I really needed to go for a walk on this cold but dry day. I’d thought I was going out on the previous Wednesday but my friend got held up at work and by the time I knew, it was too dark to set off. Then my walk in the Shropshire Hills was cancelled on the Saturday due to high winds. Today nearly didn’t happen as I was waiting for a log delivery! Just decided I had to go! Worked out a route which should last about two hours and was from home.
So up the hill, beautifully clear and quite sharp, the trick of wearing gloves but not a coat seemed to be working. I was surprised how much ice there was on the puddles, so a bit of zigzagging these was needed.
Met a few people on this stretch, realised I’d forgotten to change my camera case over which was a bit annoying. So much easier, when wearing it round your neck. The sky over the ridgeway looked quite intriguing.
My route was straightforward and one I’d taken before, turning left as Larkhill met the road to Newbury and then right and parallel to some gallops and the point to point course. At the bottom of the field, and the last push up to the Ridgeway, I turned left instead of heading upwards. Somehow I had never done this route before. After a short stretch of open path it went through a small copse.
Not many leaves left on the trees but still a little crunch on the ground! A spot of colour really stood out.
This path which I enjoyed very much eventually met a track leading down from the ridgeway and I turned left on to it for my walk back down towards Lockinge. Just as I was contemplating negotiating a very large puddle I noticed a parallel path in the trees and decided to take that. Some great views over to the right- so lucky to live in such a beautiful area.
A bit further along and before any farm buildings I noticed a small wooded area to my left – old quarry ? It looked too extreme a dip to be natural and I noticed that there were brick remains – in quite good condition. Interestingly nothing marked on the map, even though there are quite a few ‘pits’ indicated in this vicinity. My guess is old lime kilns. I really must try to find out. 
I continued on passed a large barn and then was stopped in my tracks by a shout of “Is that you Marion?” and turned round to see two friends Libby and David, behind me. They had replicated my route and had both just decided the person in front of them must be me!
So no more photos but great to catch up and chat on our way on this very straight route back to the village and the statue of ‘Best Mate’.
I’d never walked this path before but had driven as far as the farm house where a good friend of Alex’s lived when they were at school. Picked up and dropped off a few times and been to a joint 18th birthday party. Alex often calls in here on one of his run routes when at home.
We all discussed how wrong ‘non- conker alley’ now looks and they branched off at the end of the track back to home.
I’d suggested I’d be back by 3.15 and arrived at about 10 past and logs duly arrived at 3.15 ! I forgot to set any of the trackers until I ‘d got up the hill to the reservoir but almost exactly 10 km. So glad I went out- got a bit cool at the end but I was walking quickly enough to never need the coat!
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 