The weather was incredible for this nice walk out around the ups and downs of Wooton and Glympton. The butterflies, birds and insects were out in force, the trees have all begun their quest to absorb sunlight and flowers are everywhere. Wild garlic and garlic mustard were both in full effect - and incredibly tasty! - and I've mentally logged a few new spring flowers thanks to my mum's vast knowledge of wild and garden plants.
We started out north from Wootton following a lovely path along the side of a hill, past Ludwell Farm and a swallow sat posing on a weather vane. We passed the large farm complex at Glympton Park Farm and stopped for a quick break in a field to take in some sun. Mum found a huge old horseshoe which was too large to carry around for luck. We continued downhill towards Glympton Park and I spotted a surveillance camera nestled in a tree. Further down the hill we stopped next to a bridge by a waterfall and a widening of the river Glyme.
Two heavily-armed police officers passed us as we sat for a break, followed a few minutes later by a luxury bus, two blacked-out Range Rovers and a blacked-out Jaguar in convoy. A little investigation online revealed the owner of Glympton Park as Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the nephew to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and long-time Saudi ambassador to the US. As we continued through the park, past a car-park full of expensive cars with personalised number plates and a couple of Arab gentlemen in suits, the wealth involved became more apparent as resplendent buildings and gardens revealed themselves, along with more cameras and some anti-terrorism devices like retractable bollards. It was all quite intimidating if I'm honest, particularly the presence of two coppers with automatic rifles. I think that's the first time I've seen guns on my walks, anyway.
We passed the pretty gatehouse and perfectly-manicured globular hedges that surrounded it, crossed the road and spent a few kilometres in the dappled shade of woods before turning east onto the road for a stretch, then across country on the margin of a field with hedgerows and thin wood blocking our view down into the valley. At one point it opened out and we hopped over a fence to sit for ten minutes to enjoy the view of the lake with the village of Wootton in the distance. We passed the outskirts of the village and entered the Wootton Jubilee Fields and Long Meadow Nature Reserve that follows the Darn and Glyme for a fair stretch. We stopped for lunch here at a beautiful, quiet and relaxing spot right next to the babbling river, surrounded by cowslips and cuckooflower. A good half-mile of track, then another of wooded path and another of road carried us back to the car and a feeling of satisfaction having made the most of the sunshine.
13 April 2011
03 April 2011
Hornton, Warmington, Ratley, Edgehill, Upton circular, 9.25 miles
The sky looked ominous as we drove out to Banbury, small drops of rain splashing on the windscreen. Fortunately the rain came to nought and the day gradually showed more sunshine, ending with a hazy light that's given my face and neck a nice pink glow.
We parked up at the green in Hornton and started north up a good hill to get the legs woken. Over the road and past some curious cows to Bush Hill, aptly named for the gorse that runs along a contour. We stopped for a quick break on the edge, listening to the booms and bangs from a shoot on the other side of the valley.
We continued down the hill and up the other side of the valley past a campsite I'd definitely visit at this time of year near Camp Lane. Along the road for a stretch then down, up and down, then a stop to enjoy the view. My folks released a tormented magpie that appeared to have been caught in a trap of some sort, then up a good solid hill and through the village of Ratley, then across a couple of fields to Edgehill and past the wonderful Castle Inn.
There followed a couple of kilometres walking along the edge of Edge Hill, the view to our right blocked by wood. Mum had promised a big view and the further along we got the more disappointed I became that we could only see tiny tantalising views of the vast vale. We decided to extend our route a little to cross over to Spring Hill where the map showed a break in the wood, and my god it was worth it!
We sat and had lunch and watched the world go by. I set up my tripod and camera and took a 44-frame minute-interval timelapse of the clouds going by, with me in one frame for Tess.
We walked back along a straight path to the car park of Upton House, a lovely-looking National Trust house and gardens. I get the feeling we'll be going back there one day. A slight detour north then south-east here to avoid a stretch of busy road, then along a valley and out into a wider stretch for another break before heading along the final half-mile to the car.
This was a cracking walk. I love the combination of a good distance of more than eight miles with all that undulation in the landscape. At one point we could see about five kilometres we'd walked along one side of the valley, across the end and up the other side. That was quite a special moment for me; being able to see how far we've walked really puts my footsteps into context with the landscape around me.
We parked up at the green in Hornton and started north up a good hill to get the legs woken. Over the road and past some curious cows to Bush Hill, aptly named for the gorse that runs along a contour. We stopped for a quick break on the edge, listening to the booms and bangs from a shoot on the other side of the valley.
We continued down the hill and up the other side of the valley past a campsite I'd definitely visit at this time of year near Camp Lane. Along the road for a stretch then down, up and down, then a stop to enjoy the view. My folks released a tormented magpie that appeared to have been caught in a trap of some sort, then up a good solid hill and through the village of Ratley, then across a couple of fields to Edgehill and past the wonderful Castle Inn.
There followed a couple of kilometres walking along the edge of Edge Hill, the view to our right blocked by wood. Mum had promised a big view and the further along we got the more disappointed I became that we could only see tiny tantalising views of the vast vale. We decided to extend our route a little to cross over to Spring Hill where the map showed a break in the wood, and my god it was worth it!
We sat and had lunch and watched the world go by. I set up my tripod and camera and took a 44-frame minute-interval timelapse of the clouds going by, with me in one frame for Tess.
We walked back along a straight path to the car park of Upton House, a lovely-looking National Trust house and gardens. I get the feeling we'll be going back there one day. A slight detour north then south-east here to avoid a stretch of busy road, then along a valley and out into a wider stretch for another break before heading along the final half-mile to the car.
This was a cracking walk. I love the combination of a good distance of more than eight miles with all that undulation in the landscape. At one point we could see about five kilometres we'd walked along one side of the valley, across the end and up the other side. That was quite a special moment for me; being able to see how far we've walked really puts my footsteps into context with the landscape around me.
