Bank Holiday Blazer
I felt weirdly unmotivated to get out again today, and thought I'd be content to just lie on the sofa in my underpants. But at about midday (you know, the perfect time to go out in the sun), I had a spurt of enthusiasm, and went out on a previously planned walk. It made a nice change to start the walk from home, rather than having to drive out to a convenient starting spot, and it began with me taking an old route down the street where I lived when I first moved to Leominster, over the old railway bridge and towards Easter's Wood.
It never ceases to amaze me that just behind the railway station, no more than 5 minutes walk from home, I can come across scenery like this.
I followed alongside the river, and then went under the bypass, which has on the opposite bank a mosaic which seems to portray dragonflies quite prominently. After yesterday, I took that as a good sign.
At one point just before joining the Worcester Road, there were these trees that were covered in large amounts of white fluff. I didn't find out what they were, but the fluff had blown off the trees, and was sitting on the ground like giant cobwebs, covering everything in its path.
I crossed the Worcester Road, and joined the Stoke Prior road, turning up behind Dom's Bike Stop where I crossed the Worcester Road again before heading up a path. Actually, there were two paths, so naturally I took the more defined track, only to find that it was leading me the wrong way, and the path I wanted was through the more dense plant matter, on a steeper incline, with more things to get in my way. Typical.
As ever, once I got to the top of the incline, the landscape suddenly opened up before me and made the effort worthwhile.
Walking along a lovely field, slightly downhill on a beautiful summer's day was incredibly uplifting. Even the fact that this was one of those annoying paths where halfway down a field a well hidden stile indicates that you have to jink into the next field did little to dampen my spirits. At the end of this particular path, I came to a beautiful, sturdy bridge, and you know how much I like a sturdy bridge!
On the other side of the bridge was a field in which the crops had been cut back, so I can't work out how or why the path was still highlighted in a more green pigment, whereas the rest of the field was dried up yellow. Anyway, at least I knew where I was going.
And this is where things went a bit weird. At the end of the next field, the path was supposed to take me up past some farm buildings, where I would continue onto the road (Tick Bridge Lane, I think.....), and I would loop around, following another path back past the farm, and then rejoining where I'd started. However, when I got to the point where I thought I'd be joining the farm house land, there was no path and no stile as such. At the exact point, there was a break in the fence where the barbed wire was covered by new pieces of wood, which normally indicates a stile, but there was no stile step. Even if I had made it over, I could see that there was another barbed wire fence covering what looked like an old, broken stile. I had a good look around to see if there was another way round, but couldn't see one, but I did find a 'Private Land, no entry' sign, in a position far from the house, as if to make it clear to walkers that they're not welcome.
I'm prepared to go back and try ot deal with this path from the opposite side, but I do wonder if a formal diversion has been put in place. It's a bit weird, but it could just be a landowner being a bit of an arse. I'm sure that time will tell, as I will be going back. However, after a quick look at my map, I could see that there were other paths that I could pick up, so I decided to make the best of a bad situation and pick those up instead.
Walking around the field that I supposed to get out of, I soon came upon an old friend....
I've passed this tree many times - I remember the first, when I'd just started going for walks, and I got really confused about what path to take, and I wandered round and round this tree for far too long! Now it places me firmly in the landscape, and I know where I am and where I'm going. From here I took a new path, one which wasn't well defined, and I had to plough my way through the wild-grown edges of the field, following the path of the river. I even turned round to take a picture to prove that there was no actual path.
Then I came to it. Another wonky bridge. Not as wonky as the one over by S&A farms, but definitely not on the level.
Despite the rakish angle, it wasn't too bad - the wood was still sound enough, and the channel over which the bridge ran was dry, so if it did give way, I wouldn't have been plunged into disgusting water. I continued on this field until I got back to the 'good' bridge, from which I would then retrace my path. On the way, I saw a wonky tree to go with the wonky bridge.
Climbing back up the fields, just before I got to the highest point, I could see the tower of Leominster Priory just peeking out in the distance, calling me back to the town. I'm not sure if it reads, but it's right in the centre of the picture below.
From there I continued back into town, retracing my steps, and sweating profusely on what had been the hottest day of the year so far. But glad that I'd got out.
Music Played
How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
How Soon Is Now (BTTF Remix) - Snake River Conspiracy
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Junior Walker and the All Stars
How The Pig's Music Works - Frank Zappa
How To Disappear Completely - Radiohead
How Viscious We Are - The Free French
Simon's Car 12" Remix - How We Live
You Don't Need Anyone 12 " Remix - How We Live
How Will You Go - Crowded House
How Will You Go - Marillion
How You Play The Game - Michelle Shocked
How You Remind Me - Nickelback
Howling In Ojai - Eddi Reader
How's It Gonna End - Tom Waits
How's Your Bird? - Frank Zappa
Hoy Hoy - Cab Calloway
Hoyt Ming and His Pep Steppers - Indain War Whoop
H.R. 2911 - Frank Zappa
H's House Home Demo - Marillion
H's Legacy Home Demo - Marillion
Huellas Des Pasado - Arte Mixto
Human - Human League
Miles Walked Today - 4.6
Miles Walked in 2021 - 254.4
It never ceases to amaze me that just behind the railway station, no more than 5 minutes walk from home, I can come across scenery like this.
