In my own footsteps

Just back from a week's holiday in Slovenia with good old Walking Women. We were based at Ribcev Laz on Lake Bohinj (below).

After a wet start to the week, the weather settled down to end on a sunny note with meadows in full bloom (below).

I had a great week with some excellent walks - details and photos to follow soon.

Saturday May 24, 2009; 9.5 miles, ascent approx 220m (Map OS Explorer 135)

The shorts were out for the first time this year. We had a great walk (route to follow) and Pooh Sticks victory was mine!

Not only did we have a lovely walk, but we rounded the day off with a trip to the Duddleswell tea room - yum!

Off to Ashdown Forest tomorrow for another variation on the Winnie the Pooh walk and a couple of rounds of Pooh Sticks too I hope.

Monday May 11, 2009; 11.5 miles, ascent approx 450m (Map OS Explorer 122)

Absolutely bursting to get out for a long walk. Having done the up-river bimble from home to Hamsey church and back (see previous entries for route) on the Saturday, with my excellent chums Rachel and Jim the dog, I realized what a fabulous May it was that seemed to be rushing by me.

I opted for a lovely walk from home, on the Downs beyond the old Lewes racecourse. The weather was lovely, a bit of a breeze, but no the gales that had been forecast. No doubt these had discouraged others, so I enjoyed a peaceful walk and was out of sight of the rest of humanity for a couple of hours at least.

Here are some pictures for now - more details to follow another day.

Saturday April 25th 2009; 10.25 miles, approx 200m ascent (Map: OS Explorer 149)

Back to Kent with 9 members of the WWINK group to see a wonder of the natural world - an English bluebell wood in full bloom.

The route we followed was about the same as last year - see "Blue Heaven in Kent" from April 2008. The route is circular-ish, starting and finishing in the village of Selling, a few miles south of Faversham.

We passed through Perry Wood (from the Rose and Crown pub) and then up to the top of the Mount and its wooden tower.

From here we headed S-ish to Shottenden and then S some more and into King's Wood.

We stopped in King's Wood for our lunch break, and like last year we ate lunch in warm sun, though unfortunately (for Jill) the warmth also brought out some nasty, big, fat biting ants.

After lunch we headed to Molash (NW), and then on across farmland back to Perry Wood, thence to Selling, and the White Lion pub for a well-earned pint.

As well as astoundingly beautiful bluebells - I thought even more so than last year, we saw primroses and yellow archangel by the North Downs Way, wood anenomes in Perry Wood and orchids (early purples I think) in Perry Wood and Kings Wood.

Thanks to Jayne for leading the walk (again).

Easter Monday April 13, 2009; 6 miles, ascent approx 150m (Map OS Explorer 123)

A lovely day for a walk across open downland, with skylarks overhead and lambs gamboling in the fields. The landscape makes for easy walking and we fairly skipped round this route on a sunny afternoon after a picnic lunch on top of the Downs.

This was a circular walk from the car park on top of the Downs above Bopeep farm and quarry. The car park is reached by turning N off the A27 near the village of Selmeston, which is a few miles NW of Alfriston in East Sussex.

Where the road stops on top of the Downs at the car park, we headed SW towards Heighton Hill (1.5 miles away) and then Gardener's Hill (a further 0.5 mile or so). Going down hill, we crossed Stump Bottom and took the sunken bridleway a further few hundred yards in the same direction.

At a bridleway turning SW, we stopped for a sweetie, etc break (not just any sweeties, these were M&S Percy Pigs - thanks to Caroline). The track SW follows the floor of Povery Bottom and is one of my favourites: a sunken, hedgerow-lined path that's probably been walked for hundreds of years.

Emerging back into the 21st century, we passed the pumping station at Norton Bottom to reach the hamlet of Norton. Here we turned ENE along a footpath that climbs gradually and then more noticeably along the fabulously named Devilsrest Bottom. When the path reaches the ridge (about 1.25 mles from Norton), we hopped over a stile onto a road track (bridelway).

Keeping on the ridge (and on this track), we turned more-or-less N for the 2 miles back to the car park, passing Norton Top and enjoying a lovely finish across open countryside (more baa-ing).

This walk was probably just enough to earn us the curry we had back in Lewes that evening.

