Monday 28 April 2008

Fun Monday #19

Let's go for a walk! The assignment I set for you all this week was to take me on your favourite walk. In words or pictures. Or both of course! Tell me why it's your favourite and point out things of interest on the way.

I had my walk all planned out for this weekend. The parents were visiting and I was going to take them on the walk too so we could all enjoy it. Then Saturday dawned bright and beautiful but by the time the parents arrived, it was too damn hot to take The Lurchers out - they don't cope with heat very well. Then Sunday dawned grey and overcast and the heavens opened for most of the day.

So instead of my very favourite walk, we're going on my next favourite. Which is just as lovely but misses out the bluebell wood.

Sauntering Soul says I live in a quaint cottage and that I have beautiful walks. That is very true, we are incredibly lucky to live where we do. I just have to open the gate and a world of walking is there on my doorstep. But, on the other hand, how many photographs of trees do you want!?

So, here we go. Setting off heading out from the back of the cottage.


Next, we lose Millie the Whippet who has taken it into her head that she wants to go for a run and we can call until we're blue in the face. She knows where we are and can see us but will come back in her own sweet time thank you very much!

Then we head off across the golf course. Because this golf course is in the middle of a public open space, the golfers that play here all have to wear red shirts so that they can be easily seen.

From the golf course, we head down into the woods and cross a little stream


We follow the stream up to its source so that Lurcher No.1 can have a lie down in the water.


There is also an old well here, which has been filled in now. You can see from the stones that they were laid in 1872.


It is called Caesar's Well after the remains of an Iron Age fort which is some 400 yards away which was fancifully named Caesar's Camp - there's nothing to see there now but on an aerial photograph you can see a very faint outline of the two walls of the fort.

Next landmark on our walk is Bluegates Gravel Pit Pond. As the name suggest, this is an old gravel pit that was, up until a few years ago, fairly shallow and it always dried up in summer but we had it dug out and now it retains water all year and encourages a lot of pond life.


We then head back across the Common to the Windmill. This is a very prominent local landmark which was built in 1817 to serve the local community. The mill stopped working in 1864 and was turned into accomodation for 6 families - it's not that big so they must have been pretty cramped. About 30 years ago it was refurbished and turned back into a functioning mill, although it's not used commercially, and it's now a museum open to the public but children can still have a go at grinding wheat.


OK, onwards from the Windmill we go down the hill and arrive at Queensmere Pond.

We had a pair of swans breeding here last year...until some local hooligan killed the male of the pair. For their own safety, we had them moved by a local wildlife group to another colony of swans a few miles away.

Then last but not least we head past the wonky tree...


...past some lovely clumps of bluebells...


...and reach home again for a well-earned cup of tea!

I'm looking forward to joining you all on your walks!

38 comments:

  1. You really are so lucky to have such a fabulous area around you.

    Its also making me giggle how many of us have a poignant wonky, broken or fallen down tree as a focal point of our walk.
    You'd think as dog walkers we were the ones to get out more lol.

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  2. If I had views like that I know I would walk more often. Very beautiful!

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  3. That was so interesting! I am very envious of you having such a lovely walk on your doorstep. You can follow the walk on Google Earth (almost) as I am fairly sure I recognise your cottage from an earlier photograph.

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  4. This is a great walk. It must be the best, to be able to head out from home on your jaunt, instead of driving first.

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  5. What a beautiful place for walks! Just breathtakingly beautiful!

    Thanks for hosting this week!

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  6. What a lovely walk. It really is great to have a wonderful place to walk out your back door. Love the history around your place, too. Having the golfers wear red shirts is a great idea...
    Have a wonderful fun Monday and good week....

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  7. Gosh! What a beautiful place!!!
    Thank you the pictures of the Blue Bells! My little girl is in the Blue Bells and that is our flower, but we have never seen one.

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  8. Oh thsat was gorgeous AOJ. What a beautiful place you live in. Thansk for hosting too, this was s lovely theme. :D

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  9. My feet are getting antsy - all these walk are just tooooooo fabulous.

    Trees mean more birds.. oH YES! :)

    Of course, walking with dogs will probably alert them long before we get to them. But, I'm still willing to join you.

