Saturday 4 April 2015

This Weeks Group Walk.....Number 15

Hello Lovelies,
 Thursday was the last day of the school spring term around here. I knew it would be the last group walk that I could attend till the Easter break was over and I was really hoping for nice weather.

The forecast was cloud,  yet as we set off there might not have been clear skies but there were certainly shadows.........


The walk leader ( who was wearing wellies) warned us of the boggy conditions. There were puddles, which was hardly surprising after all the rain last week, but generally the conditions underfoot were ok.

It was such a beautiful day....and, joy of joys, there was no wind..........


We passed a tidy farm..... where, now I'm looking back through these images, I'm pretty sure the white van belonged to a mobile farrier..........


As we walked along the path everyone commented on the huge horses hoof prints along it. I should have taken a photo with my hand for a guide to the size , they were massive....maybe 10 inches across or more.

As I dropped to the back of the group, enchanted by the views here, I gazed back towards the farm and saw who probably made those prints..........


A beautiful Shire horse.....such magnificent creatures...........


Aware I was holding up the back marker, I hurried to catch up with the group....and then stopped again to photograph another pretty view of where we were heading.

"There's the church", said the chap who was making sure nobody got left behind....."and the Abbey"......

what church and what Abbey?....I could see neither

We caught up with the group again as we travelled through pretty woodland..........


Where the fresh green shoots of Bluebell leaves grew at the base of huge old trees.........


How I loved the views here.........and the palest blue  sky with wispy white clouds...........


Leaving the woodland we approached a cluster of gorgeous old buildings.........


it was such a charming spot..........


And when we entered a sunlit churchyard I was still confused where the church actually was.........


Squinting into the sunlight and talking to other members of the walking group I realised the building here was the church....and a house ....a house church, or maybe a church  house?.......


Whatever you call it, it was an idyllic spot to sit on a low stone wall and eat a picnic..........


After the chilly winter picnics we have endured throughout the winter this one seemed like a precious gift.

 Sitting chatting in the warm sunshine , watching a Buzzard ride the thermals rising in the clear still sky and enjoying a yummy gift of Easter chocolate to finish off my picnic. Wonderful.


All too soon it was time to move on. We passed squat stone cottages..........


and soon came to the huge arch, which is all that remains of an Abbey that was once here.......

It seemed amazing that it was still standing in isolation, resisting all the elements for so many years.

Close to here were a heard of small black sheep, they seemed to fit right in with the pretty, old fashioned setting.......

I think they may be THIS bread

As we walked past stunning mature trees I wondered how many more weeks they would look like this......surely they will be turning green soon..........


 This little cottage garden amused me....it looked like the sort of place where nothing goes to waste. Things some would consider to be junk were made useful or simply decorative, again..........


The car seat deck chairs made me smile.

By now we were nearing the end of our seven and a half mile walk. We had negotiated some mud, but nothing too bad.

As we approached this field our cheerful leader told us this was the "best bit" with a twinkle in his eye........


Gosh it was muddy, in multiple places. People braved barb wire, hung onto gates and balanced on logs to try and avoid it, but wellies were certainly the best footwear here!


But the mud certainly didn't ruin this walk for me. In fact I was sad when it ended. Walking is such a wonderful escape and this first really mild group walk of the year was a special one. 

This peaceful spot will remain in my minds eye for a long time.........


Jacquie x

Edited to Add....THIS is where we walked through, in case any of you lovelies were wondering.
J x

20 comments:

  1. What a lovely spot, it's good that you're finding new places to explore. The church is really unusual, but what a pretty place to sit and have a picnic. I hope you have a good Easter Jacquie, with lots of outdoor time. CJ xx

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  2. Another lovely walk. I noticed the bluebells appearing last week too. Spring seems a long time arriving - glimpses now and then, but nothing consistent. And this year I really need it! I hope you have a great Easter holiday with your boys. x

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  3. A lovely walk with lots of interesting things to see :)

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  4. Wonderful walk! Those sheep are incredibly cute, and I hope you'll manage to take some pictures of the bluebells when they'll bloom, they're such lovely flowers!
    Wish you a happy Easter! xx

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  5. What a lovely walk! The muddy bit must have been a bit of a surprise. Was this the April Fool's walk? Still, it looks like it was lovely. :) You live in a beautiful part of the world.

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  6. Another Beautiful scenic walk.LOVE the sheep and that beautiful horse.Your pics are soooo interesting,you are brillliant at filling in the details thank you so much for taking the time to do this.
    Happy Easter.xx

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  7. I love your walks....thank you for sharing....and the sheep were a bonus!

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  8. I enjoyed all the photos during your walk.. the draft horse was my favorite.. we have several breeds of draft horses that I see at our State Fair and they make me swoon. Of course I love seeing your ancient architecture.. you're so lucky to have it all around you. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  9. I enjoy these walking records. It's making me wonder about joining a walking group as I enjoy walks but don't go alone, not from fear of humans, but coming across jumpy/barky/unpleasant dogs!

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  10. What a lovely walk you had and how nice that it was a bit warmer for you
    Happy Easter
    Jackie x

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  11. Another beautiful walk, and you were so lucky with the weather! That muddy spot made me laugh, I can imagine the squelchy noises and then the panic as inappropriate shoes are sucked from feet and disappear in the mud! This happened to me once and I had to walk the rest of the way in socks!! Have a wonderful Easter xx

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  12. Thanks for taking us along on another pretty walk, Jacquie. I especially enjoy seeing the flock of black sheep and imagining processing their pretty wool into yarn! Wishing you and yours a Happy Easter! xx

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  13. I do love your walks - I can just feel the fresh air. So much so I'm off for a run now.

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  14. I love the photo you share of your walks. Make me wish I was back in England there is nothing in my part of Western Australia that is anywhere near as beautiful. Thank you for the link to where you walked. It as interesting reading about the church and farm house together and its story.

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  15. Lovely post from your walk!!Strange for me a church house or house church and very funny car seat in the garden!!Always nice walk with you in your post!!Happy Easter

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  16. Jacquie, once again, you have shown us a remarkable part of the world. As you wrote, it does look as if time has stood still. I appreciate your giving us the link with additional information about that little village, particularly about the house church.

    Wonderful! xo

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  17. Lovely walk, lovely photo's and ....... lovely mud !

    Looks a great walk.

    Happy Easter

    All the best Jan

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  18. A lovely walk! (I didn't even get muddy.) ; ) If only that arch could talk! All black sheep in that family lol Loved the walk thanks for sharing.

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  19. What a lovely walk in a very pretty part of the world. I've never seen a house church before - fascinating! Thank you for taking us along :)
    Cathy x

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  20. Thanks for the edit - I read this late last night and I was wondering where you had been. I love a good church (I liked the photos in your previous birthday party walk post) - I've always wanted to investigate the churches in any villages I pass through, dating back to my teens when I was a keen cyclist and belonged to a local branch of the Cycle Touring Club - on our Saturday morning rides we would stop and take a peek in several churches.
    Mark

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