Bit of a busy time lately with work, etc, so the blog has fallen a bit behind. Anyway, I was going out in the garden to plant out some purple-podded pea plants, but now it's raining so I've made a cup of tea and thought a spot of catching up was in order.

Sunday Apr 5, 2009: 11.75 miles, ascent approx 400m (Map: OS Explorer 123)

The single from Berwick to Lewes was purchased from a friendly human at Lewes station on Sunday morning, so that after the long walk from Lewes I wouldn't have to argue with the ticket machine at Berwick station.

It was s lovely, lovely day for a lovely, lovely, long walk, and, miracle of miracles, there were no engineering works affecting our return train plans.

From Lewes station we made our way towards the river at Cliffe. Heading down Cliffe High Street (roughly E), we crossed South Street and headed up Chapel Hill (SE) to the golf club. Sticking to the footpath, we passed along the edge of the golf club car park to the gate onto open ground and followed the footpath roughly ENE and then down (SE) towards Oxteddle Bottom. This lovely open Downland bottom was made even better by the skylarks above us.

Continuing SE past the dew pond we came into Caburn Bottom. Here we headed off across access land, steeply up (rougly S) towards Ranscombe Camp. There were violets aplenty in the tussocky grass and cowslips coming up too. Reaching the top ofthe ridge, we stayed inside (N of) the fence line on the access land, following a rough path (SE) towards Mount Caburn and passed through an open gate in the fence to reach the hill fort.

The view was superb and we could clearly see second next hill in the distance. After a quick late elevenses break, we took the path roughly N (out through the earthworks) for a few hundred yards and then picked up the footpath ESE down across he fields to Glynde - about 3/4 a mile away. The path emerges onto the road opposite Glynde post office. Turning left (NE) briefly we joined the main road through Glynde (roughly S), past the pub (Trevor Arms) to the A27 about 3/4 a mile away.

After braving the A27, we continued S on a small lane for about 1/2 a mile. The lane becomes a byway that is still roughly metalled and soon begins to ascend up Beddingham Hill. As it continues up, it curves SW o a fairly steady climb, giving us all plenty of exercise. Eventually we reached the top of the hill where there is a South Downs Way marker post (and some huge radio masts). We found a comfy spot protected by gorse bushes and stopped for a well-earned lunch break.

There was a slight breeze, but it was still a beautiful day as we took the SDW E along the top of the Downs. There we quite a few people around as we stepped out for about 3 1/2 miles along the SDW above Firle and Alciston. With Berwick to our NE, we left the SDW (turning roughly NE), had a short break on the hillside, and then took the bridleway that curves down the scarp slope passing some old earthworks and then turns NE again towards Berwick. A little dogleg across the old coach road (Comp Lane - byway) put us on a bridleway again, still NE towards Berwick. We turned ESE (bridleway) and then N on the Vanguard Way to pass the chruch.

As a few in our party hadn't seen the murals in the church, we nipped in for a quick look - I bought one of the lovely local nature cards often for sale here. We rejoined the Vanguard Way as it wiggled roughly N to emerge by the Cricketers Arms pub. Unfortunately as time was against us with our train due at Berwick station in about 1/2 an hour, we didn't tarry for refreshment and decided the safest bet was to head for the station by road rather than via the Vanguard Way.

Crossing the A27 (N), we followed Pound Lane NE. At the T junction at the end of Pound Lane, we headed N hugging the verge as much as possible. A few hundred yards from the junction a foot/cycle way has been built by the road and this made for a safer and speedy march for the last mile to the station and a short hop and skip back to Lewes by train.

Having missed out on the pub on our walk a few of us made off for a well-earned pint at the Dorset. This is a cracking walk and we couldn't have had better walking weather!

Thanks to Emma for the photos.

The weather was expected to be great for the weekend, but I came down with a cold during the week, which put the brakes on my walk plans a little bit!

We stayed at the Star Bunkhouse in Bwlch, which is about 12 miles W along the A40 from Abergavenny. Compared to our recent YHA experience, this was lovely - cosy, clean, comfy, with hot showers, etc.

Frog Spawn
Saturday Mar 21st: 9 miles, ascent approx 400m (map OS Outdoor Leisure OL13).

