Harvest songs replaced by midnight combines

The Long Mynd, Shropshire There have been ponies here since the iron age hillfort was occupied, but few workers toil the fields at harvest time

Two white ponies were grazing on the high slopes above Carding Mill Valley. A mare and colt, white in the soft light, which felt more autumnal than was usual for the turn, grazed on a hidden lawn surrounded by bracken and heather. Up there, they seemed still, absorbed in feeding, but whenever a dog barked in the distance, they became watchful.

A pair of ravens flew across the valley and landed nearby. The ravens watched the ponies; the ponies watched the ravens.