How to Escape Your Four Walls and Socialise; Weekly Walk #26

I’ve got a few friends who, no matter how much time has passed since our last meeting, relax into an adjacent sofa and say just the right thing to make me smile. Substitute the sofa for a pair of hiking boots, and that’s exactly what it’s like to walk with the Hampshire 20s and 30s walking group. Read on to hear about our adventure and details on how to join.

This week, Mark took us on a walk skirting the edges of five villages from East Tytherley in West Hampshire, giving us a break from our day jobs to catch up about our summers (I even found out that Mark likes making music like me) and welcome new-comers into our friendly banter. I left feeling energised by an afternoon of fresh-air and like-minded conversation.

We met at 10.30 at the Star Inn and walked mostly through open fields, patches of woodland, and down a few country lanes. It was warm and I did the whole thing in my T-shirt, but made sure I bought my trusty pack for water, snacks, and just in-case waterproofs.

There were lots of refreshments on offer. We stopped at Annie’s Tea Room in Kimbridge and I had a delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream. There was even a lovely farm shop where I bought a bottle of Quiver by Bowman, one of my favourite local beers.

It wouldn’t be a walk without a hair-raising trek across a field of cows after reading the dreaded sign, “Beware of Bull.” It didn’t help that my jacket is bright red. Testing the myth, I trekked across as the cows stiffly eye-balled us and mooed their warning moo. It was exciting, though the young couple passing after us didn’t seem amused by our warning jest.

Back at the Star Inn, I ordered a plate of delicious cheese and bacon potato skins and enjoyed the conversation outside with the group, fussing over the local dog and cat. For a writer stuck at his computer most days, this walk was a much needed break and adventure.

If you fancy trying a similar walk, a route can easily be mapped out using the OS Explorer 131, Romsey, Andover & Test Valley. The large car park at the Star Inn made a great starting point, and don’t forget to check out Annie’s Tea Room or even the abbey at Mottisfont.

If you’re an outdoorsy type looking for a weekend escape from your day job, then click here to find out how to join the Hampshire 20s and 30s walking group or here to view the Ramblers website and find a similar group in your area.

A Shortcut to Blackberries; Weekly Walk #25

I love this time of year. Not only is the weather that much cooler (perfect for hiking), but little buds of blackberry sweetness are springing up all over the place. I collected a whole load the other day and made a fantastic apple and blackberry pie. I find more this week on a walk in Wiltshire, stopping at Ludgershall Castle and exploring near-by Collingbourne wood.

I squeezed my car into the little castle car-park, where a lady walking her dog commented on the lovely weather (how British!). I meandered through a trench of thick brambles to a semi-circular hill, which was similar to most hill-forts and Avebury stone circle. The castle was, well, a ruin, but a nice spot to enjoy a coffee at the end of a walk.

I took a farm track on the east of the castle and turned left onto a footpath. After several photos of the landscape with my low-quality point and shoot camera (which didn't turn out too bad with the help of pixlr.com) I followed a bridleway round the left of the woods. Drawn into the magical woodland, I sat to drink my coffee, when a great big dog came growling round the corner. I thought it funny when his owner said I'd startled him. I continued diagonally across a field and north-east to a byway.

I decided against the shorter route and turned left down the hill, passing thick bushes of blackberries, tempting me to stock-up for a second pie. At the bottom of the hill I turned left and walked the base of a valley. It was secluded with horses above, and I felt like I was in a Western, and that any minute a load of gun-toting baddies were going to sabotage me.

Now almost at the most northerly edge of the woods, I turned right up a hill and right again onto a woodland path. I was now in the heart of woodland. It was very quiet and I only passed one jogger on the thirty minute section. I went too far, but was easily able to reconnect with the path back towards Ludgershall and finally emerged by some farm houses and headed back to my car.

This was a relatively easy walk with no getting lost and the sighting of a buzzard (not to mention lots of rustling animals in the woods that I couldn't identify...) Not a bad start back into weekly walks after my summer break. Next week I’ll report on a walk with the Hampshire 20s and 30s walking group in Lockerley, then I’ll be down Bournemouth way for some urban walking.

Right, off to enjoy some pie.

How to Spend Summer in the South West of England

Looking out my window at the already darkening day and gloomy showers, I can’t help but wonder where the summer has gone (although it was probably my fault for being such a busy non-stop boy; time flies, you know). At least I’m now able to reflect on what I’ve done and think about how to make the most of my time for next year. So, if you’re not ready to say goodbye to summer, get your sunglasses on and check out these radiant ideas for how to spend your summer in the South West.

Corfe Castle and the Swanage Railway

There are lots of castle ruins in the UK, though by the time you’ve seen a few stones and imagined what it would've looked like when it wasn’t in tatters, a day out at one can feel much like another. That is except for at Corfe Castle, where the portcullis comes second to the chugging steam train.

