Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.
Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.
Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!
Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.
Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/
It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.
Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.
Surprisingly old mountain ash (rowan) at the top end of ex-RAF Rudloe No. 2 Site on a scorching day (7th July 2018) in a scorching month. Shades of 1976. I reckon the tree is about 100 years old.
The By Brook valley and Bannerdown escarpment from the Rudloe Arms bus stop
A close-up of part of that By Brook valley view showing ... hmmm Saltbox Farm I think
Another close-up showing the parched fields of this incredibly hot summer of 2018
Now switching slightly to the north, we see Colerne across the valley and Folly Farm at bottom left
The single-leaved ash in the parched top end of ex-RAF Rudloe No. 2 Site at Rudloe Fiveways
Ash 'copse' at Rudloe Fiveways
Down the Bradford Road from Rudloe Fiveways on this day of the World Cup quarter-finals (England v Sweden and Croatia v Russia)
The area of scrubland below Gorse Farm on the Bradford Road. The farm house was effectively abandoned by the MoD after the last tenant, Aubrey Lipscombe (who worked for the Ministry of Works/PSA), moved out about thirty years ago.
The Airbus premises in Skynet Drive seen from Park Lane across a parched summer meadow. Strange that Airbus security (Serco) discourages photograpers in Skynet Drive but has raised no objection to the proposed, 'overlooking' development.
The potentially marvellous view across the Clay Vale to Bowden Hill and the Marlborough Downs (part of the North Wessex Downs AONB) is significantly blocked, and will be further blocked, by Fiveways Industrial Estate and Corsham Science Park
Oliver's Castle and the western escarpment of the Marlborough Downs from 'high up' on Fiveways Industrial Estate. Contrary to the North Wiltshire Landscape Character Assessment, this view is denied now and to future generations.
Much ragwort in the Hanson field below Rudloe. The field is earmarked for a new entrance to Hartham mine. Halfway Firs lies beyond.
Convolvulus arvensis is much in evidence now. This is the view 'up' the Bradford Road towards Rudloe on 12th July 2018.
A further view of the Hanson field following weeks without rain. This view again on 12th July 2018.
Thankfully the 'Hanson field' remains a wild meadow for the moment with many grasses, ragwort, buddleia and dock
View west across the Hanson field towards Rudloe Estate. This end of the field was a football pitch in the 60s with about eight Lombardy poplars at the western end. There were also a number of Lombardy poplars at the Pickwick end of Bradford Road.
The unnecessary, Redcliffe, Park Place, greenfield development seen from the Rudloe - Hudswell byway on 12th July 2018
Remnants of miscanthus, sowthistle and willowherb gone to seed and ragwort in this view from the Rudloe - Hudswell byway on 12th July 2018
Grasses (probably fescues and a cat's tail), miscanthus, ragwort and willowherb in this view to Halfway Firs from the Rudloe - Hudswell byway
Maple and ash on the Bradford Road by Rudloe Estate with beech beyond the bus in this 12th July 2018 view
Ash at the eastern, Bradford Road, end of Rudloe Estate on this gorgeous summer morning in July 2018
Maple and beech with further beeches beyond (and much ash in the hedge across the road) at the entrance to Rudloe Estate - 13th July 2018
An allegory for Rudloe Estate. A Corsham councillor recently described Rudloe Estate as "deprived". Places don't become deprived by accident but through the policies and biases of councils (and councillors) and governments.
Convolvulus arvensis, my favourite Neapolitan ice cream (without the chocolate) flower of summer, seen here on a Bradford Road dry stone wall
Close-up of convolvulus arvensis flowers in the Bradford Road
And here we see convolvulus arvensis (and a discarded board) in the Hanson field with summer grasses, ragwort and Halfway Firs beyond
Unidentified grass (maybe tall fescue), buddleia, ragwort and dock in this zoomed view across the Hanson field to Halfway Firs
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