Sanctuary

Well we did it. A beautiful evening light greeted us as we trudged wearily into the ancient temple called the Sanctuary at the end of the Ridgeway.

As Mort and myself agree – why are these places always presumed to have a religious significance? There is a wonderful aura about the site it’s true – but maybe it was the beer tent.

Over this last week we have managed to escape the 21st Century trappings of aggressive traffic, TV and fast food and swapped it for gentle-paced walking in superb countryside, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature.

And I rate it as the best walking project I’ve been on.

I’ve posted the last few pictures here to tempt you into having a crack at it yourself.

And the link to the trail website is here.

Go on, you’d love it.

Marching back in time

We really felt in tune with the ancients today – travelling along the main part of the Ridgeway which has been in use since at least the Bronze Age.

The Iron Age hill forts which guard the green road are impressive and there is a special aura at Wayland’s Smithy, a burial mound which dates back 5,500 years. The tomb stones still stand and the perimeter is ringed by avenues of mature trees. It was so peaceful standing among the stones listening to the breeze in the trees.

It was a long hot day today and I for one am feeling pretty wrecked now. But we near journey’s end and should be in Avebury before sunset tomorrow.

The nature highlights included a frightened wee partridge chick seen at close quarters, a corn bunting, and I think a tree pipit (but it could have been a meadow pipit – not sure). Quite a few butterlies today including red admiral, peacock, painted lady, small tortoiseshell and clouded yellow.

I know Morten and myself have mixed feelings about tomorrow. Trepidation at the long haul, reflief that we are nearly there and sadness that we will be leaving behind a magical week in a part of merry England that I thought had disappeared.

Bunny hugging

We had some amusing encounters with the wildlife today, including a very friendly colt and a cygnet mimicking its mother.

I have posted some pictures here though I missed the best one of the day. We were sat eating our lunch when a hare came bounding round the corner. Completely surprised by our presence, it skidded to a halt like Yosemite Sam and did some pretty rapid back-pedalling.

We passed the half-way point today, crossing the Thames at Goring. We are having a day off tomorrow and then resume at East Hendred on Thursday. We are hoping to reach journey’s end at Avebury on Friday but may still be walking on Saturday. If you want to join us, give me a ring, text, mail, or post a comment. Would be lovely to see you.

Will have some more varied content when we’re off the trail.

Cheerio Chilterns

Although it was a bit damp we still journeyed through some beautiful countryside.

Swyncombe had an amazing aura. It is just how you imagine a medieval village, and a few hundred metres on from the church we found ourselves in open fields surrounded by mixed woodland where you could not see or hear any evidence of people. It was so peaceful.

We also walked the length of Grim’s Ditch. No-one seems to know for sure why it was constructed though our money is on a tribal boundary from pre-history. When I’ve got my time machine back on the road I’ll nip back and find out.

Not a good day for photography so I will skip today and hopefully post something more photogenic later.

We reached Mongewell near Wallingford today, and hope to press on to the Downs tomorrow.

Rave on

You never know what you are going to find around the next corner on this Ridgeway walk.

One moment, we are strolling past the Blairs’ pile at Chequers and the next we are picking our way through 100 spaced out teenagers at an impromptu rave.

The same goes for the wildlife. Morten had to calm me down after a peregerine falcon came swooping over our heads – I had a really clear look at it. We also saw a couple of red kites, I think a sparrowhawk (but we weren’t close enough to be sure), a good close-up of a fabulous jay, some grey partridges… and we were constantly serenaded by the yellowhammers and their little bit of c-h-e-e-s-e. Not so many butterflies today but it was a bit more overcast and sticky.

It was a long haul – about 18 miles form Wendover to Watlington – and our feet are pretty sore. But the fantastic countryside just keeps luring us on.

We are aiming to do Watlington to Goring tomorrow which will be another change of scenery along the Thames before we swing west along the Downs.

I have posted up today’s pictures here

And they’re off

We had a wonderful day’s walking on the first leg of the Ridgeway tour – Ivinghoe Beacon to Wendover.

