Wandering

[Bunnylump]

It strikes me that I'm often saying that I have been out walking (usually on Today I've mostly) but that sometimes it's nice to hear about good (or bad!) walks in various parts of the country. So if you do a nice walk / know of a nice walk in your neck of the woods, please stick it here. I'm fully aware that this will probably be yet another thread where I talk to myself and nobody else says anything, but you never know... Now I know for a fact that Looby and Clvrlad, at least are walkers, so there are no excuses!!

I've recently been doing chunks of the Ver Colne Valley walk, once I've finished all of it I will do an update of the highlights/ bits which aren't worth a visit. I also plan to start walking the Ridgeway shortly, so will give you some updates on that too.

[clvrlad]

yes i walk
ill see if i can post a link to one i particularly like
http://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/rcbc ... ail%20.pdf
:-p

and i think mbh is starting to walk
well when he doesn't go swimming

[Bunnylump]

Cool! That looks fab! Thanks.

[MBH]

I'm a practical walker because Maisie needs to do her business and Greenside is frankly too dangerous with a known agressive dog in each direction I can walk in the villiage.

So a car trip to the Newcastle quayside gives a 2 to 4 mile walk depending on what is needed.

There is a puzzle waiting to be written along this route so.......



What has been nice these dry, cold mornings has been following Venus down the river and Luna coming back. (Although the latter is moving location now).

[Bunnylump]

OK we've now done the Ver Colne Valley Walk. It does have some very pretty bits and some very interesting bits. It also has some fairly uninspiring "connecting" bits, such as a couple of bits of road walking in Park Street and just past the Sopwell Nunnery ruins, there are a couple of sections which run past things like allotments too. However, here are some of the highlights...

Redbournbury Mill - http://www.redbournburymill.co.uk/ Not only is it well worth the £2 entry fee to visit the working mill, but they have yummy bread, puddings, and cakes made on the premises. There is a ford nearby where small children can splosh about in wellies too.

The route passes FAIRLY close to Gorhambury ruins http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/days ... ury-house/ and directly past the Verulamiam Roman Amphitheatre http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/v ... b.jpg.html and the Verulamiam Roman museum, which is also well worth a visit.http://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/Sites ... ium-Museum

Later on in the walk, it passes through water meadows and past lakes which used to be gravel pits, where we saw lots of bird life. There was a pleasant section skirting through the estate of Munden House, and we also had a deviation from the route to visit Bricket Wood Common which had weird twisty trees...

[kathlyn]

We had a wander round the grounds of Calke Abbey this morning. The lovely sunshine or the apple tasting in the garden brought everybody out. Haven't seen the place so busy for ages.

[Bunnylump]

I'd never heard of that before, just looked it up. Looks worth a visit when I'm next up that way.

[kathlyn]

Well worth a visit. The house is full of glass cases of stuffed animals and birds as the original owner thought he was a natualist and seemed to shoot anything that moved. Other than that there are rooms full of all sorts things as collecting went beyond our ideal of a hobby and nothing was ever thrown away. There is a room papered with old Punch cartoons unfortunately you can only look in from the doorway now as people have been trying to peel them off the wall!

[MBH]

Bricket Wood Common which had weird twisty trees...

Far be it from me to suggest you felt at home min a place where things were weirdly twisted

[I can get away with it, she loves her Twin Bruv.... Tin dogs need to beware ]

EDIT:

Since she likes buildings and constructions, I'll get back in her good books with a couple of shots of the changing feel of the ironwork over the Tyne.

[Bunnylump]

What lovely pictures, MBH. You know you can soft soap me with a good picture of a bridge...even better than chocolate!

Me? Weird? Never!!

[clvrlad]

Me? Weird? Never!!

staying silent

for once

[LAT]

Two places I've been walking recently

Wall compressed.JPG (34.7 KiB) Viewed 2166 times

rice terraces compressed.JPG (37.35 KiB) Viewed 2166 times

[Bunnylump]

Wow! That looks breathtaking! There is something about the quality of the light and the mist in every photo I've seen of China which gives it a slightly surreal look. Years ago my Dad worked in China, and he has lots of photos like this, which don't quite look "real". You are lucky things to have seen these wonders!

[Wulfruna]

Welcome back LAT . We've been wondering how you were getting on? What a great experience! More pictures, please.....

[Bunnylump]

Been walking from Tring to Wigginton and back, via a bit of the Ridgeway path and incorporating Tring Park with its summerhouse and obelisk. The trees were very pretty - just on the change.

[clvrlad]

ill try to remember some photos as i walk around dublin

just setting off now so you wont see me for a bit

[Bunnylump]

Looking forward to hearing about your adventures, Clvrlad.

[Bunnylump]

Just been for a nice walk which involved sections of the Chiltern Way. It started in Cholesbury, a pretty village in Buckinghamshire with a windmill.
the walk went over fields and through woods, and at one point followed Grim's Ditch (iron age earthworks). The route was easy to follow and not particularly strenuous (well, apart from the slipping / sliding in muddy sections -who needs keep fit?? ). I can imagine it would be very pretty to do again in April / May because we passed loads of rhododendron bushes through some of the woods. Anyway, it was a beautiful day and a lovely walk. If anyone wants me to scan the walk and e mail it I will gladly do so.

When we got back, we had a nice meal and pint of London Pride in the Full Moon at Cholesbury
http://www.thefullmoon.info/index.html

Good day out.

[Bunnylump]

I've been doing some much more intensive "wandering" over the past weekend. We've started walking the Ridgeway. from the "other end" to us on Friday. The walk starts near Avebury (of ancient stones fame) at Overton Hill. It is an ancient route which has been used by herdsmen and soldiers for hundreds of years. The first section passed by many barrows on the fields, often marked by clumps of beech trees. Views were expansive over large, chalk-soiled fields. We ended up walking (over the three days) about 25 miles, and were remarkably lucky to have picked a weekend which featured lovely sunny days with a cool breeze.

We stayed at the Parklands Hotel in Ogbourne St George, which was pretty comfortable, and did good food in the evenings and for breakfast. I couldn't fault the friendliness of the owner, however, her husband was off dealing with his sick mother, and he usually deals with all things to do with finance and computers, consequently, it seems she has charged us THREE times for our accommodation!! Still, I'm sure we'll get it sorted.

Some of the highlights were: the views from Barbary castle (note, not my photos, just so you can see where we've been!!


Liddington Hill fort


Wayland Smithy


and the White Horse at Uffington


We looked down on the White horse from Uffington Castle, and also down to Dragon Hill (which is where St George is supposed to have slayed the dragon - the white patch you can see is where they say the dragon's blood was spilled...

[Laura]

Oh, the archaeologist in me is simply drooling at those pics!!! That sounds amazing.

I went on my A-level biology trip to Whitby, and while we were supposed to be sampling the moorland wildlife, my friend and I who both did archaeology just wandered off in search of bronze age round barrows. No one else understood our excitement at finding vaguely circular lumps and bumps.