I followed alongside the river, and then went under the bypass, which has on the opposite bank a mosaic which seems to portray dragonflies quite prominently. After yesterday, I took that as a good sign.
At one point just before joining the Worcester Road, there were these trees that were covered in large amounts of white fluff. I didn't find out what they were, but the fluff had blown off the trees, and was sitting on the ground like giant cobwebs, covering everything in its path.
I crossed the Worcester Road, and joined the Stoke Prior road, turning up behind Dom's Bike Stop where I crossed the Worcester Road again before heading up a path. Actually, there were two paths, so naturally I took the more defined track, only to find that it was leading me the wrong way, and the path I wanted was through the more dense plant matter, on a steeper incline, with more things to get in my way. Typical.
As ever, once I got to the top of the incline, the landscape suddenly opened up before me and made the effort worthwhile.
Walking along a lovely field, slightly downhill on a beautiful summer's day was incredibly uplifting. Even the fact that this was one of those annoying paths where halfway down a field a well hidden stile indicates that you have to jink into the next field did little to dampen my spirits. At the end of this particular path, I came to a beautiful, sturdy bridge, and you know how much I like a sturdy bridge!
On the other side of the bridge was a field in which the crops had been cut back, so I can't work out how or why the path was still highlighted in a more green pigment, whereas the rest of the field was dried up yellow. Anyway, at least I knew where I was going.
And this is where things went a bit weird. At the end of the next field, the path was supposed to take me up past some farm buildings, where I would continue onto the road (Tick Bridge Lane, I think.....), and I would loop around, following another path back past the farm, and then rejoining where I'd started. However, when I got to the point where I thought I'd be joining the farm house land, there was no path and no stile as such. At the exact point, there was a break in the fence where the barbed wire was covered by new pieces of wood, which normally indicates a stile, but there was no stile step. Even if I had made it over, I could see that there was another barbed wire fence covering what looked like an old, broken stile. I had a good look around to see if there was another way round, but couldn't see one, but I did find a 'Private Land, no entry' sign, in a position far from the house, as if to make it clear to walkers that they're not welcome.
I'm prepared to go back and try ot deal with this path from the opposite side, but I do wonder if a formal diversion has been put in place. It's a bit weird, but it could just be a landowner being a bit of an arse. I'm sure that time will tell, as I will be going back. However, after a quick look at my map, I could see that there were other paths that I could pick up, so I decided to make the best of a bad situation and pick those up instead.
Walking around the field that I supposed to get out of, I soon came upon an old friend....
I've passed this tree many times - I remember the first, when I'd just started going for walks, and I got really confused about what path to take, and I wandered round and round this tree for far too long! Now it places me firmly in the landscape, and I know where I am and where I'm going. From here I took a new path, one which wasn't well defined, and I had to plough my way through the wild-grown edges of the field, following the path of the river. I even turned round to take a picture to prove that there was no actual path.
Then I came to it. Another wonky bridge. Not as wonky as the one over by S&A farms, but definitely not on the level.
Despite the rakish angle, it wasn't too bad - the wood was still sound enough, and the channel over which the bridge ran was dry, so if it did give way, I wouldn't have been plunged into disgusting water. I continued on this field until I got back to the 'good' bridge, from which I would then retrace my path. On the way, I saw a wonky tree to go with the wonky bridge.
Climbing back up the fields, just before I got to the highest point, I could see the tower of Leominster Priory just peeking out in the distance, calling me back to the town. I'm not sure if it reads, but it's right in the centre of the picture below.
From there I continued back into town, retracing my steps, and sweating profusely on what had been the hottest day of the year so far. But glad that I'd got out.
Music Played
How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
How Soon Is Now (BTTF Remix) - Snake River Conspiracy
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Junior Walker and the All Stars
How The Pig's Music Works - Frank Zappa
How To Disappear Completely - Radiohead
How Viscious We Are - The Free French
Simon's Car 12" Remix - How We Live
You Don't Need Anyone 12 " Remix - How We Live
How Will You Go - Crowded House
How Will You Go - Marillion
How You Play The Game - Michelle Shocked
How You Remind Me - Nickelback
Howling In Ojai - Eddi Reader
How's It Gonna End - Tom Waits
How's Your Bird? - Frank Zappa
Hoy Hoy - Cab Calloway
Hoyt Ming and His Pep Steppers - Indain War Whoop
H.R. 2911 - Frank Zappa
H's House Home Demo - Marillion
H's Legacy Home Demo - Marillion
Huellas Des Pasado - Arte Mixto
Human - Human League
Miles Walked Today - 4.6
Miles Walked in 2021 - 254.4