Rock of Ages

  

For years, driving around the surrounding area we've seen signs pointing the way to Creswell Crags and haven't given it a second thought.  Last month, we eventually got round to checking it out.

Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge riddled with caves formed during the last ice age.  There have been a number of animal bones and other archaeological objects  found on the site over the years and you can arrange a guided tour of the caves (we didn't realise that you had to book for this).  Helpful signs inform you of where such creatures as hyena bones were found.  The thought of them roaming across Nottinghamshire does seem hard to imagine.

The visitor centre is an impressive structure with cafe, conference and exhibition spaces. It sits nicely in the landscape and with the silvering wood exterior designed to soften its impact.

The Visitor Centre

The gorge itself, on a warm Sunday afternoon was beautiful and surprisingly free of visitors.

 The paths are accessible for wheel chairs and not to demanding.  The crags are a haven for bird life.  When we visited, jackdaws that where nesting in holes in one of the limestone rockface where fighting with each other for possession.

Double Vision

A short bonus post this week.  On the first day of July we were hit throughout the day by  heavy rain showers.  I just happened to be getting a beer from the fridge when I looked out of the window and spotted a double rainbow to the east.  The outer rainbow is actually a fainter reflection of the brighter rainbow which is why the colours are inverted.

Meanwhile, over towards the west an impressive cloudscape.

On The Fly

 

Another recent trip to the Whisby nature reserve near Lincoln.  We had gone with the intention to explore part of the reserve that  had previously been inaccessible on previous visits due to the construction of a foot bridge over a railway line (we did get to explore it, and were rewarded with plenty of midge bites for the effort).

I can't remember seeing Damselflies before.  They are smaller than Dragonflies, and are capable of folding their wings long the length of their bodies but share the almost iridescent markings.  Whisby was teeming with them.  The air and  water's edge were filed with breeding pairs. We must have seen hundreds of them.