29 March 2011
Hanwell, Shotteswell, Hornton, Horley circular, 8.9 miles at 2.5mph
Consistently hilly with a couple of medium-challenging climbs, much of this walk was spent on one side of a valley with a couple of lovely stops along the way. There was plenty of wildlife in the form of thrushes, skylarks, butterflies, bees, and flowers such as daisies, daffodils, crocuses, primrose, violets, red dead nettle and an incredibly fragrant wild currant which was on someone's verge next to their garden.
Unfortunately it's a couple of days later and I'm kinda of sketchy on the details of this walk as I was tired and considerably hung-over, but it was a good one and I'd like to do it again, perhaps in reverse for variety.
Unfortunately it's a couple of days later and I'm kinda of sketchy on the details of this walk as I was tired and considerably hung-over, but it was a good one and I'd like to do it again, perhaps in reverse for variety.
20 March 2011
Old Wolverton, Cosgrove, Castlethorpe circular, 8.7 miles at 2.7mph
OMG sunshine, and lots of it! Probably the best, most clear and warmest day of the year so far, we made the most of it with this wonderful walk quite near to home. After stopping in Stony Stratford and braving the busy Saturday morning bakery, we set off to a car park in nearby Old Wolverton on the very north-western tip of Milton Keynes near the canal.
We started off north-east towards the railway line that runs out of central MK. As we approached a crossing over a feed into the Great Ouse a few trains were kind enough to cross and I caught one in shot as I was appreciating the build of the bridge and serenity of the flowing water. The Great Ouse here is already considerably more voluminous than where I live, being twice as far from the source as Buckingham is and fed by the Tove and water flowing out of the lakes at Cosgrove Leisure Park.
We followed the river along past the lakes - what a beautiful area this is, even the caravans and holiday homes not spoiling the views or the feel of countryside wonder that comes with riverside walking. We stopped for a break along this stretch before joining the canal over the Iron Trunk Aquaduct. I remember coming over this on a boat as a kid and being freaked out by the lack of railings on the edge of the bridge - every high crossing I'd been over until that point had a wall or railings to stop you falling over the edge but this, nothing. My mother admitted her hatred of heights during the walk and made me wonder if that's where I got it from; not that I suffer from vertigo now having trained myself out of it as a teenager by climbing trees, but I don't know, I wonder if kids pick these things up.
The walk along the Grand Union Canal is pretty to say the least. Boats and their varying smells of diesel, wood-fire and paint, white and purple violets, walkers of all ages, runners, dogs and cats. We passed through Cosgrove and I related memories of the village and bringing the boat through it as a youngster, something my parents said they had forgotten all about. We carried on along and as I looked at the up-coming section of the map I spotted somewhere I've been before: The Navigation Inn at Cosgrove. I was there for a sunshine-and-sunset drink with my friend towards the end of last summer and used to have lunch with an old boss there occasionally. It's a great spot and it'll be the focus of a future walk with friends.
We carried on along the canal for another mile until turning right into open country. I must admit it was a nice refreshing change to have a view of open countryside on both sides; my plans to walk the length of the Grand Union Canal through Milton Keynes will have to bear in mind that at least one side of the view will likely be restricted for the whole journey. Following a waterway can be nice for a while but I'm not sure it offers enough variety for a longer-distance walk. We'll see anyway, as I'm planning that walk after I finish this post and hope to walk it over the next week or so.
We walked down past Castlethorpe without entering the village and headed down along the river to have lunch in a lovely little riverside spot, almost perfect in that it dipped below the level of the field towards the river and cut out the breeze that had cooled us for much of the day. During lunch a Peacock butterfly landed and sunbathed on a nearby fallen tree, so I crept up and took a few photos while it obligingly posed and strutted for the camera. Go on, yeah! You're a butterfly! *snap snap*
After eating, we passed through Cosgrove again, over the canal and cross-country for an extra mile, half of which followed the Great Ouse back toward the Iron Trunk. Through the soggy pedestrian tunnel under the bridge and along the canal back to the Galleon Pub and the car park on Old Wolverton Road.
This walk was utterly lovely, gorgeous sunshine, plenty of water and wildlife, rail, boats, humans and variety. It certainly didn't feel like 8.7 miles but considering the best part of it was flat and my two most recent walks were 11.5 and 15 miles I'm hardly surprised. I'll definitely be repeating a proportion of this walk with others, with either the Galleon or Navigation pubs as start/end points.
13 March 2011
Whitchurch, Creslow, Dunton, Mursley, Whaddon, Nash, Thornborough linear, 15 miles at 3.2mph
Woo. Writing this the following afternoon I'm still enjoying the power of natural happy chemicals, the tips of my feet sting slightly thanks to some blisters but my legs feel fantastic; not a twinge, ache or sore anywhere.
The mileage total has a kilometre to the bus stop added on for the day. The route all the way home was marked to 18.5 miles but I decided half-way between Nash and Thornborough that I'd aim for a pint and a cab home once I got to the Two Brewers.
Along through Dunton village to join the footpath north for a good three or four kilometres of wonderful, uninhabited countryside with enough variety underfoot to keep things interesting. By now the sky had mostly cleared and the sun was warming my neck as I walked toward my shadow once again, this time with morning light. The water tower at Mursley acts as a natural landmark to head toward.
The village itself is pretty enough: the usual mix of new and old houses, wandering cats, people gardening and kids riding scooters. As you leave the village on the footpath, the water tower appears to your right behind the raised bank of a small reservoir. I liked this view but for some bizarre reason didn't get a photo.
