey.