The Clent Hills - A cold winter sunrise on Walton Hill Video
The Clent Hills - A cold winter sunrise on Walton Hill
It’s timelapse time again! This time while taking in a lovely cold crisp winter sunrise on one of my local hills, Walton Hill.
Walton Hill is part of a range in Northern Worcestershire known as the Clent Hills, it’s the highest point at 316 meters. It has superb views not only of nearby Wychbury Hill (Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?) and Clent Hill itself, but also out as far as the Clee Hills, The Wrekin, The Malvern Hills, and Birmingham city center. On a clear day with great visibility, you can see out as far as the Peak District, and even occasionally out to the Black Mountains, some 50 miles southwest.
Today though, it was all about the weather. It’s mid-December 2022 and we’re having a gorgeous but brutally cold spell of weather. A “cold-snap”…. and today, it was due to produce some interesting low cloud conditions over -8c ground.
I headed up onto the summit via the free parking on Clatterbach Lane, it was a short crispy walk over hard frozen ground. I arrived at the summit an hour before sunrise and set up my cameras. The DJI Osmo Action 3 captured a long wide-angle timelapse, and the trusty old Sony A7iii created the more abstract stuff. I got the drone out for some fun in between coffees and tried my best to keep my fingers warm.
There was some incredible low cloud, beautiful sunshine, and a bunch of friendly dog walkers. Couldn’t have gone better. Some of the best conditions I’ve experienced in the Clent Hills.
Some of the views were nothing short of incredible. You’ll find some stock footage here in my video portfolio
The walk back to the car was fantastic. Having survived the -8c night, the landscape was blessed with some gorgeous warm sunlight to that the thick frosty foliage, and I got to warm up my fingers!
Clent Hills prints and canvases are available in the store
White frosty trees emerge from a bitterly cold winter night into warm sunlight on the Clent Hills in Worcestershire.
Museum-quality prints on thick matte paper are a minimal and chic way to elevate your space.
About the Clent Hills
The Clent Hills, located in the West Midlands, are a range of hills that rise up from the surrounding countryside and provide stunning views across the landscape. Comprising of several hills, including Clent Hill and Walton Hill, the area has a rich history and is popular with walkers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts.
The Clent Hills are located in the southern part of the West Midlands, near the Worcestershire border. The area is largely comprised of sandstone, and the hills are the remains of an ancient range that was formed over 400 million years ago.
The hills cover an area of over 440 acres. The park is managed by the National Trust and is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, badgers, and birds of prey. There are several walking and hiking trails throughout the park, which range from gentle strolls to more challenging hikes.
The Clent Hills have a rich history, dating back over 3,000 years. The area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, and there are several ancient burial mounds. The hills were also used during the English Civil War, with Clent Hill being the site of a Royalist beacon that was used to signal the approach of Parliamentarian troops.
In the 19th century, the Clent Hills became a popular destination for tourists and day-trippers, with several hotels and inns opening in the area. The hills also played a role in the development of the local iron industry, with iron ore being mined from the surrounding hills and transported to the nearby furnaces.
In the early 20th century, the Clent Hills were purchased by the National Trust, who have been managing the area ever since. The hills have since become a popular destination for walkers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts, with several trails and paths crisscrossing the park.
The Clent Hills are a stunning area of natural beauty, with a rich history and a wide range of recreational opportunities. From the standing stones and burial mounds to the more recent Royalist beacons and iron mines, the area has played an important role in the history and development of the West Midlands. Today, the Clent Hills is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, offering stunning views, peaceful walks, and the chance to reconnect with nature.
Some quick facts about the Clent Hills
The Clent Hills are believed to be around 700 million years old, making them one of the oldest features in the local area.
The highest point on the Clent Hills is Walton Hill, which stands at 316m above sea level.
The Clent Hills have been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to their unique geology and ecology.
The hills are home to a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, foxes, badgers, and numerous species of birds.
The Clent Hills were once used for agriculture, particularly sheep farming, and there are still some remnants of old farm buildings and field boundaries visible today.
During the English Civil War, the Clent Hills were the site of several battles and skirmishes between Royalist and Parliamentary forces.
In the 19th century, the Clent Hills became a popular destination for day-trippers from nearby towns and cities, and several tea rooms and hotels were established to cater to them.
The Clent Hills were a favourite spot of the famous poet William Shenstone, who lived in nearby Halesowen and wrote several poems about the hills and their surroundings.
The Clent Hills are home to a number of historic landmarks, including the Four Stones, a set of standing stones thought to be around 4,000 years old.
The Clent Hills have been used as a filming location for several TV shows and movies, including the BBC drama "The Coroner" and the film "A Christmas Carol".
Who put Bella in the Wych Elm… what’s that about?
The unsolved mystery of who put Bella in the Wych Elm has captured the imagination of people for over 70 years. In April 1943, while four boys were poaching in Hagley Woods, near Stourbridge in the English Midlands, they stumbled upon a large and looming Wych Elm tree. One of the boys climbed up to explore the tree's hollow trunk, only to discover the skeletal remains of a human body, which had been callously stuffed inside.
The discovery caused a media sensation, and the police launched an extensive investigation into the murder. Despite numerous inquiries and appeals for information, the victim's identity and the perpetrator of the crime remained a mystery.
Forensic pathologists examined the remains and determined that the victim was a woman aged between 35 and 40 years. Her body had been stuffed into the tree soon after her death, and she had been deceased for around 18 months. Notably, the victim had a distinctive gold tooth and was wearing high-quality clothes, leading investigators to speculate that she may have been a member of the aristocracy or a high-class prostitute.
The case became known as "Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm", after the appearance of graffiti on a Birmingham wall with the enigmatic message, "Who put Luebella down the Wych Elm?" The message was later altered to "Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?" and sparked widespread conjecture and rumour.
Over the years, numerous theories have arisen to explain the identity of the victim and the circumstances of her death. Some have speculated that she was a German spy executed by British intelligence agents, while others have proposed that she was a victim of witchcraft or black magic.
In recent times, new evidence has surfaced, providing insight into this enduring mystery. An anonymous letter sent to a local journalist in 2018 claimed that the victim was a woman named Una Mossop, who was murdered by a group of people who believed she was a spy. The letter further alleged that Jack Mossop, Una's lover or husband, was one of the perpetrators.
While the authenticity of the letter is yet to be proven, it has revitalized interest in the case and provided a potential lead for investigators. Nonetheless, sceptics remain cautious, citing that the letter may be a hoax or a deliberate misdirection.
Despite the passing of time, the mysterious circumstances surrounding who put Bella in the Wych Elm remains an intriguing and unsolved enigma, inspiring numerous books, songs, and films that continue to enthral people worldwide.