CC
I still adore the fact that, despite having walked out from Stoke Prior many times, I can still find myself on new paths within moments. Today I went up Norman's Lane, which is an unmade road.... sort of. I kept seeing bricks embedded in the rough surface, although with no pattern to them - like they were the hardcore base for something that had been on top. But it wasn't far before I came across evidence of an old road that had long since passed peak usefulness!
I came to a fork in the road - to the left was a bridleway which would join up with this walk, where I discovered at the other end that the path carried right on instead of stopping like it showed on the map. That is just about the only path I have left to walk around Stoke Prior now, but that's for another day. My path today led me into some woodland, where I could only just make out a path winding between the trees. This must've been quite narrow, as I could make out fields to my right, and I think domestic gardens to my left, but my path kept leading me through the woods, and on a bright sunny day, I found this uplifiting.
As I emerged from the trees, the landscape opened out and it was clear that my ascent was leading me to some beautiful views.
Through a couple of fields of sheep, I began my descent. In a field where I noticed that the daffodils were almost over (where is this year going....?) I became aware of two groups of people - one in front, one to my right. It's unusual to see so many people while I'm out, and it was only as I reached the end of the field that I realised that I'd arrived at Leominster Golf Course. There are two paths that run through the course, one of which I've completed one and a half times, the other, the one I was on today, was new to me. When planning the route, I'd noticed that it was designated a bridleway, but I found it unlikely that anyone would ride their horse over a golf course, or that the course owners would be happy about having horses ridden over their land. But it was clear fairly early on that this is indeed an active bridleway.
The course was really busy, not that you can tell from this photo - I try not to take pictures of people without their consent, and there was a large group of golfers who had just walked out of shot to the right of this picture, but believe me, it was full of retired people making the most of the sun....which also seems to be hiding in this picture.
As the path joined the road, I found this which I can't work out - is it art, vandalism, or a statement from the golf course about having to accommodate public footpaths through their course?
Immediately opposite the golf course is one of my favourite churches - St. John of Jerusalem at Ford. It's location by the river is beautiful, and its such a compact and modest building. Sadly the sign is still on the door asking people not to go in, so I respected that and stayed outside, but one day I will discover what's lurking within!
Now walking north back towards Stoke Prior, the incline on my right, which I had just walked down, was looking luscious and green, but what struck me (though you can't probably tell from this photo) is that the trees were growing perpendicular to the slope, not true vertical, which confuses and surprises me.
In the hedge just before re-entering the village I also found these blossom, which are smaller than the ones I saw the other day which TVL Mrs. McDingo thought were apple blossom. Obviously, ignoramus that I am, I have no idea what these are, but my plant identification app (yes, I'm getting old and boring, and I don't care) tells me that this is blackthorn. Either way, it's very pretty.
Further on, I came across what looked like the remains of a bridge - it seems to have the sides, but no top. Having looked at a map since returning home, I can't make out any features that would indicate that a bridge might have been needed there, so it may have had a different function I suppose.
Both sides were marked with identifiers, but again, online searching does not give me any clues as to what this may have been for.
Across the fields I could see the new 'Border Oak' development. I think I've mentioned before that I have mixed feelings about these properties - yes, the blend OK with the landscape, but they are uninspired, pastiche buildings that seem to lack imagination. My in-laws live in one, and they're excellent, perfectly livable, well constructed houses, but they just seem to lack a character of their own. I'm probably just being fussy.
And of course, I can't go on a walk these days without at least one picture of some sheep.
As I walked past St. Luke's, I couldn't remember if I'd recorded this particular church in the journal before, so here it is!
So even though I was within a few yards of my car at this point, I was only half way round as the loop would continue north to the A44 Worcester Road before looping back down in Stoke Prior. As I took a sweet little footpath between houses, I saw a tortoiseshell cat ahead of me. Despite my best efforts, it really wasn't going to have anything to do with me, but as I reached the point where it had been sitting, I saw this poster sellotaped to the fence.