After a few fields you cross the old railway track with sturdy embankments either side. I stopped here after seven miles, rolled my sleeves up and had my first break, ate half my supplies and chatted with Tess for fifteen minutes before setting off again towards Norbury Coppice, east then north through Broadway Wood and across the A421. Here I was amazed at the ability of the wood to cut out the noise of the road - it was only about fifty metres away that I began to hear the heavy Saturday lunchtime traffic and without woods on the other side the noise lasted for a fair kilometre before becoming almost too quiet to notice.
The path leads alongside Thickbare and Thinbare Woods - what glorious names! - and up to Whaddon. To my right approaching the village I could see Kingsmead, the most south-westerly development of Milton Keynes, less than a kilometre across the fields. It empathised with life-long residents of the village who must have seen MK gradually creep towards them as the land is sold off to developers and the city fills its boots. I'm not sure how I'd handle that kind of threat to my home town, and for the first time I was disappointed to see modern development getting so close to rural life.
Here, after ten miles of north, a few of west. Following the North Bucks Way to Nash and lunch, finishing my supplies and my water. Another two kilometres and another break, this time to find out which of two paths to take, but I ended up sitting on a stile for ten minutes before going again. It was by this point it was becoming apparent I wouldn't make it all the way back to Buckingham; I knew I had blisters coming along on my toes and one on my heel and I was starting to enjoy it less and less. By the time I'd got into Thornborough I resigned myself to a pint and a cab home. The pub was shut, no disaster. I caught a cab home, bathed, massaged and chilled for the evening.
I'd repeat this walk in an instant. I'll try it again with more stops, tighter boots and more supplies. Something I couldn't slot in above was a wonderful experience with three Greater Spotted Woodpeckers. I was trying to take a photo of the branch in this picture, honest.
I got so close to this one I could see him looking at me. Unfortunately my camera ran out of battery before I had a chance to get the manual focus working properly, the process of which I'll definitely have to learn before trying it again five seconds from a shot at almost full-zoom. If it were an SLR I'd have it in an instant but with this handy digital it's a little more tricky.
Lovely walk. Here's looking toward twenty miles.
09 March 2011
Buckingham, Maids Moreton, Lockmeadow, Hyde Lane, Thornton, Beachampton, Calverton, Two Mile Ash, Loughton, Central Milton Keynes linear, 11.6 miles
After yesterday’s walk I knew today was going to be sunny, so all day at work I was itching to get out. I decided quite early on to challenge myself and walk to Milton Keynes; 11.6 miles with nine of them cross-country and the remainder on tarmac. I knew it’d be dark by the time I finished, but guessed correctly that I could make it to civilisation before I ran out of light. I knew it would be an adventure – it turned out to be uneventful but the challenge of getting to the station for a particular time and perhaps having to navigate the last few miles in the dark really motivated me to keep my speed up.
I set off at 3.25pm having been home after work to get my boots and map and pack my tiny bag. I packed water but forgot something to eat which turned out to be a mistake – much of the walk I was haunted by images of rich exotic foods and when the first pang of hunger twisted in my stomach, the knowledge that the nearest shop was ten miles away drove me onward. I’d rather not have had the distraction to be honest, but lesson learned.
I walked from the flat via Maids Moreton playing fields to Lockmeadow Farm. Here, the footpath has no obvious direction and I often find myself wandering among the crap and the caravans trying to find a suitable route through. The route I usually take is now occupied by a static caravan and a locked gate and, not wishing to disturb the residents, I hopped a different fence and made my way into open countryside, following the Great Ouse for a stretch before joining the canal-side path at Hyde Lane. The canal group have done a great job of tidying-up the canal and shoring-up this path; it’s starting to look rather pretty. The running water near the lock has been cleared and it seems a rather nice place for lunch. This time however I strode on along the path, spotting sheep with brand new babies over the way and getting quite close to some few-days-old lambs on the approach to the main road. I headed out past Thornton College and across a few fields to Beachampton.
Every time I get to this village I’m somewhat relieved to find civilisation and distracted enough to miss investigating the beautiful circular church tower that guides you into the village. One day I’ll remember. It’s a short walk into the village before turning towards MK again, following my ever-lengthening shadow which pointed the way for much of the trip. Shortly after leaving Beachampton I crossed four stiles in fifty metres – some kind of record this; I’ll be interested to see if I can better it at any point. Further down and the map says you can go either side of the hedge – you can’t. I ended up hopping a barbed-wire fence to join the path proper which ran in an almost-straight line all the way to Calverton.
You see very little of this pretty village on the way through but it seems a thoroughly nice place to live, although it seems to be a bit of a rat-run at this time of day. As I left the village the sun was starting to drift slowly behind the trees and it started to cool down, so I rolled my sleeves to my wrists and pushed on to MK. I found the path to the main road which I failed to find last time and plugged my earphones in as the traffic flew past.
It’s deceptively far from the footpath to the central station. I upped my pace as the temperature dropped, racing through Two Mile Ash in the dusk and Loughton in the almost-dark. I rounded on the station and spotted from some distance that my bus was waiting at the stop, so I instigated the first running finish to a walk I’ve ever done to save me having to wait 25 minutes for the next one. I hopped on the bus in the nick of time and enjoyed the feel of the seat under my backside.
The whole walk was virtually non-stop; just a couple of ten-second stops to get my bearings. I’m very proud of this, and chuffed with the fact that my legs and feet didn’t ache afterwards nor do they now, the following day. This 11.5 miles followed 6.8 miles yesterday, making my two-day total 18.3 miles. There’s a chance I’ll pop another eight or ten on that total this afternoon depending on how I feel when I get home – I woke with a slight headache and sore throat this morning so I may invest my spare time in some rest, although the challenge of walking three days in a row is calling me quite insistently.