Even from the inexpensive park and ride outside of town (arguably the best place to park) it’s clear that the Swanage railway is what it’s all about. You can walk into town, which we did to make the most of the weather, or catch the train, which stops near the castle before continuing to Swanage.

Corfe Castle village is very pretty and has some lovely pubs offering coffee and cake as well as a very welcoming village shop offering local cider and ale. In fact, once we’d seen the village and had a quick look at the castle, we didn’t pay to go in and instead skipped gleefully after the smell of soot.

 

The station had classic signage, old ticket machines and even a conductor in a traditional uniform. Even if you’re not big on trains, it’s hard not to feel excited as a steaming feat of engineering glides gracefully to a halt before you. Most of the journey was spent with our heads out the window taking pictures. In Swanage, the train had to uncouple and move to the rear of the coaches, which was cool to watch.

 

 

Swanage is a traditional seaside town and naturally gets quite busy. An off licence advertised cider on-tap, seagulls hunted for unsupervised fish and chips and children and adults lined the promenade with crabbing nets. We had a go but our bucket remained empty. We went to sit on the green and saw an open air theatre performance, which had a poor spectator chasing an actor around the stage.

 

After a short stop back in Corfe Castle to eat ice-cream on the swings, we walked back to the car, stopping to take a picture of the passing steam train like characters from the Railway Children. We didn’t want the day to end, so drove back to Salisbury and onwards to Figsbury Ring, a nearby hill fort, to watch the sun set and drink our cider, once again enjoying more than just the history.

 

 

 

Picturesque Villages and Cities

On the day of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, we stopped en-route to take in a few of the South West’s picturesque villages and cities. First, was the North Wiltshire village of Lacock, which is probably most well-known for its beautiful abbey, the set of a few locations from the Harry Potter films. If you removed the cars from the high street and covered the tarmac, well, let’s just say you’d know what it was like to live in a Jane Austen novel.

 

 

 

The second and probably slightly less known stop was at Castle Combe, known as England’s prettiest village. We parked at the main car-park at the top of the hill and walked down past a few footpath signs. There’s a market cross at the centre and a beautiful area at the bottom on the village looking back up at the houses and the nearby stream. There’s even a courtesy stall selling homemade cakes, trusting that customers will put money into the letter box. You certainly can’t have that in the city.

Our final stop before Bristol took us to Bath. I’d never been but had heard tales of its beauty. I was a little nervous about navigating the one-way streets, but I felt better once parked at a multi-story in town and out exploring. I had a bit of a guide to direct me to the views from near Pulteney Bridge, the Abbey, and the Royal Crescent, and to take me to her favourite spot for coffee, the Jazz Café.

 

 

 

 

The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

This is one of Bristol’s iconic features, an event featuring over a hundred hot air balloons taking to the air in what is dubbed a ‘mass ascent.’ The traffic getting in and out was mental, and even the surrounding fields were jammed with spectators looking for a free show. Inside the event, there were fairground rides and a small stage with local bands, including an acoustic heavy rock musician.

 

 

We were on the swing chair when the balloons went up, giving us a great view of the pilot. I loved the various designs, including a minion from Despicable me, a giant trophy, and a pair of underpants. The highlight came at night when all the balloons in the arena flashed their flames in time to music, finishing with a firework crescendo, which I enjoyed from a stomach churning fair-ground ride.

 

 

 
Salisbury Spectacular (and other local summer fairs)

For the ultimate community feeling, check-out your local city of village summer fair. I went to the Salisbury Spectacular, and although the weather was far from summery or spectacular, I got to see a motorcycle display team and some wonderfully talented musicians from the Salisbury music scene. I even helped promote the Taoist Tai Chi society by doing a few sets, which was a little nerve-racking.

 

 

  
The Season of Many Festivals (volunteer to go in free!)

Of course we know the big ones, Glastonbury and Reading, but don’t forget about the smaller festivals, such as Lamer Tree, End of the Road, and the Dorset Steam Fair. I volunteered at REST festival in Coombe Bissett, about ten minutes outside of Salisbury. It’s not just a thing to do if you’re strapped for cash. Working the gate and meeting the public and stall holders makes for a much more enjoyable event, especially at a small festival, where the site soon becomes a happy, fun community.

 

 

 

REST is a holistic festival, meaning there were various healing practitioners, from sound baths to Thai massage, and a host of workshops, such as the hilarious laughter yoga session. I was a bit prude in the sauna and went in in my towel, but considering the heat squeezes the sweat out of you like a sponge, it didn’t stay on for long. There were some great local bands too, closing with Pachango, a ska band from Bournemouth, who, along with some tasty organic beer, had us all dancing. Then it was time to gather around the camp-fire with a guitar and watch a girl practise her fire-poi.

Rolling around with laughter at the Laughter Yoga Workshop

 

 

 

 

 

Although the summer offers many opportunities for fun outings and experience, I have to confess that there’s something rather nice about the trickle of rain outside my window. Summer may soon be over, but the season of cosy fires and crunching leaves is upon us, and new adventures await...