Country diary: Dragonflies zoom on an unusually sunny day

Hingston Down, Tamar valley, Cornwall: Masses of tangled bramble suggests a heavy crop of blackberries, and 'wet May brings lots of hay' has proved to be trueA sun-dappled way leads towards the quiet, airy summit, away from hot tarmac, camera-watched traffic and new housing estates in St Ann's Chapel. Tumuli (ancient burial mounds) up on the ridge and Roundbarrow Farm are reminders of the prehistoric respect for this upland, and in the 19th century a copper mine dominated the skyline. Mined to a depth of 130 fathoms (240 metres), in 1864 it was the work destination for more than 200 men, women and children, many trudging miles uphill to break and sort ore at the surface or descend deep underground.Until 1872, and the completion of the mineral railway and incline towards the quays at Calstock, ore sent for smelting in south Wales was carted along tracks all the way to the Tamar. Continue reading...