I set off at 3.25pm having been home after work to get my boots and map and pack my tiny bag. I packed water but forgot something to eat which turned out to be a mistake – much of the walk I was haunted by images of rich exotic foods and when the first pang of hunger twisted in my stomach, the knowledge that the nearest shop was ten miles away drove me onward. I’d rather not have had the distraction to be honest, but lesson learned.
I walked from the flat via Maids Moreton playing fields to Lockmeadow Farm. Here, the footpath has no obvious direction and I often find myself wandering among the crap and the caravans trying to find a suitable route through. The route I usually take is now occupied by a static caravan and a locked gate and, not wishing to disturb the residents, I hopped a different fence and made my way into open countryside, following the Great Ouse for a stretch before joining the canal-side path at Hyde Lane. The canal group have done a great job of tidying-up the canal and shoring-up this path; it’s starting to look rather pretty. The running water near the lock has been cleared and it seems a rather nice place for lunch. This time however I strode on along the path, spotting sheep with brand new babies over the way and getting quite close to some few-days-old lambs on the approach to the main road. I headed out past Thornton College and across a few fields to Beachampton.
Every time I get to this village I’m somewhat relieved to find civilisation and distracted enough to miss investigating the beautiful circular church tower that guides you into the village. One day I’ll remember. It’s a short walk into the village before turning towards MK again, following my ever-lengthening shadow which pointed the way for much of the trip. Shortly after leaving Beachampton I crossed four stiles in fifty metres – some kind of record this; I’ll be interested to see if I can better it at any point. Further down and the map says you can go either side of the hedge – you can’t. I ended up hopping a barbed-wire fence to join the path proper which ran in an almost-straight line all the way to Calverton.
You see very little of this pretty village on the way through but it seems a thoroughly nice place to live, although it seems to be a bit of a rat-run at this time of day. As I left the village the sun was starting to drift slowly behind the trees and it started to cool down, so I rolled my sleeves to my wrists and pushed on to MK. I found the path to the main road which I failed to find last time and plugged my earphones in as the traffic flew past.
It’s deceptively far from the footpath to the central station. I upped my pace as the temperature dropped, racing through Two Mile Ash in the dusk and Loughton in the almost-dark. I rounded on the station and spotted from some distance that my bus was waiting at the stop, so I instigated the first running finish to a walk I’ve ever done to save me having to wait 25 minutes for the next one. I hopped on the bus in the nick of time and enjoyed the feel of the seat under my backside.
The whole walk was virtually non-stop; just a couple of ten-second stops to get my bearings. I’m very proud of this, and chuffed with the fact that my legs and feet didn’t ache afterwards nor do they now, the following day. This 11.5 miles followed 6.8 miles yesterday, making my two-day total 18.3 miles. There’s a chance I’ll pop another eight or ten on that total this afternoon depending on how I feel when I get home – I woke with a slight headache and sore throat this morning so I may invest my spare time in some rest, although the challenge of walking three days in a row is calling me quite insistently.
07 March 2011
Buckingham, Maids Moreton, Foscote, Leckhampstead, Akeley circular, 6.8 miles short
I say “short” as I usually take a slightly longer route between Leckhampstead and Akeley, but there’s a story attached to this. When I first got into walking I tried to encourage my daughter to come out with me because it’s something I’d really enjoyed doing with my parents as a youngster. I bought her some boots and a little rucksack and we had a couple of successful short walks.
One sunny day I asked if she’d like to try five miles with me and go to look for four-leafed clovers. We walked out to Foscote, then Leckhampstead, stopping on the bench at the T-junction to each our lunch in the sun (insert smiling dandelions photo).
After our break we set off intending to follow the short path back to Akeley, but my map-reading skills weren’t as honed as they are now and I couldn’t find the shorter path, so we walked up past a farm and out the back route to Akeley, stopping again to rest in a big patch of clover to search for the elusive four-leaf. After fifteen minutes of looking we gave up and stood up to go, and Sophie looked down and shouted “There’s one!” and gently picked it out of the ground. I think she still has it somewhere to this day.
Unfortunately, as that walk was around seven and a half miles, her little legs ached like hell when she got back and it’s put her off walking since. I’m absolutely gutted about this, I must admit, as I feel like my mistake has ruined something we could do together, something I really enjoy and has the potential to be good for her too. I’d love it if we could share some of my shorter walks; I think she’d get great benefits from walking in general and I hope she takes it up in future. I won’t push it, though, as I think there’s something special to be gained from discovering it yourself.
So, the shorter walk. I set out for my staple five-mile circuit with a client for Walking for Wellbeing, but it was a no-show. Despite my disappointment, as the day looked nice enough I decided to carry on anyway, perhaps adding a couple of miles by getting out to Leckhampstead. Within a few metres a lady blackbird flew across my path and stood on a nearby fence with a beak-full of twigs and brush, checking me out a while before jumping into a bush to build her nest. I walked through Maids Moreton, past heavily-populated rugby pitches and into the fields. Most of the way across the first field and BOOM! A scare-crow cannon in the next field scared the crap out of me as I babbled along to myself. Down the hill to Beatles Cove – named by my daughter as a place her and her friend go to and, apparently, do very similar walk-and-talks to Walking for Wellbeing. It’s a lovely spot with a huge oak overhanging a brook shallow enough to paddle, its roots twisting out of the earth and providing a nice place to sit. I occasionally come out here myself just to get away from it all, and it’s lost none of its charm over the winter.
Across to Foscote where I saw the year’s first lambs – March 6th 2011. They weren’t gambolling or bouncing around so I guess they were pretty new. Their mothers looked at me almost expectantly as I walked past. As I passed the manor house and entered the next field a kestrel was putting on a display, circling right over my head, so I sat on the tree stump a while to watch in wonder at its mastery of the sky. Down then up for a kilometre into Leckhampstead, all this while talking to myself to get stuff out of my head. I’ve done this a little in the past but today I must’ve spent around an hour talking and asking myself questions, a little self-therapy if you will. I found it most beneficial and came to some interesting conclusions which I’ll save for a post in another blog.
