Weston Colville and Brinkley

February 2023

 This 6 mile walk starts opposite The Reading Room, at 46 Chapel Road, Weston Colville CB21 5NX. There is a parking area opposite the Reading Room.

Above, the Reading Room, below, the route.

We crossed the source of the River Stour. Look out also for Lower Wood an ancient woodland which boasts a fine array of bluebells in April.  It was quite muddy with heavy clay underfoot and there was much scraping of boots. The field edges showed signs of walkers and riders so we thought this was a popular rural walk.

As The Red Lion was not offering food we lunched very well at The Black Bull in Balsham (excellent pie and a pint of Wherry).

Linton and Hadstock

 November 30th 2022

We set off in misty conditions but during our walk we warmed up and so did the weather, ending quite bright and pleasant.

Linton is not far from Cambridge and this five mile walk designed by John made for good conversation and easy exercise. Only one muddy field crossing and short clay sections of track slowed our progress and most was on good surfaces making easy strolling. Part of the walk followed The Icknield Way and we also crossed the old railway joining Linton and Bartlow - the Stour Valley Railway between Shelford and Marks Tey.

We parked at The Crown and took lunch there with cheery staff, several good beers on tap and very good value bangers and mash. A friendly and sociable day out.

Yorkshire Wolds

 September 2022

Tuesday 6th

We drove to the lovely old town of Beverley. It has a cathedral which is known as a Minster [A Minster is a Church that has priest(s) that administer to and visit the parishioners. It is open to the public for worship. A Cathedral is a Church in which the throne of an Archbishop is located. Of course you knew that.]

We had a pleasant lunch at The Tiger Inn, saw St Mary's church, which is very elegant with lovely carvings and mediaeval misericords, then on to Coppendale Road named after John's ancient ancestors.

Finally to The Blue Bell in Weaverthorpe where rooms were small, a little tired, but comfortable. We felt welcome.

So, no walking today apart from our tour of Beverley, where as I have foolishly forgotten my boots I bought a fine pair of walking shoes.

In the evening a delicious meal at at The Blue Bell while avoiding yet more broadcasting about new Prime Minister Truss. She. Is. A. Disgrace. As time will tell ....

Wednesday 7th

Delightful weather on a circular walk from Pocklington - a pleasant and attractive town. Lunch at The Gait at Millington. All very relaxed on a walk of 7-8 miles.

The Pocklington walk starting from Market Place was about 8 miles and passed through the grounds of Kilnwick Percy Hall, now a Buddhist retreat. It was field paths and tracks and country lanes with some climbs, and followed a clockwise route north to Millington then part of the Yorkshire Wolds Way south to Kilnwick Percy and west across a golf course and back to Pocklington.

Supper at the Triton Inn in Sledmere.

Thursday 8th

Drizzling throughout the morning so we cut short our walk from Bishop Wilton and had lunch at The Fleece, where we were the only customers in this attractive pub.

News comes in that The Queen is under medical supervision - which starts a media storm.

We drove on to RSPB Bempton where gannets roost in steep chalk cliffs.

The Yorkshire Wolds are low hills in the counties of the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire though I think of them as south Yorkshire as I'm more familiar with the north. They are attractive, rural, rolling hills and steep sided gullies with attractive old villages.

And then, at 6.30pm the BBC announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Inevitable but sad to see the end of a constant in a fractious and changing world.

Friday 9th

The media are awash with news (that is hardly news but more emoting) of the Queen's death. 

We made a shortish walk steeply up valley sides in intermittent rain at Londesborough. Hard to say whether I was damp through trapped inner sweat or from the rain outside. After lunch at The Brewers Arms at Snaith a rather tedious journey home thanks to traffic jams on the A1.

However, overall another splendid walking break. After 22 years together we've developed a pattern and it seems to be working. Next to Shropshire?

Little Paxton

 June 23, 2022

Starting with a pleasant lunch at The Golden Ball, Boxworth, we drove on to our destination for an afternoon walk. We walked around and beyond the excellent nature and bird reserve at Little Paxton, 5 miles south of Huntingdon, 2 miles north of St Neots and conveniently near to our home town of Cambridge, between the A14 and the A428. There are more details and maps here.

It was a warm day but not uncomfortably so. Briars snaked out on some of the paths (snipped with Duncan's light secateurs) but the going underfoot on our preferred walk, following The Heron Trail, was firm and the variety of scenery - woods, The Great Ouse, fields of all kinds and gravel pits, gave us lots to look at while we walked and talked.

Mark captured (photographically) a female Banded Demoiselle, a Norfolk Hawker dragonfly and a Variable Damselfly. 

Tim's knee and Duncan's wrist performed well, and a 6 mile walk was just right. For longer or shorter marked trails and for bird watching we can recommend Little Paxton Pits.

The Cotswolds - Bledington, Oxfordshire

 May 2022

This is a rural area of West Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire with properties and dry stone walls made of honey coloured stone. It is also the homeland of ex-prime minister David Cameron. It is attractive and prosperous. 