It reads 'Bad Cat is naughty. He scares Dolly cat',, with an exceptional drawing of 'Bad Cat' under the Wanted notice. I cannot tell you how much I love this poster. It's in a position where barely anyone will see it, it's clearly based on some real-life cat-related drama, a child has come to the conclusion that a wanted poster will help bring the perpetrator to justice, and an adult has helped put this earnestly created hand-made poster out to support the child. It just made my day seeing this, I think it's beautiful.
Heading north towards the main road, I passed across lots of luscious green meadows...
...and mourned the loss of my hat which somehow I managed to lose somewhere near Steensbridge on my last walk. I've had it for nearly 10 years, and it was old and battered, but it was my walking hat, and now I'm going to have to find something else to protect my poor bald head from the sun.
Approaching the road, I came across another run-down agricultural building. Oh, I do like the aesthetic of a falling down barn!
And just before reaching the road, I could see Leominster in the distance, nestled between two green undulations.
At some point after this picture was taking, and probably as I was avoiding lorries on the main road, I hit the 200 miles since January mark. I completely forgot to mark it or celebrate it in any way, but yes. 200 miles feels like quite something. I'm not sure what, but something!
The walk back to the car was all on previously walked routes, and little stood out to report back here!
Music Played
Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll - The Killers
Glass Onion (Love) - The Beatles
Glass Onion - The Beatles
Glitter Gulch - Elvis Costello
Gloria - Patti Smith
Gloria - Van Morrison
Gloria - Laura Brannigan
Glory Box - Portishead
Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen
Glow - Coal Chamber
Glow Old With Me - John Lennon
Glutton Of Sympathy (Demo) - Jellyfish
Glutton Of Sympathy - Jellyfish
Glutton Of Sympathy (Live) - Jellyfish
Gnik Nus - The Beatles
Go! (live) - Marillion
Go! (live 2) - Marillion
Go! - Marillion
Go! (L=M) - Marillion
Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder - The Mothers of Invention
Go Down Easy - John Martyn
Go Down Gamblin' - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Go Down Moses - Louis Armstrong
Go Dub - Michelle Shocked
Go Early - Marillion
Go For G! - They Might Be Giants
Go For It - Lazytown
Go Home - Barenaked Ladies
Go In Peace - Michelle Shocked
Go Now - Moody Blues
Go Now - Tin Machine
Go South, Young Man - Cab Calloway
Go To The Mirror! - The Who
Miles Walked Today - 5.6
Miles Walked in 2021 - 201.2
I came to a fork in the road - to the left was a bridleway which would join up with this walk, where I discovered at the other end that the path carried right on instead of stopping like it showed on the map. That is just about the only path I have left to walk around Stoke Prior now, but that's for another day. My path today led me into some woodland, where I could only just make out a path winding between the trees. This must've been quite narrow, as I could make out fields to my right, and I think domestic gardens to my left, but my path kept leading me through the woods, and on a bright sunny day, I found this uplifiting.
As I emerged from the trees, the landscape opened out and it was clear that my ascent was leading me to some beautiful views.
Through a couple of fields of sheep, I began my descent. In a field where I noticed that the daffodils were almost over (where is this year going....?) I became aware of two groups of people - one in front, one to my right. It's unusual to see so many people while I'm out, and it was only as I reached the end of the field that I realised that I'd arrived at Leominster Golf Course. There are two paths that run through the course, one of which I've completed one and a half times, the other, the one I was on today, was new to me. When planning the route, I'd noticed that it was designated a bridleway, but I found it unlikely that anyone would ride their horse over a golf course, or that the course owners would be happy about having horses ridden over their land. But it was clear fairly early on that this is indeed an active bridleway.
The course was really busy, not that you can tell from this photo - I try not to take pictures of people without their consent, and there was a large group of golfers who had just walked out of shot to the right of this picture, but believe me, it was full of retired people making the most of the sun....which also seems to be hiding in this picture.
As the path joined the road, I found this which I can't work out - is it art, vandalism, or a statement from the golf course about having to accommodate public footpaths through their course?
Immediately opposite the golf course is one of my favourite churches - St. John of Jerusalem at Ford. It's location by the river is beautiful, and its such a compact and modest building. Sadly the sign is still on the door asking people not to go in, so I respected that and stayed outside, but one day I will discover what's lurking within!
