For those who know the area, or want to open a map, the route was;
Sandridge, Hertwood Forest, Eight Acre Wood, Ayers End, Normansland Common, Wheathampstead, Coleman Green, Brocket Hall Woods, Brocket Hall, Cromer Hyde, Symondshyde Great Wood, Capps Cottage, Nashe's Farm, Sandridge.
For those who don't, or don't;
A circular walk of just over 13 miles to the north of St. Albans, Hertfordshire.
A later start than usual, as I had stayed at home to help put the Tesco delivery away, so a shorter walk than of late.
Perfect walking weather some cloud, some sun and never any danger of rain.
When a path is marked on the OS map as 'Mud Lane' it shouldn't come as a surprise if it is like this.
Normandsland Common was full of families with children riding bikes, swinging on rope swings, making dens and falling out of trees. It was lovely to see. The common has many dips and holes which are where clay was dug for brick making but now make a natural adventure playground.
On the first day of the village cricket season I sat and watched a bit of the game. The thwack of willow on leather, the soaring arc of the ball as it flies through the air for 6. The shouts of 'Oh, [censored]' as the ball disappears in to the woods and everyone goes and digs about in the brambles for 5 minutes to try and find it.
Perusing my map while sat by the cricket pitch I realised that, instead of heading in to Wheathampstead to walk by the river, I could divert to Coleman Green.
Coleman Green has about 3 houses, the chimney of a cottage where author and non-conformist preacher John Bunyan stayed...
...and this, The John Bunyan. One of the nicest, friendliest, unpretentious pubs in the world.
First pub pint since March. A nice, refreshing IPA in a poncy glass.
Heading in to Brocket Hall Woods I noticed that the small pull in carpark was closed with huge lumps of concrete blocking the entrances. Stepping in to the wood I discovered why, a section of fence had been pushed over and a huge amount of rubbish fly-tipped.
I normally hate golf courses for the way they obliterate both footpaths and also the countryside by turning it in to lawn.
The courses at Brocket Hall are better than most with clearly marked paths which don't cross fairways or, as I had recently, the driving range. There are also large areas of more natural heath and woodland.
At Symondshyde Wood a felled tree blocked the entry in to the woods and, having negotiated this, forestry work had churned up the path a bit.
Many of my local/Hertfordshire/Chilterns walks are paths through fields or paths through wood and I never used to take any pictures or write reports as they are all quite samey.
I think I may start to slip back to less pictures as we can all start to get out to more exciting areas.