Houghton Mill and Meadow

 June 2023

The longest day of the year, and one of the warmest so far, found us at Houghton Mill (National Trust) between Huntingdon and St Ives. Several road works and some re-routes meant a slow start and we weren't able to extend our walk of about 4 miles with many possible extensions. Nevertheless we made a very pleasant circuit of Houghton Meadows and looked around the village itself before heading off to Godmanchester to the White Hart for lunch. Very good food (soup or paté, sea bass or steak pie) and beer (Broadside on tap, oh joy!).

Cottage in Houghton

Houghton Mill

Shropshire

 April 2023

We spent three comfortable nights in Shropshire, staying at Bank House in Bishop's Castle, an attractive market town.

Tuesday. On our three hour trip across from Cambridge we took lunch at The Green Dragon at Little Stretton, which we can recommend, followed by a 4 mile stroll around Ragdon, avoiding some of the steeper inclines as three of us were suffering from knees and heels.

In the evening we ate at The Castle Hotel which was excellent.

Wednesday. We parked at the Bury Ditches car park and walked to Clun, with lunch at The White Horse at Clun before completing a 7.5 mile circular walk back to Bury Ditches. 

The weather was very favourable and the pub most congenial. As with several of the pubs we chose hereabouts it was old fashioned, intimate, a little dark and warm. The sort of places you could easily spend lots of time in.

The evening was at The Three Tuns in Bishop's Castle where we were very well looked after by a chirpy waitress and serenaded by a collection of musicians brandishing guitars and suffering from occasional over-amplification.

Thursday. We cut our planned walk short today but made the most of the morning on a circular walk around Cardington, with lunch at The Royal Oak, which was as above, traditional, mature wood everywhere, good lunch and excellent beer.

Exhausted by our exploits we browsed in Church Stretton and returned to Bishop's Castle just as the market was closing.

In the evening to the Powis Arms at Lydbury, where there were excellent steaks and very moderate prices and some good ale.

Friday. Mark escaped early to return home while the rest of us strolled around the fine market town of Ludlow with its remarkable half timbered shop frontages, some castle remains and the splendid church of St Laurence in the perpendicular style. Marvellous misericords and a beautiful ceiling.

A simple sandwich from Tesco and we were home by mid afternoon.

We like Shropshire with its quiet rural lanes and rolling hills.

 

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Shepreth

 Shepreth

March 2023

With two Walking Boys away (Scottish Highlands, Costa Rica) the remaining two explored the Shepreth area. 

On a rather dull and rainy day, we parked at the RSPB car park in Fowlmere (free for RSPB members) and walked alongside the River Shep, a small chalk stream whose source is the spring in the nature reserve. After crossing the A10 at the curiously named Frog End, we waked into Shepreth village, partly along the lane and partly on footpaths that conveniently cut off a couple of the corners. The second of these came out at Shepreth Mill, now a private house (photos below). 

The walk continued through the village and took another footpath, which emerged onto the A10 opposite the road into Foxton. Soon after the delightful village green at Foxton we turned right into a lane, which eventually becomes a footpath ‘climbing’ (by Cambridgeshire standards!) over a low chalk ridge to come out eventually on the road between Fowlmere and Shepreth. We turned right and then left at the cemetery to follow the single track road back to the RSPB reserve. After this approximately 6 mile walk, we felt we deserved our excellent lunch at the Chequers in Fowlmere.

Here is the farmhouse nearby, taken in infra red style.

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.