Cold mornings at Middledown
Middedown Dawn – Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_9804H
With the forecast for some cold mornings. If it was going to be cold it may as well be very cold, to I headed out high up on the Mendip plateau.
On my first visit a bank of think cold tried to hide the sun.
Middedown Dawn – Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_9843H
From a small lay-by at the very top of Cheddar Gorge a track leads the way to the Middledown nature reserve.
Middedown Dawn – Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_9850
This area also contains an outcrops of limestone that forms of a small north-facing cliffs. To make the most of the sun I followed the northern edge of the reserve.
Middedown Dawn – Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_9910
The next day was even colder as the cloud cover had disappeared, creating a glorious sunrise over the hills.
Sunrise from Middledown – Mendip Hills, Nr Cheddar, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0605H
There was not much cloud so the colours in the sky were limited.
Wellington Farm – Mendip Hills, Nr Cheddar, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0437
The area is crisscrossed with old dry-stone walls which help to give the Mendip Hills much of its character.
Middedown Dawn – Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_9907
At this time of year any frost quickly melts as the sun rises in the sky. I dashed around finding plants to photograph.
Dandelion – Middledown, Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0624
The frost forced cowslips to bend over with the cold.
Early morning cowslips – Middledown, Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0642
Orchids added a special splash of pink against the white grassland. Even these struggle to stand straight in the cold.
Early morning Early-purple Orchids – Middledown, Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0654
And finally…
I found myself leaving the nature reserve to find frost covered landscapes.
Morning Frost – Middledown, Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0780
