A handsome crop near Chapman’s Pool in east Dorset, lighting up a grey summer day with its ethereal golden awns. Most barley has 4 rows of grain – but this variety had 6, making it even more feathery and attractive than usual.
Indian summer weather has gone at last – no more warm blue afternoon skies and still, dewy mornings. Suddenly the sky is full of flying grey tatters of cloud; and rooks are practising their synchronised wheeling, like stray tea-leaves swirling in a rinsed teapot. A cool damp wind…