Skirting Leckhampstead village, I followed the road a short distance toward Akeley and took the path under the pylons, then downhill to the bridge over the stream. This really is a gorgeous spot, spoiled only slightly by the crackling electricity wires overhead. By this point the skies had cleared somewhat and the clouds were becoming less formed and more scattered. I sat and rolled up my sleeves and took out my map.
Here’s where the story above comes in. As I sat by the babbling stream at the bottom of the hill, soaking up some of the evasive sunshine and rubbing it all over my face, I remembered the dilemma Sophie and I faced as we arrived here that time. I looked again on the map and saw my mistake instantly – I’d been looking for the path on the wrong side of the stream! After ten minutes or so I packed my fleece into my rucksack and, with sleeves still high, set off back up the hill, spotting the stile instantly I reached the peak. From here it hugged hedgerows scattered with chaffinches and intended to cross a small crop field to the opposite corner but as there was no obvious sign of the crossing, I stuck to the track and reached the road, turning right and recceing where the path should have been before crossing the road and heading towards Akeley village.
With the sun still in effect, I headed back to Maids Moreton via the usual route, behind the houses, across two small fields to the top of the long, muddy field which, while as long as usual, was thankfully nowhere near as muddy. Up and across, then follow the hedgerows back to the road at the village. When I came around the corner I spotted something I’d not seen before, perhaps due to overgrowth or sheer determination to get home: a public footpath on the opposite side of the road. The path crosses behind the vets and past the allotments, through perhaps the craziest narrowest stile/crossing I’ve ever seen which I had to remove my rucksack to get through, across various rugby pitches and a field to join the new estate where I live. This is a much more scenic route that heading back through the village along the main road and I’ll definitely be using this one from now on.
This was a cracker. It may even become my new staple route, seeing as I can do the other 5.2-mile one in about an hour and a half now. Honestly, I’m so glad I got out and even happier the sunshine accompanied me for much of the way. I’m writing this the day after the walk and I’m enthused again by the sunny weather, planning a walk to Milton Keynes this evening to catch a bus back.
I think this proves something I’ve been feeling for a while: the winter grey has been here far, far too long. I haven’t suffered strong symptoms of SAD for in the few years since I had my therapy, but this year along with other contributing factors the relentless lack of colour outside has really affected my mood and motivation for walking. I’d become sick of the drab countryside, the limited visibility, the way all my photos were underexposed and lifeless, the constant desire for a sunny walk never fulfilled. It’s been grey for many months with few exceptions, and the short days have meant that those exceptions are short-lived. I’m pleased to see the sun again now, and I’m going to make the most of it today and tomorrow to lift my mood and get some more miles on me. I’ve been slack this past couple of weeks, really slack, so it’s time to get back on it.
I hope the weather agrees with me.
One sunny day I asked if she’d like to try five miles with me and go to look for four-leafed clovers. We walked out to Foscote, then Leckhampstead, stopping on the bench at the T-junction to each our lunch in the sun (insert smiling dandelions photo).
After our break we set off intending to follow the short path back to Akeley, but my map-reading skills weren’t as honed as they are now and I couldn’t find the shorter path, so we walked up past a farm and out the back route to Akeley, stopping again to rest in a big patch of clover to search for the elusive four-leaf. After fifteen minutes of looking we gave up and stood up to go, and Sophie looked down and shouted “There’s one!” and gently picked it out of the ground. I think she still has it somewhere to this day.
Unfortunately, as that walk was around seven and a half miles, her little legs ached like hell when she got back and it’s put her off walking since. I’m absolutely gutted about this, I must admit, as I feel like my mistake has ruined something we could do together, something I really enjoy and has the potential to be good for her too. I’d love it if we could share some of my shorter walks; I think she’d get great benefits from walking in general and I hope she takes it up in future. I won’t push it, though, as I think there’s something special to be gained from discovering it yourself.
So, the shorter walk. I set out for my staple five-mile circuit with a client for Walking for Wellbeing, but it was a no-show. Despite my disappointment, as the day looked nice enough I decided to carry on anyway, perhaps adding a couple of miles by getting out to Leckhampstead. Within a few metres a lady blackbird flew across my path and stood on a nearby fence with a beak-full of twigs and brush, checking me out a while before jumping into a bush to build her nest. I walked through Maids Moreton, past heavily-populated rugby pitches and into the fields. Most of the way across the first field and BOOM! A scare-crow cannon in the next field scared the crap out of me as I babbled along to myself. Down the hill to Beatles Cove – named by my daughter as a place her and her friend go to and, apparently, do very similar walk-and-talks to Walking for Wellbeing. It’s a lovely spot with a huge oak overhanging a brook shallow enough to paddle, its roots twisting out of the earth and providing a nice place to sit. I occasionally come out here myself just to get away from it all, and it’s lost none of its charm over the winter.
Across to Foscote where I saw the year’s first lambs – March 6th 2011. They weren’t gambolling or bouncing around so I guess they were pretty new. Their mothers looked at me almost expectantly as I walked past. As I passed the manor house and entered the next field a kestrel was putting on a display, circling right over my head, so I sat on the tree stump a while to watch in wonder at its mastery of the sky. Down then up for a kilometre into Leckhampstead, all this while talking to myself to get stuff out of my head. I’ve done this a little in the past but today I must’ve spent around an hour talking and asking myself questions, a little self-therapy if you will. I found it most beneficial and came to some interesting conclusions which I’ll save for a post in another blog.
