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.