Sunken pathway on the Stiperstones, Shropshire.

A walk on the wild side - I discovered this path on the Stiperstones a couple of years ago and decided to pay a return visit yesterday. It felt like stepping back in time because the track is bordered with the remains of stone cottages that were once home to lead miners and their families. A little further on and I came across grassed-over spoil heaps and tumbledown walls, part of an industrial legacy stretching back to Roman times.

There was very little sunshine but the bright yellow gorse flowers provided a welcome splash of colour. As I set up my tripod I was serenaded by the competing calls of a willow warbler and a mistle thrush - a great soundtrack to a working day.