Skirting Leckhampstead village, I followed the road a short distance toward Akeley and took the path under the pylons, then downhill to the bridge over the stream. This really is a gorgeous spot, spoiled only slightly by the crackling electricity wires overhead. By this point the skies had cleared somewhat and the clouds were becoming less formed and more scattered. I sat and rolled up my sleeves and took out my map.
Here’s where the story above comes in. As I sat by the babbling stream at the bottom of the hill, soaking up some of the evasive sunshine and rubbing it all over my face, I remembered the dilemma Sophie and I faced as we arrived here that time. I looked again on the map and saw my mistake instantly – I’d been looking for the path on the wrong side of the stream! After ten minutes or so I packed my fleece into my rucksack and, with sleeves still high, set off back up the hill, spotting the stile instantly I reached the peak. From here it hugged hedgerows scattered with chaffinches and intended to cross a small crop field to the opposite corner but as there was no obvious sign of the crossing, I stuck to the track and reached the road, turning right and recceing where the path should have been before crossing the road and heading towards Akeley village.
With the sun still in effect, I headed back to Maids Moreton via the usual route, behind the houses, across two small fields to the top of the long, muddy field which, while as long as usual, was thankfully nowhere near as muddy. Up and across, then follow the hedgerows back to the road at the village. When I came around the corner I spotted something I’d not seen before, perhaps due to overgrowth or sheer determination to get home: a public footpath on the opposite side of the road. The path crosses behind the vets and past the allotments, through perhaps the craziest narrowest stile/crossing I’ve ever seen which I had to remove my rucksack to get through, across various rugby pitches and a field to join the new estate where I live. This is a much more scenic route that heading back through the village along the main road and I’ll definitely be using this one from now on.
This was a cracker. It may even become my new staple route, seeing as I can do the other 5.2-mile one in about an hour and a half now. Honestly, I’m so glad I got out and even happier the sunshine accompanied me for much of the way. I’m writing this the day after the walk and I’m enthused again by the sunny weather, planning a walk to Milton Keynes this evening to catch a bus back.
I think this proves something I’ve been feeling for a while: the winter grey has been here far, far too long. I haven’t suffered strong symptoms of SAD for in the few years since I had my therapy, but this year along with other contributing factors the relentless lack of colour outside has really affected my mood and motivation for walking. I’d become sick of the drab countryside, the limited visibility, the way all my photos were underexposed and lifeless, the constant desire for a sunny walk never fulfilled. It’s been grey for many months with few exceptions, and the short days have meant that those exceptions are short-lived. I’m pleased to see the sun again now, and I’m going to make the most of it today and tomorrow to lift my mood and get some more miles on me. I’ve been slack this past couple of weeks, really slack, so it’s time to get back on it.
I hope the weather agrees with me.
28 February 2011
Blockley circular, 6.4 miles
I'd been looking forward to this walk. Having not been walking all week, my legs were itching for some action and the weather forecast looked somewhat promising, with sunshine in the morning and scattered heavy showers in the afternoon. I woke early and after a while the sun was blazing into my room, filling me with pleasure and anticipation.
Unfortunately, as soon as we left the car just after 10am, the rain started and didn't really relent for the first three miles. We started with a long descent into the village, skirting it slightly and heading for a long ascent up a muddy wooded track to a plateau, then another long downhill to stop for coffee while the rain abated. A few more ups and downs and another torrential rain shower, we climbed a great long hill up and found a sheltered spot out of the wind to enjoy a spot of lunch and an experiment in time-lapse photography, taking fifteen shots of the clouds and rain moving across the landscape over fifteen minutes. The end result wasn't great and could have done with being longer and having frames taken every ten or fifteen seconds, but it's a limitation of the camera unfortunately.
During lunch we had three or four long-tailed tits and a blue tit join us on a nearby bush. I've never seen long-tails so close but here they were, flitting rapidly from branch to branch, stopping occasionally to check us out but only very briefly.
It was lovely, really, apart from the persistent rain and the cold, vicious wind towards the end. The scenery, the hills, the wildlife, the occasional massive views all give this walk promise for a much brighter day. The going was heavily muddy and hard work underfoot, making the 6.4 miles total seem like much further. The whole walk consisted of ups and downs, fields and grass, mud and marsh. Everywhere, even the tops of hills, was sodden and sticky and squelchy. If we get much more rain, there'll be floods - fortunately the forecast is reasonably good.
I'd quite like to get out for another walk to two this week. I may be busy for much of the end of the week, so I'll perhaps try to take advantage of the evenings in the early week and get out there for a few miles and a little head-space.
21 February 2011
Snowshill, Stanway, Stanton circular, 8 miles
Before this walk had even begun, we were lucky enough to spot a buzzard in a field not far from the car. We passed it, stopped, reversed and it flew off, only to circle round and pose on a post in front of the car. We approached it slowly and it looked right into the car and only took to the wing when we were three or four metres away. None of us had ever seen one so close-up before and I was struck by how colourful it seemed close-up. Obviously, when in flight they're generally seen against a bright sky which contrasts their feathers heavily, but my goodness he was pretty, his eyes were bright and true and his beak curved and strong.
We parked in the free car park at Snowshill which is, by no small statement, one of the most beautiful villages I've ever been through. Striking Cotswold stone, no street signs or lamps, traditional house-name plates, well-kept gardens and a gorgeous church on a hill in the square in the middle of the village surrounded by houses. I'll be going back there again. Very soon after we left the village we were greeted by a very gregarious tit - marsh or willow we couldn't say - but it sat in a bush and jabbered sweet whistles until we carried on. A robin treated us to a similar display a few minutes later.
Much of the first two kilometres was steadily uphill, reaching a walk peak of 300m before heading down through Lidcombe and Longpark woods on a stony track cut into the hillside, past a hydraulic ram making wonderful rhythms and pumping bright, sparkling freshwater over stones tinged turquoise-blue with natural copper. I took one such stone for my collection. The amount of water running off this hillside surprised me, but in retrospect we'd had a fair amount of rain over the preceding few weeks.