The trail is amazingly varied on this stretch, moving from chalk grassland to wooded areas and farmland. The highlight of the wildlife sightings were several neat butterflies, incuding marbled white, clouded yellow and speckled wood. We saw a whitethroat and heard another interesting bird which I haven’t been able to identify.

I have a few snaps from day one which I have posted here

We had an amusing encounter with a woman who had travelled up from London for a party only to realise that she had to walk across country to reach the venue. We played the Good Samaritans and showed her the map and the way – and then she burnt us off, smoking a fag in her flat shoes and party gear!

If anyone wants to join us, then you can meet us in Wendover car park on Sunday morning at about 10am (but cut us a bit of slack if we have trouble juggling the transport). Look out for a red MR2 or a silver convertible Jag XJ.

Missing chapters

Bit late with the update but Roisin and myself have been working hard at some serious relaxation.

We drifted down the Thames to Abingdon on the river ferry. Watching the wildlife on a beautiful summer’s day pausing only to get a cuppa from the lower deck really takes it out of you. (Anyone remember my 30th when we hired a boat for a party? We must do that again it’s such good craic.)

That exhausting schedule was punctuated by a trip to Wallingford where Bill the banjo had invited us to the folk session – what a cracking night. Heard some great songs from a bunch of brilliant musicians. Bill sang a lovely sea shanty which got a star rating from Roisin…and lord I wish I could play the banjo like him.

Then it was off to Dorset for a hike around Lulworth cove and Durdle Dore. The photos paint a better picture than my words so I’ve posted them here.

Morten is here tomorrow for the much-heralded Ridgeway expedition. Took Mort’s advice and bought some trail shoes which I test drove in Dorset. Good call Mort – my marvellous mountain slippers are a joy to walk in (but I may not be feeling like that after 85 miles of route marching!)

I will let you know where we are so you can join us if you can find some time. And do make the effort because time is the one commodity you cannot buy ….and none of us have enough.

Crouch and hold

Is no-one else disgusted that Peter Crouch (half man, half ladder) took a fistful of defender’s dreadlocks before heading home?

We can’t be indignant about the Maradona incident without being disappointed about that…can we?

A full-blown football debate has erupted under the snail race entry if you want to pile in.

I have to say that I’m really enjoying the festival of football which is the World Cup but I don’t know whether I can endure watching any more England games. As I’ve said to many of you before, I don’t mind us getting beat if we go out and play the kind of football these set of players could produce. If it goes on like this it won’t be long before we’re on the plane home with Scots and Welsh laughter ringing in our ears.

Bird flutes

Ever wondered why swifts screech?

Thought not. Well this burning question has been bothering me for a year or more so I’ve been following them round the neighbourhood trying to figure out exactly when they start up.

It seems random at first, but I’ve noticed that they are more likely to screech when birds join up to form a larger flock. Do you think it’s a call to bring them together, a notice that says “eat flies in this patch of sky”, or is it possible that they are using it as a sonic stun gun? I believe bats and some cetaceans are thought to use ultrasound to disrupt their victims (or am I just making that up?)

The other possibility is that they are just having a whole load of fun chasing each other round the sky and it’s more of a larf in a big group – that’s what it looks like.

The blackbird who used to sing “bring a stool, bring a stool” has modified his tune. It now sounds like “bring on Roo-ney, bring on Roo-ney”. Now you are never going to believe that so I’m going to try to get a recording for you.

Snail race

I’ve posted up a few photographs from the aforementioned dawn walk along the Wye. They are here

I have a mollusc musing for you. Each of the snails pictured has very similar shells so I’m assuming they are the same species. But one is black and the other is white. Can anyone explain this?

I wouldn’t want this blog to descend into distasteful racial stereotypes so be extremely careful what you say. But I wonder if there are different races of snails. In any event, it all looked like harmonious multiculturalism to me.

Take a look too at the starling fledglings. Starlings always remind me of squabbling teenagers. These two are definitely checking each other out.