We stayed at The King’s Head in Bledington on the border of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire

and after a pleasant light lunch took a short walk of 4 miles, a version of the Kingham Station Circular Walk. Starting from Bledington we took in Bruern Abbey and returned via Foxholes nature reserve. Supper was at the King’s Head again. Our stay was comfortable and convenient: we were well looked after for our three days here.

Next day, after a fortifying breakfast, we drove to and parked in the village of Salford, taking a roughly clockwise route following the D'Arcy Dalton Way and taking in The Rollrights, - see The Whispering Knights, below - ancient stones dating back at least 3000 years to Neolithic times. 

Following the rural road for a way we arrived in Chipping Norton in time for lunch at The Blue Boar before completing the circuit on return to Salford, visiting the grand church of St Mary’s and its  tombs in passing.

There are many bluebell woods hereabouts and they were in full colour as we walked.

Supper was nearby, at The Plough in Kingham, which enjoyed an eclectic mix of patrons.

Our third day saw us travel to Milton under Wychwood from Fifield, an 8 mile walk broken up by a light lunch at The Hare at Milton. We wondered why they didn’t offer sandwiches. Perhaps we don’t fit the clientele but we think sandwiches are a great invention and hope to see them more often!

St. John the Baptist, Fifield

Supper was at The Horse and Groom at Upper Oddington. This was an excellent meal, beautifully served, and good value in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere despite the background music (which after a while we were able to ignore).

This is a lovely rural area with extensive fields, hedges and stone walls, woods with little streams and carpets of bluebells. Houses are traditional in style, if sometimes a little twee. The weather has been kind to us and our well planned visits to watering holes and our well organised and pleasant walks have made for a sociable and relaxing break from the troubles of the world.

A cottage in Fifield

Walking the fields of Oxfordshire towards Tangley Hall.

One of several interesting graveyards

On our final day we said goodbye to the wild boar in the field (actually probably Tamworths) and drove to Great Tew, an attractive and popular village unpolluted by modern design. 

Near Little Tew

A curious wooden elephant in a local garden

The Falkland Arms

Our walk took us round for 4 miles ending up with lunch at the very traditional Falkland Arms for excellent meat pies.  With a drive home almost but not quite spoiled by a metal bolt in a tyre we praised run-flats and made it home in comfort (with fingers crossed). 

Next stop - Yorkshire Wolds?

Ashdon

March 24 2022

 Spring is sprung and the Walking Boys are at it again, with a spring in their step and renewed vigour. This time to Ashdon, a pretty and traditional style of village in Essex which was the start of a 5 mile walk through pleasant countryside. 

We took an anti-clockwise route from The Rose & Crown at Ashdon, past Holden End, Newnham Hall Farm, Ricketts Farm, to Bowsers, where we turned back.

"Bowsers" is a place where the fuel tankers used at the local airfield were housed. It was a Word War II USAAF bomber base and was closed in January 1946. The name may predate WW2 and not be named after the fuel tankers, see: https://www.recordinguttlesfordhistory.org.uk/ashdon/ashdonhistory.html

 From Bowsers we went to Harecroft Grove, Ashdon Street Farm, Puddle Wharf then zig-zagged to bypass Ashdon Hall and finally back to Ashdon.

Here is what used to be to be a railway carriage and was used as the waiting room at Ashdon Halt, on the Saffron Walden Line which led from Audley End to Bartlow. The line closed in 1964.

We were interested to pass by the Marpa House Tibetan Buddhist retreat. It was established in 1973 and is run by the Dharma Trust.

And just to confirm where we were, here is the signpost opposite the Rose and Crown where we had lunch.

And the Rose and Crown itself, freshly decorated and furnished, which while elegantly fashionable in its cool grey-and-offwhite way may have removed the old pub character which we usually look for.

Nevertheless a good choice of menu and of beers.

Hemingford Abbots

 10th February 2022

We drove towards Huntingdon and turned off to Hemingford Abbots, parking at the Axe and Compass which has a sizeable car park and pleasant view of the church. 

St Margaret's Church, in Hemingford Abbots is a Church of England church, dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch. A church has stood on the site since at least 1086, as it is mentioned in the Domesday Record. Parts of the current fabric date from c. 1300. (Wikipedia)

Our walk took us through Hemingford, turning off to cross a meadow towards Houghton Mill (National Trust). We paused to gaze at the Great Ouse, but there was hardly any boat traffic so we crossed at the lock and on the other side took a path heading for St Ives. 

The path was straight through woodland and parallel to the river, popular with dog walkers and runners. Emerging into St Ives we walked through the churchyard of All Saints ... 

and out onto the wharf (where once or twice dear Patience moored up overnight). 

Continuing through St Ives, crossing the ancient bridge with its chapel we rounded the back of The Dolphin conference centre and out onto another water meadow. 

The route across the meadow lead us eventually to the outskirts of Hemingford again with an attractive stroll alongside the river and delightful views of St James Church, Hemingford Grey whose original octagonal spire was blown down in a 1741 hurricane, and Hemingford Manor, said to be the oldest continuously lived in house in England. 

Then it was back to the Axe and Compass for a very pleasant beer and lunch.