Along the road to Stanway with its stunning Manor House and interesting wall sections in the graveyard. Follow the contours with slight ups and downs all the way to Stanton and through the village which, I think, was nice but unremarkable as I can't really remember too much about it. Here began a steady climb from 105m to 200m, then a brief rest, then a long, steep, non-stop slogging climb up to 300m and the settlement at the top for lunch. This was the longest and most challenging hill I've done since the cliff walk last summer and I hope to do many more like it this year. I only questioned my sanity once during the ascent which, compared to the cliff walk, isn't anywhere near enough for me to consider it "hard".
We extended this walk north a kilometre then east and south and east back to the car park. The final section was another long-down followed by a long-up although less challenging than the earlier climb. All in all, a bloody brilliant walk with hardly any flat and a good, humming buzz to carry into the week.
12 February 2011
Buckingham to Marsh Gibbon linear, 9 miles
Stunning walk, this. I always enjoy it. Especially when it's to my friend's little boy's birthday party. The route is varied, although this time it was tragically muddy in places, so much so I was often dragging my feet along for the weight of the loam clumping on my boots. Blazing sunshine mixed with gentle showers and wind. Towards the end a red kite was kind enough to jump from the ground into the breeze not thirty metres away and offer its wings for a couple of good shots with the zoom.
09 February 2011
A week of walking
My walking year seems to have kicked off in reasonably good style. I've done a couple of walks here and there during 2011 before this week, one with my folks and a few shorter ones with Tess. This past week, I did 26.2 miles in four walks over six days. I'm very, very pleased with myself.
I've been so utterly rubbish at updating my walking log, so I've been through my Facebook status updates and picked out walks I've mentioned. I think there's one or two missing, and the average weekly mileage is quite low because of the shorter winter days and things like Christmas and holidays and house moves getting in the way of regular walking. However, I'm pleased to finally get this updated and get my mileage count relatively up-to-date.
I also regularly walk 1km to work and 1km back again, probably seven to ten kilometres a week. I love this little walk, it's simple, uphill in the afternoon, I get to listen to two or three songs on my phone and it's a good way of winding-down after work. As the weather improves I'll be increasing this to nine or ten kilometres a week.
I'm determined to lose all my body fat this year. By October, I'll not have a gut. Mark my words. I've not really got one now, but I'm aware there's some fat on my belly and above my hips and I want to shift it. I've got no means of weighing myself any more - my brother took his Wii back and Wii Fit was how I tracked my weight loss last year - so my target is to shift my fat and see what's underneath. If I manage to get a flat stomach, I'll start doing stomach exercises to increase my muscle a little, get my weight to a more reasonable level because I know fundamentally I'm a bit skinny under all this belly.
So, to the walks.
Shalstone, Wood Green, Dadford, Stowe, Chackmore, Buckingham linear, 7.7 miles, 3.5mph
A post-work walk, the aim was to get as many miles under my belt and get home before it got dark. I got in at exactly 6pm and there was still a glimmer of light blue from the sunset as I approached the flat. It was lovely out, beautifully sunny after a few weeks of almost complete grey, not windy generally but quite cold. I saw a large fallen branch from the recent winds and noted that some of the buds had started to split and furry little leaf edges were apparent. I pulled off a twig of sprouting buds and it's currently on the windowsill at home in a glass of water, starting to sprout. So, Feb 8, Sophie's birthday, the first signs of trees leafing in 2010.
The Astons and Upper Heyford circular, 7.2 miles, 2.8mph
A very windy day, my first flowered flowers of 2011 in the form of snowdrops. A nice walk along the canal and rivers near the Upper Heyford disused air force base, spoiled only by a howling wind.
Buckingham, Chackmore, Radclive, Gawcott, Buckingham circular, 6.1 miles, 3.7mph
Another post-work walk, battery ran out on my phone so no music, just dark getting to ind est
Buckingham, Akeley, Foscote, Maids Moreton circular, 5.2 miles, 3.7mph
My staple walk, a good one to get my walking year underway. This was my first solo walk in 2011 and my first solo walk since about October I believe.
Oakridge in the Frome Valley near Stroud and Cirencester, 1.5 miles
An exploratory walk with Tess because the area looked good on the map. Man, it was hilly! Wonderful countryside, up and down all along the valley with the river following the vallet floor. I'm definitely coming back here for walking one day, it's purely gorgeous.
Thames Source walk, 2.5 miles
A fantastic walk to the source of the Thames from a bridge just outside the village of Kemble. Walking there and back along the river gives you a real sense of what's to come. Tess and I followed the river all the way out to the sea, and paddled in both the source and the sea. This was a fantastic adventure and one I'd repeat in an instant, possibly programming-in more walks along the way.
Buckingham, Maids Moreton, Foscote, Akeley circular, 5.1 miles
Tess and I did my staple route in the crisp sunshine. The long downhill field from Akeley towards Maids Moreton was perhaps the muddiest I've ever seen it and we were caked when we stopped for a rest at the bottom.
Blenheim Palace circular, 7.5 miles
A lovely, very windy walk with my parents. The grounds of Blenheim Palace itself are spectacular, much like Stowe Landscape Gardens but on a bigger scale. Next time I'd like an opportunity to wander up to the Palace itself, as from afar it looks intriguing but a little underwhemling.
Long Compton circular, 9 miles
Big, hilly walk into dusk with my folks. I think it included a section of the hills I did with Tracey early last year. This one was a cracker!
Glyme Valley circular, 7.8 miles
A lovely walk up, down and along a valley, visiting the source of the river Glyme along the way. This walk was the inspiration for the Thames Source-to-Sea adventure Tess and I did in January.
