Travelling south to Salisbury from the Sidney Nolan Trust, I found myself in leafy Herefordshire, surrounded by medieval timbered buildings, rolling farmland and ancient churches. I’d heard about some great trees at National Trust’s Croft Castle and couldn’t resist a little detour since I was so close by.
There I found long avenues of large sweet chestnuts, in numbers unlike anywhere else I’ve been. The ridged bark on their squat, richly coloured trunks twisted as if it had been wrung out. Spiralling anticlockwise and often interrupted by huge chaotic burrs, they were a fabulous feast for the eyes.
On a sizzlingly hot July day it was the only place to be, beneath the cooling canopy of these big old sweet chestnut trees. Since the sun was so bright and the light so sharp, my photos were lacking the subtler qualities , so I have a reason now to find my way back there in a cooler season.