Running between Winterburn and Hetton in the Yorkshire Dales, at its highest point Hills Lane passes by a small copse of Beech trees which overhang the road. This painting depicts the trees in the final grip of winter. Unlike the warm colours of summer, the blue tones here are distinctly cool, bordering on cold. Even so, spring is just around the corner and the first flush of colour is just starting to appear in the hedgerows. With its cool winter tones, the long shadows cast by the low winter sun and the way that the lee side of the trees is in deep shadow, contrasting strongly with the side facing the light, this painting captures the stillness and peace of the scene.