Whiteleaf Hill circular, 7 miles
Spectacular views from two points on this one, and a few brilliant hills. Loved it.
Whychwood circular, 9 miles
This was a gorgeous autumnal walk, proper deep autumn colours with leaves everywhere and still some greenery. Plenty of fungi too.
Adstock, Steeple Claydon, Hillesden, Lenborough and Buckingham linear, 8.75 miles at a steady 3mph, Walking for Wellbeing client catch-up walk
A beautiful day, it was completely dark by the time we got in, but what an orange moon!
Shalstone, Wood Green, Dadford, Stowe, Chackmore, Maids Moreton, Buckingham linear, 10.4 miles, 3.4mph
A big one to round off a summer of long walks. I fully intend on getting these kinds of miles under my belt once the days get a little longer.
Now, I wonder if I can keep this updated with my walks from now on...?
I've been so utterly rubbish at updating my walking log, so I've been through my Facebook status updates and picked out walks I've mentioned. I think there's one or two missing, and the average weekly mileage is quite low because of the shorter winter days and things like Christmas and holidays and house moves getting in the way of regular walking. However, I'm pleased to finally get this updated and get my mileage count relatively up-to-date.
I also regularly walk 1km to work and 1km back again, probably seven to ten kilometres a week. I love this little walk, it's simple, uphill in the afternoon, I get to listen to two or three songs on my phone and it's a good way of winding-down after work. As the weather improves I'll be increasing this to nine or ten kilometres a week.
I'm determined to lose all my body fat this year. By October, I'll not have a gut. Mark my words. I've not really got one now, but I'm aware there's some fat on my belly and above my hips and I want to shift it. I've got no means of weighing myself any more - my brother took his Wii back and Wii Fit was how I tracked my weight loss last year - so my target is to shift my fat and see what's underneath. If I manage to get a flat stomach, I'll start doing stomach exercises to increase my muscle a little, get my weight to a more reasonable level because I know fundamentally I'm a bit skinny under all this belly.
So, to the walks.
Shalstone, Wood Green, Dadford, Stowe, Chackmore, Buckingham linear, 7.7 miles, 3.5mph
A post-work walk, the aim was to get as many miles under my belt and get home before it got dark. I got in at exactly 6pm and there was still a glimmer of light blue from the sunset as I approached the flat. It was lovely out, beautifully sunny after a few weeks of almost complete grey, not windy generally but quite cold. I saw a large fallen branch from the recent winds and noted that some of the buds had started to split and furry little leaf edges were apparent. I pulled off a twig of sprouting buds and it's currently on the windowsill at home in a glass of water, starting to sprout. So, Feb 8, Sophie's birthday, the first signs of trees leafing in 2010.
The Astons and Upper Heyford circular, 7.2 miles, 2.8mph
A very windy day, my first flowered flowers of 2011 in the form of snowdrops. A nice walk along the canal and rivers near the Upper Heyford disused air force base, spoiled only by a howling wind.
Buckingham, Chackmore, Radclive, Gawcott, Buckingham circular, 6.1 miles, 3.7mph
Another post-work walk, battery ran out on my phone so no music, just dark getting to ind est
Buckingham, Akeley, Foscote, Maids Moreton circular, 5.2 miles, 3.7mph
My staple walk, a good one to get my walking year underway. This was my first solo walk in 2011 and my first solo walk since about October I believe.
Oakridge in the Frome Valley near Stroud and Cirencester, 1.5 miles
An exploratory walk with Tess because the area looked good on the map. Man, it was hilly! Wonderful countryside, up and down all along the valley with the river following the vallet floor. I'm definitely coming back here for walking one day, it's purely gorgeous.
Thames Source walk, 2.5 miles
A fantastic walk to the source of the Thames from a bridge just outside the village of Kemble. Walking there and back along the river gives you a real sense of what's to come. Tess and I followed the river all the way out to the sea, and paddled in both the source and the sea. This was a fantastic adventure and one I'd repeat in an instant, possibly programming-in more walks along the way.
Buckingham, Maids Moreton, Foscote, Akeley circular, 5.1 miles
Tess and I did my staple route in the crisp sunshine. The long downhill field from Akeley towards Maids Moreton was perhaps the muddiest I've ever seen it and we were caked when we stopped for a rest at the bottom.
Blenheim Palace circular, 7.5 miles
A lovely, very windy walk with my parents. The grounds of Blenheim Palace itself are spectacular, much like Stowe Landscape Gardens but on a bigger scale. Next time I'd like an opportunity to wander up to the Palace itself, as from afar it looks intriguing but a little underwhemling.
Long Compton circular, 9 miles
Big, hilly walk into dusk with my folks. I think it included a section of the hills I did with Tracey early last year. This one was a cracker!
Glyme Valley circular, 7.8 miles
A lovely walk up, down and along a valley, visiting the source of the river Glyme along the way. This walk was the inspiration for the Thames Source-to-Sea adventure Tess and I did in January.
Whiteleaf Hill circular, 7 miles
Spectacular views from two points on this one, and a few brilliant hills. Loved it.
Whychwood circular, 9 miles
This was a gorgeous autumnal walk, proper deep autumn colours with leaves everywhere and still some greenery. Plenty of fungi too.
Adstock, Steeple Claydon, Hillesden, Lenborough and Buckingham linear, 8.75 miles at a steady 3mph, Walking for Wellbeing client catch-up walk
A beautiful day, it was completely dark by the time we got in, but what an orange moon!
Shalstone, Wood Green, Dadford, Stowe, Chackmore, Maids Moreton, Buckingham linear, 10.4 miles, 3.4mph
A big one to round off a summer of long walks. I fully intend on getting these kinds of miles under my belt once the days get a little longer.
Now, I wonder if I can keep this updated with my walks from now on...?
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