Now walking north back towards Stoke Prior, the incline on my right, which I had just walked down, was looking luscious and green, but what struck me (though you can't probably tell from this photo) is that the trees were growing perpendicular to the slope, not true vertical, which confuses and surprises me.
In the hedge just before re-entering the village I also found these blossom, which are smaller than the ones I saw the other day which TVL Mrs. McDingo thought were apple blossom. Obviously, ignoramus that I am, I have no idea what these are, but my plant identification app (yes, I'm getting old and boring, and I don't care) tells me that this is blackthorn. Either way, it's very pretty.
Further on, I came across what looked like the remains of a bridge - it seems to have the sides, but no top. Having looked at a map since returning home, I can't make out any features that would indicate that a bridge might have been needed there, so it may have had a different function I suppose.
Both sides were marked with identifiers, but again, online searching does not give me any clues as to what this may have been for.
Across the fields I could see the new 'Border Oak' development. I think I've mentioned before that I have mixed feelings about these properties - yes, the blend OK with the landscape, but they are uninspired, pastiche buildings that seem to lack imagination. My in-laws live in one, and they're excellent, perfectly livable, well constructed houses, but they just seem to lack a character of their own. I'm probably just being fussy.
And of course, I can't go on a walk these days without at least one picture of some sheep.
As I walked past St. Luke's, I couldn't remember if I'd recorded this particular church in the journal before, so here it is!
So even though I was within a few yards of my car at this point, I was only half way round as the loop would continue north to the A44 Worcester Road before looping back down in Stoke Prior. As I took a sweet little footpath between houses, I saw a tortoiseshell cat ahead of me. Despite my best efforts, it really wasn't going to have anything to do with me, but as I reached the point where it had been sitting, I saw this poster sellotaped to the fence.
It reads 'Bad Cat is naughty. He scares Dolly cat',, with an exceptional drawing of 'Bad Cat' under the Wanted notice. I cannot tell you how much I love this poster. It's in a position where barely anyone will see it, it's clearly based on some real-life cat-related drama, a child has come to the conclusion that a wanted poster will help bring the perpetrator to justice, and an adult has helped put this earnestly created hand-made poster out to support the child. It just made my day seeing this, I think it's beautiful.
Heading north towards the main road, I passed across lots of luscious green meadows...
...and mourned the loss of my hat which somehow I managed to lose somewhere near Steensbridge on my last walk. I've had it for nearly 10 years, and it was old and battered, but it was my walking hat, and now I'm going to have to find something else to protect my poor bald head from the sun.
Approaching the road, I came across another run-down agricultural building. Oh, I do like the aesthetic of a falling down barn!
And just before reaching the road, I could see Leominster in the distance, nestled between two green undulations.
At some point after this picture was taking, and probably as I was avoiding lorries on the main road, I hit the 200 miles since January mark. I completely forgot to mark it or celebrate it in any way, but yes. 200 miles feels like quite something. I'm not sure what, but something!
The walk back to the car was all on previously walked routes, and little stood out to report back here!
Music Played
Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll - The Killers
Glass Onion (Love) - The Beatles
Glass Onion - The Beatles
Glitter Gulch - Elvis Costello
Gloria - Patti Smith
Gloria - Van Morrison
Gloria - Laura Brannigan
Glory Box - Portishead
Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen
Glow - Coal Chamber
Glow Old With Me - John Lennon
Glutton Of Sympathy (Demo) - Jellyfish
Glutton Of Sympathy - Jellyfish
Glutton Of Sympathy (Live) - Jellyfish
Gnik Nus - The Beatles
Go! (live) - Marillion
Go! (live 2) - Marillion
Go! - Marillion
Go! (L=M) - Marillion
Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder - The Mothers of Invention
Go Down Easy - John Martyn
Go Down Gamblin' - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Go Down Moses - Louis Armstrong
Go Dub - Michelle Shocked
Go Early - Marillion
Go For G! - They Might Be Giants
Go For It - Lazytown
Go Home - Barenaked Ladies
Go In Peace - Michelle Shocked
Go Now - Moody Blues
Go Now - Tin Machine
Go South, Young Man - Cab Calloway
Go To The Mirror! - The Who
Miles Walked Today - 5.6
Miles Walked in 2021 - 201.2