Although
Although
I had
.
butterflies
in my
stomach
.
and ants
in my pants
.
and a bee
in my
bonnet
.
and a flea
in my
ear –
.
I had
a whale
of a time.
by Tony Langham
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Saturday 6th March 2021
Cloudy and dull, still and mild, with the ground heavy underfoot and soggy in places. Along Kirby Road, the new housing development, between the village hall and the pocket park, has been cordoned off. In the field behind the farm an interesting vegetable collection littered the ground like unexploded WW2 shells. Harringworth Lodge was calm and serene and The Welland Viaduct, clearly in view above Shotley, commanded the valley. It’s the lambing season and there were plenty in evidence, while a fine example of a curly horned goat looked knowingly on. Onwards, past St John the Baptist church in Harringworth and across the stream for a much closer look at the viaduct before bisecting the sodden sward to Seaton and over to Lyddington … and then through more heavy fields to Caldecott, where the church clock eternally records 12.00. More fields to negotiate to Gretton Weir, with the welcome sight of St James’ church tower climbing above the tree line. The weir was higher than last week! Eighteen stiles and 13.92 miles.
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Saturday 13th March 2021
Setting out from Exton village green, the wind blew like a banshee and frequent squally showers peppered the early part of the walk across the Exton estate (and past the family cemetery) to Greatham, where The Wheatsheaf public house was cold and bare. Ever onwards following the path to The Greatham Valley Golf Club, past the yurts of The Rutland Camping club, stopping briefly to admire a field of baby alpacas before being brought to a complete halt by a huge quarry, plastered with danger notices …… which wasn’t there the last time I came this way! A long detour involved half a mile of the A1 before I could get back on track past Fort Henry, the lakeside folly, and the swans on the choppy water and the long dirt track back into Exton … where, I found out that, 300 years ago, a young bride playing hide and seek, sadly locked herself into an attic chest and wasn’t found for a week ….. by which time it was too late! Four stiles and 8.1 miles.
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Wednesday 17th March 2021
The sky over Wing Maze was gloomy and morose and the going across the fields to Rutland Water was very heavy. Along the lakeside path, the sheep had lain themselves down, correctly forecasting rain. There were some interesting residences fronting the waterside and a seagull flew over Normanton Church. It looked like wild cherry blossom at Edith Weston village shop, where a welcome cup of coffee was available … but only if you drank it outside in the rain! Onwards to Lyndon where the village church of St Martin was just visible behind Lyndon Hall. The fields from there back to Wing were heavily saturated and the going was slow and slippery. Half a mile north of Wing, a goods train trundled past on the Peterborough to Leicester line and then there was only the steep incline back up to the maze. NO stiles and 9.02 miles.
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Saturday 20th March 2021
It was dull and overcast on the way out of Gretton, as a couple of waistcoated horses desultorily chewed the cud in an adjacent field and, on the way into Harringworth, The Welland Viaduct stretched away into infinity. There were welcome signs of refurbishment at The White Swan inn in the village and then the path wound along The Jurassic Way over The Turtle Bridge and into Rutland. At Barrowden, The Exeter Arms was barred and shuttered and the duckpond was bereft of ducks. Through the village, across some heavily waterlogged fields to Wakerley under the old, abandoned railway line from Rugby to Peterborough. The wind sock at Spanhoe Airfield hung limply and only a single aircraft was on view. Across the fields, bypassing Harringworth Lodge and back into Gretton. Five stiles and 12.75 miles in four hours and sixteen minutes.
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Wednesday 24th March 2021
Another amble from Wing Maze on another dull, murky morning with rain in the air. Across the fields to Pilton and the tiny church of St Nicholas and on the far side of the village, a bridle way down to South Luffenham, wide enough for a coach and four! In the village, there was evidence of the track bed of the former spur line to Stamford from the Rugby to Peterborough line and the bridge across it. Gambolling lambs on the way to Morcott, crossing Morcott Brook before rising to the parish church of St Mary the Virgin. Onwards over the fields to Glaston, where The Old Pheasant hostelry (formerly The Monckton Arms) was barred and shuttered, as was the church of St Andrew. The Glaston Tunnel, nearly a mile long is visible on the road back to Wing, where wild daffodils are casually bestrewn at the village entrance. In the village, itself, The Kings Arms and the parish church of St Peter and St Paul, (dating from 1140 and surprisingly open to visitors) are the main features. Nine stiles and 9.12 miles.
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Saturday 27th March 2021
Sunshine and clouds in equal measure on the way out of Ferry Meadows and across the fields to Castor and the parish church of St Kyneburga (not a saint I am overly familiar with), a royal princess of Celtic descent who established a convent amongst The Roman ruins in Castor. Brief stop in Ailsworth for coffee and hot cross bun before continuing to Sutton and The River Nene all the way up to Wansford, passing under the double bridge carrying the A1. Next stop, across some very muddy fields, was Yarwell with its black sheep, weir, lock and mobile homes by the hundred. Across the A1 once more to Wansford Station on The Nene Valley Railway, quiet and silent as the grave. From there it was nine kilometres back along the river bank to Ferry Meadows. Some of the pathway was still sodden and treacherous, despite the river having retreated to some ten feet below the path. Across the railway line and back into Ferry Meadows. Seven stiles and fourteen miles.
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Wednesday 31st March 2021
What a lovely day for a cycle ride round Pitsford Water with son, Mike and grandchildren, Freddie (10) and Tess (7). So good that Freddie and I cycled round twice!!!
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Wednesday 31st March 2021
Friendly Match
Royston United 4 Orwell Reserves 1 Attendance:- 43
An entertaining encounter on a mild evening deep in the heart of Cambridgeshire and plenty of encouragement from wives and girlfriends, but … can’t wait for the real stuff to return!!! John Main, Lee West and Peter Miles also socially distanced there!
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