***Bow Wood through the year***

Every month in 2006 I took a walk through Bow Wood in Derbyshire.
After squeezing through a style at Lea Bridge, the path rises sharply between trees.
As the path levels out, you enter a clearing with the hillside rising to the right, it's at this spot that I stopped to take a picture.

		JANUARY Although late in the morning, the light is low this time of the year. On the hillside can be seen the brown remains of last year's ferns. Picture taken at 11:46am on 7 January 2006
		FEBRUARY Little change from January, a bit more grass can be seen at the edge of the path. Picture taken at 11:33am on 11 Febuary 2006
		MARCH "Brings the snow, makes your feet and fingers glow." Perhaps an appropriate extract to accompany this view. Notice how the Holly bush stands out in the background. Picture taken at 10:02am on 4 March 2006
		APRIL What a picture of this size can't show is the Bluebell plants growing in the increasing spread of grass. Picture taken at 8:46am on 1 April 2006
		MAY Bow Wood magic ! The annual short lived display of Bluebells has arrived. Notice the bright colour of the early spring leaves on the trees. The white flowers in the foreground are Wood Anemones. Picture taken at 2:46pm on 13 May 2006
		JUNE Just three weeks after the May picture and it's all change. The ferns that were quietly growing in coiled up form have straightened and are shooting skywards. The path's winter mud has now dried out. Picture taken at 4:07pm on 2 June 2006
		JULY What wasn't anticipated when this viewpoint was chosen in January was how the view would be obscured by the burgeoning foliage. The tree in the left foreground is an oak. Picture taken at 8:42am on 3 July 2006
		AUGUST The ferns have grown to a height well in excess of 3 feet. Picture taken at 9:40am on 9 August 2006
		SEPTEMBER The path was getting overgrown with foliage, and has been cut back a little as seen on the left. Picture taken at 8:07am on 7 September 2006
		OCTOBER The summer growth is over, nature has started to retreat. Picture taken at 8:06am on 4 October 2006
		NOVEMBER The ferns have died back and the path is again glistening as the hard surface of summer softens in the wet of approaching winter. Picture taken at 9:25am on 20 November 2006
		DECEMBER Bow Wood is now at rest until the perpetual cycle starts again next spring. Picture taken at 9:41am on 18 December 2006

Bow Wood is in the English county of Derbyshire. The National Grid reference for the Lea Bridge entrance is SK 318 563

A historical description of Bow Wood can be seen on the Woodland Trust web site.

The author of this web site is Peter Daykin.

7 March 2007