From Bwlch, 5 of us followed the Beacons Way NE and briskly up to the top of Cefn Moel. Leaving the Beacons Way, we continued N on a bridleway to Myndd Llangorse. Here we caught up with some of the others out on a "bigger" walk. After late elevenses, we all headed for the trig point via a track, where we went our separate ways. After passing slightly to the W of the summit, we turned NE on another track for about 1/4 mile and then sharply S on the E slide of the summit.

We passed a couple of small ponds by the track close to the summit and stopped to inspect frog spawn in various states of life and death and spotted a few tadpoles as well. After 3/4 mile S along this track, we dogleggged E on a bridleway to a cairn that marked the path (bridleway) SE to Pen Tir. To look at some more ponds, we strayed E of the main track and stopped for lunch by one of these near the summit. It was a gorgeous afternoon so we had a long relaxing break with skylarks singing above us.

After inspecting more frog spawn we headed roughly SSE down from the top of Pen Tir. At the boundary at the edge of the open moorland of the hilltop, we doglegged NNW briefly along the edge of an old earthwork and then followed a sunken trackway SW for about 1/4 mile. Arriving at a small tarmac lane, we rejoined the Beacons Way, which we followed by road and footpath to Cwmdu on the A479. We stopped for refreshments and more sun in the roadside garden of the Farmers Arms pub.

Ready for the last section of the walk, we recrossed the river via the Beacons Way (retracing our steps briefly), and then followed the road S parallel to the river down to Felindre. A the S end of the village, we turned W at the T-junction for a couple of hundred yards and then continued in the same direction on a footpath (over Clarach Brook).

Fuelled by fruit sherbets, and encouraged by Emma C's singing and thoughts of chilli for dinner, we continued SW on the footpath crossing a patchwork of fields, climbing towards Neuadd-fry, and then Tre-graig. Here we picked up the byway SW and then W back for the last 3/4 mile back to Bwlch for a nice cup of tea. A lovely day!

Roaming on a Roman Road
Sunday Mar 22nd: 9 miles, ascent approx 250m (map OS Outdoor Leisure OL13).

Today, 4 of us set off under a lovely blue sky, for a walk up to Llyn Syfaddan (Llangorse Lake), the largest natural lake in Wales (ie, not a human-made reservoir). Following the A40 NW, I was looking for a footpath to Castell Blaenllynfi, but turned N too soon. Deciding not to turn back, we climbed a wall and a couple of barbed wire fences in Bwlch Wood and made our way down a steep wooded bank, to emerge into an open field and then onto the B 4560 about 1/4 mile N of the A40.

Having worked out where we were, we went NW on this B road for 1/4mile and then turned W toward Castell Blaenllynfi. Where the road barnches NW and SW, we went SW for about 1/3 mile to join a bridleway thatr followed the route of a Roman Road. We followed this NW and then NNW, climbing up to the summit of Allt yr Esgair. There had been an iron-age and then a Roman fort here, which would have commanded excellent views of the Usk Valley below us to the W. To our NE, the lake below, where there had been another ancient settlement, reflected the blue sky.

We followed the track down hill and beyond as it turned WNW, eventually meeting a road E of Pennorth. About 2/3 of a mile of quiet country road ESE was followed by a footpath N to Tymawr Farm. From here we headed E briefly and then N again toward the S shore of the lake. Turning E for just over half a mile, we heard a buzzard mewing and then saw a pair of them circling above the trees ahead. There was a bit of a cool breeze, but we found a sheltered spot and stopped for lunch looking out at the lake, near the church at Llangasty-Talyllyn.

After a quick lunch (some of us were going home that afternoon), we took the road SW by the church, and soon picked up a footpath which we followed for about 1/2 a mile across fields, SSE and then SSW, to rejoin the road (another quiet lane) at Home Farm. From here, we made swift work of the 2-3 miles SSE along the lane back towards Castell Blaenllynfi. A wiggle on the road brought us to a footpath heading roughly S for a 1/4 mile to the A40.

The last 1/2 a mile SE along the A40 through Bwlch delivered us back to the bunkhouse for tea, macaroons, Sunday papers, and goodbyes for some.

A lovely weekend!

Off to the Brecon Beacons on Friday for a long weekend, staying at Bwlch near Crickhowell. The weather forecast looks very good, so I'm hoping that we can go for a nice high walk on Saturday or Sunday...