Wolves Wild

More pictures of the Severn through Shrewsbury as it was bursting its banks with water from the series of heavy storms. These are views from a footpath near (but not too near) the river through the Quarry Park.

By the Port Hill Suspension Bridge, the small landing stage and duck feeding area was completely submerged, while on the far bank the waters were encroaching on the garden of the Boathouse Inn.

A little further downstream, the low winter sun was catching the bare branches of the weeping willows, making them look golden.

More pictures of the period where river levels were raised following the storms over Christmas. The Boxing Day Severn, just below the Frankwell car park at Shrewsbury. A lone cormorant must have been swimming hard against the current to keep in one spot, diving over and over for fish.

In Shrewsbury, the cabinets, street furniture generated by fibre broadband and the coming full fibre landline are decorated each with a different picture on a wildlife and nature theme. Presumably it’s a;; on yet another of the place’s homages to it’s most famous son.

River Severn just upstream of Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury, an area regularly flooded when the water rises. Trees normally standing towards the top of the river bank, their trunks partially submerged instead.

A small group of goosanders swimming on the swollen River Severn near St Julian Friars, Shrewsbury, on Boxing Day.

Upstream, the river had flooded the path through the Quarry directly beside the bank, but other paths were still open. The goosanders were swimming a few yards downstream from the point where pedestrians were forced to divert out of sight of the water, with riverside footpaths submerged for hundreds of yards downstream to the railway bridge and likely beyond.

Looking downstream from Welsh Bridge on Chrisdtmas morning, the river completely covering the footpath on the right bank, and looking like they are about to begin to encroach on the Boathouse Inn in the distance.

The water somewhat higher the next day, lapping the wall painting by the submerged footpath.