Friday, January 25, 2013

Famine Fields

The snow is on it's way fast, washed by torrential rain, and temperatures at a dizzying 4 degrees Centigrade!


Remnants of snow lie against the ditches, and in the hollows, picking out the ghostly traces of the ancient famine fields, dug by hand to grow the potato.


these stripes,made by the creation of 'lazy beds' lie on land not cultivated since the 1840's - the famine years



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this is the steep slope down to the river - used only for grazing now
traces remain even on this lower field,  normally invisible highlighted by the snow