Short cycle ride to Hangers Farm and Calmore Road

Four miles with Harry. Partly to check our route from yesterday’s walk, partly to test drive my new padded inner shorts. Satisfactory on both counts, especially since we had the ice cream we missed yesterday.  A gentle pootle, bimble or bike stroll. 

Totton, Eling and Testwood

 Tuesday 15th August 2023. With Harry. Just over 10 miles.

A mix of suburban streets, wooded walkways, mini seaside, reed-beds, and rural surroundings .

The original plan was a stroll to Eling for coffee at The Anchor, with its views over Bartley Water, and across to St Mary’s church.

Along the boardwalks through the reed beds and wooded paths. Lots of white butterflies and a speckled wood or two.

We emerged at Eling cemetery and St Mary’s churchyard, another place full of wild flowers and butterflies.

We retraced our steps through Eling and across the park, over the main road to Rum Walk, following Bartley Water and the Test Way into Totton Town Centre. It was time for another coffee and a decent tuna sandwich and salad at Aroma Cafe to set us up for the afternoon.

As the weather was so good we decided to walk through the park, past the Great Testwood Gatehouse

and the Salmon Leap pub to join the Test Way boardwalk across the marshland. We had a fleeting glimpse of the orange of a tiger moth, which played its disappearing trick so effectively we couldn’t identify it (garden or Jersey). Blackberries are ripening well.

We followed the Test Way as far as Mill Lane, where we turned left towards Nursling Mill.

By now phone batteries were running low, so there are few photographs, as we made our way to the southern end of Testwood Lakes, where we paused for a rest and thought of ice-cream. We had to make do with snacking on blackberries though.

Then back to base along the pathways.

Cycle ride round Rutland Water

 Wednesday 9th August 2023

With Harry. Glorious weather for an afternoon’s ride of 14 miles.  

Not a walk…

Stroll round East Carlton Park

Tuesday  8th August, with Marta.  She has a knee problem at present which is cramping her style!

East Carlton Hall

A foretaste of autumn

We wandered around the park, and along the Jurassic Way path to the northwest, returning via the road. 

Then we paused for the usual coffee and teacakes, before strolling round again via the pond.

the ducks are visible, fish kept coming up to grab fish food someone threw in

Just over 2 miles in all.

Stroll from Foxton Locks top car park, Debdale Wharf and a bit along GU Canal

 Sunday 6th August 2023, with Harry and Jack Parry. Three miles or so.

Walk down to the bottom of the flight of locks, pause for a sandwich or soup at the Bridge 61 pub/shop, cross the Rainbow Bridge (Bridge 62)   turn left and head towards Leicester on the towpath. Continue as far as you wish, then return.

Lots of dragonflies today, plenty of yellow water lilies, and a family swans, mum, dad and two ‘teenagers’ swimming in strict formation.

At the top of the locks

Purple loosestrife

Boat trips

A few ducks and boats at the bottom of the locks

Jack proceeding along the towpath

Look closely - the windmill at Kibworth Harcourt is almost centre back.

Bridge 61 itself

Wakerley Woods to Laxton and back.

 Monday 31st July with Norma, Maureen and Kate.

From Wakerley Wood we took the main path, then followed the Jurassic Way until it crossed the path heading north east to Fineshade and south west to Laxton. We took the right-hand (south west) turn towards Laxton Hall which we could see clearly ahead of us.

Chicory

Laxton Hall

This path is pretty clear, though a little more signage near the hall would help. It was easy enough with the OS app on my phone.

From there our path continued in more or less the same direction into the woods (Town Wood on the map).

As we emerged from the wood out route turned slightly south east, and we went on by a series of dog leg bends.

Great sign when you find it…not much use from across the field.

 The signage was either not clear, or overgrown, so we had to correct our route slightly, before going through a short wooded section. After this we kept a hedge to our right and arrived at the eastern end of Laxton, through an overgrown section between houses.

overgrown?

We turned right along the road and walked another three quarters of a mile to Spanhoe Lodge, where we indulged in welcome coffee and teacakes. 

Our route back was slightly different and shorter. We walked back to Laxton village to the western end, where we took the footpath just inside the gate to Laxton Park.

This heads north into Town Wood and joins the main path. We turned right, and followed the clear track, east then roughly north east and back to the car park.

unknown fungi

hemp agrimony

A lot of meadow brown butterflies around, but nothing much else. Lots of flowers including chicory, hemp agrimony and evening primrose. 

A very satisfying walk - around 7 miles in all, and no rain until we got back to the car.

NORTHANTS - JULY 2023 Irthlingborough Church to Rushden Lakes and back

 Monday 17th July 2023.

With Maureen and Norma. We drove to Irthlingborough, parked near church, and walked via the  Greenway to Rushden Lakes in time for coffee at Bewi*ched.  

We saw swans, a few ducks, a moorhen, dragonflies, damselflies, plus butterflies - meadow browns, red admirals, whites and one comma. 

There were a number of plants and the blackberries are looking promising, so long as they get enough sun and rain.

A 5.4 miles saunter…with a very long coffee stop in the warm sun.