Clumber Park

Wednesday 24 June

Pre-booking, restricted numbers. We met Dan and family for a socially distanced outdoor excursion, involving a picnic and a short ride round the lake on one of the hottest days this year. These grandchildren are not very keen on hugging anyway....!

A beautiful place and a useful hallway point between Northamptonshire and Leeds. A childhood memory,  jogged by a black and white photograph, which I am not sure I still have. Memo to self!!

As usual masses of geese, but also swallows and martins. 

Photos to be added.

Another ride around the Welland Valley

Gretton - Lyddington - Seaton - Barrowden - Wakerley- Harringworth - Gretton.

the elderflowers have gone. Plenty of meadow cranesbioll and some mallow. Wild roses, another umbellifer (ie not cow parsley), knapweed, honeysuckle. The river looked peaceful at Wakerley Bridge.  Looked as though the pub was open in Barrowden - people picknicking on the green, near the duckpond.

Three hills - up from  Lyddington, up to Barrowden turn on Morcott Road, and finally Harringworth Hill.
oh yes,  the road between Wakerley and Harringworth is bad, but not as bad as the one past Kirby Hall!

No photos today. About 14 miles I think.

Bike ride round the valley about 10 miles

With Harry. Around ten miles in all.

From Gretton, via Lyddington, Thorpe by Water, under the viaduct and through Harringworth, up the hill towards Laxton, turning off towards Deene, and returning along the boneshaking. road past Kirby Hall.

20 miles - Gretton, Caldecott, Great Easton, Nevill Holt, Eyebrook, Stoke Dry, Lyddington, Thorpe by Water, Gretton

Tuesday 2nd June 2020, almost 9.30. With Harry. 20 miles. Weather light cloud, then very warm again.

Promises to be a hot one!

Ox eye daises

Lesser known (to us) Great Easton

Another black sheep family or two

Nevill Holt

Horses sheltering in the shade

Will the seat be free?

Possibly the call of a yellowhammer.

All fuelled up and raring to go

Harry's photograph of my usual line of trees

Only about 6 miles to go?

View of Lyddington from the footpath downhill

Getting closer

Crossing the Welland near Thorpe by Water

The call of a male cuckoo accompanied us all the way from the Welland to Church Gap in Gretton.

The route, showing a little confusion in Great Easton... next time we'll go the extra mile to somewhere different!

A circuit of the village to check on the tadpoles and the mileage was almost exactly 20 miles. A bowl of cold water for the feet, and a large cup of tea rounded off a splendid day out.

Circuit of 13.5 miles

With Harry.  13.5 miles.  Even hotter than we expected. 
We heard and saw a cuckoo in the Welland valley. In fact we heard both the male's well-known call, and the female's "bubbling chuckle", something I hadn't even known existed. You can hear it in the short video. 
We caught sight of a reed bunting flying over the water, and saw a couple of red kites backlit by the sun.

From Gretton, along the footpath which crosses the railway line, and the Welland, to Thorpe by Water.

Along Thorpe Road to Lyddington







Up the hill and over the A6003 to Stoke Dry and Eyebrook reservoir





A pause for a slice of ginger cake, then on to Great Easton, and a village shop!

Over the river again and on to Rockingham, where we had another pause in the churchyard.


Then back along the valley to Gretton.

Clematis at its best!

Bluebells, cowslips, butterflies

Closer to home than our usual bluebell woods.

we also saw orange tips, peacocks, tortoiseshell and brimstone butterflies.