    Your pictures are beautiful - and long to visit and take that walk.

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  10. I have always thought you live in the ideal place. If only I could walk out of my gate instead of having to drive everywhere! That is a lovely walk, what a shame about the swans. I really don't understand how anyone can do such a thing!

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  11. What beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing!

    Lisa

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  12. Ooohhhh, you have a bluebell wood close to your home! That must be fabulous! They can be found in certain parts of Belgium too, I've seen pictures, they are in bloom now, and I'm hoping to still be able to see them next weekend. I've never seen a bluebell wood before myself!

    That was a great walk, I really enjoyed it, thanks!

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  13. Beautiful views. I'm jealous of the part where is was to warm to take the dogs for a walk. The warmest we've been is 50 so far.

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  14. That area is beautiful. I think it would be easy to get spoiled.

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  15. I want to go walking with you. It reminds me so much of the area where I grew up in MN.

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  16. Beautiful pictures! I enjoyed walking with you. That great you have a lovely walk right outside your back door.

    Thank you for being a wonderful hostess this week.

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  17. I enjoyed your walk so much! It reminds me of walks I took when I used to 'camp' in the woods decades ago ... and of walks when I visit friends who live in the woods of Northern California. Thanks so much for sharing today ... and for being 'hostess' this week. It's been delightful to see where everyone walks. Thanks also for stopping by Small Reflections earlier and checking out Molly and I at Dog Beach ;--)
    Hugs and blessings,

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  18. Great post! Love the windmill :]

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  19. what a beautiful walk! i loved it. i think i'd even go on this one!

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  20. Beautiful place to walk!

    Thanks for hosting this week - what a lot of fun to see where everyone walks. There were some beautiful spots!

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  21. That was a lovely, most pleasant walk! What a truly Fun Monday Assignment! Thanks for hosting!

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  22. Glad to see we are not he only ones suffering from weird weather patterns! We have had lots of rain with one day of sun then it rained again yesterday! Today the sun is out hooray! We may go for a quick walk this morning but a busy day ahead. Sigh!

    Wow I hope no-one ever cops a golf ball in the head on these walks! They would surely hurt! What a beautiful place to walk though! Nice and green! I love the bluebells, very pretty!

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  23. Enjoyed the walk. Beautiful pictures. My "Fun Monday" has been posted, rather late. Sorry.

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  24. What a lovely walk and so much to see on the way. We have a couple dogs who like to do as your whippet does. It is so annoying.

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  25. Those purple flowers are breathtaking! I am pining for the country! Can you tell I live in the city?

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  26. thank you so much for hosting this week Angela, I am enjoying seeing everyone's walks. You do live in a gorgeous area....you and the lurchers are very fortunate.

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  27. what a fantastic walk! i've missed fun monday but i may try and take pics of a walk just for the hell of it!

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  28. I enjoyed your walk with the dogs seeing the windmill, the old well, Caesar's fort, and the bluebells. I have decided at this late hour to join the walks with the Fun Monday crew. If you get a chance, please add me to the list. Thanks.

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  29. Hi AOJ, thanks for hosting a good FM.

    Glad you enjoyed the walk through IKEA and I hope you don't mind this "general" comment, I'm running out of time for individual answers.

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  30. What a great idea--am just started walking with everyone--suspect losts of wonderful photography. I especially appreciated the stream on your stroll.

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  31. That's a very beautiful walk ! even the lazy me would walk there, lol !

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  32. Another lovely walk!!! Gosh...I want to have a walk there...just lovely!

    Have a nice week!!!

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  33. Thanks for hosting this week! I am absolutely jealous of your walk. I get tired of living in a concrete jungle sometimes.

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  34. What a great walk! I loved all aspects of it! Thanx for hosting and the great idea!

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  35. I have just three words:

    Beau. Ti. Ful.

    Thanks for taking me on such a lovely walk this evening. Cheers, eh.

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  36. Gorgeous, gorgeous walk!!!

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  37. Gorgeous, gorgeous walk!!!

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  38. Sorry I'm just now getting ny walking feet on...has been one of those weeks. Beautiful walk. Thank you for hosting.

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