A windy walk in the Lincolnshire Wolds

Hello. I've had a smashing day out with my walking buddies, Paul and Paul. It was my turn to drive,  pick the route, and lead the walk, and I chose a ten mile walk starting at Nettleton near Caistor in the Lincolnshire Wolds. I have done this one before, and wanted to make a return visit to the Old Rectory at Claxby. 

Just as we were getting ready this morning it all went black and the rain was blowing sideways. It didn't look too promising so I texted Paul, and rang the other Paul, should we give it a go or would it be best to abandon the idea. We decided to go for it. We parked at Nettleton at about 10.50am and set off down the Viking Way. The path passes a farm gate and this notice caught our eye, and gave us a chuckle.  

The path follows Nettleton Beck for a mile or two, It goes past the old chalk quarry, and crosses a wide track. Several 4x4 vehicles were parked there, and men with guns and dogs were setting off to go and blast some poor defenceless pheasants out of the sky. The beaters were behind the trees down there, where we have just walked past.

We arrived in Normanby le Wold to find the church door unlocked so we could sit inside and eat our lunch. It was a bit too gloomy for me, and I found a bench against the wall in the sunshine. It was nice and sheltered from the wind.

It was a short walk to Claxby, and we made straight for the church where the Old Rectory is behind it. And here it is. If you have been reading my blog for a long time, you will remember I did a post about this building, it was abandoned left to be swallowed up by the creeping ivy and overgrown bushes. I am sad to say, it is still in the same condition, one year and five months later. Such a beautiful building, such a shame. 

If you want to read the post from the 12th of August 2013, it's here. You will see that someone who was a gardener there a long time ago read it and put a comment on it. It really does need someone to come along and look after it. 

We headed north out of Claxby on Pelham Road, and took a path along the bottom of the hill back to Nettleton, joining the main A46 for the last half mile. Mostly it was along the edges of fields, which were very muddy in places. Paul, the one on the left, likes to go wading straight through the mud whereas I like to try and skirt round it a bit. When you put your foot down you don't know how far you are going to sink into it. 

We were well wrapped up against the wind, and got back to the car at 3.50pm. An exhilarating ten mile walk, I shall sleep well tonight.

Thank you for visiting my world, and thank you for your comments. Catch you tomorrow.
Toodle pip.

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So many Great places to visit in Britain.

Hello. So many places to see and not enough time, the UK really does have a lot to offer. Here are a few more of Julia's Wonders of Britain. Pictures from the relevant web sites, and Wikipedia.

St Pauls Cathedral, London.  There has been a Cathedral here for 1,400 years, built and rebuilt five times. The present cathedral is the masterpiece of Britains most famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren. It's world famous dome is an iconic feature of the London Skyline. I have been here, but didn't go inside, must do that next time.

Manchester Town Hall is on Julia's list. It was five years ago when I was in Manchester for the day and went to see it. I can say it is a fabulous building, if you are there go inside and have a look round. It was designed by Architect Alfred Waterhouse and was completed in 1877. The Town Hall is open Monday to Saturday, check on the web site which rooms are available for viewing. Free entrance.

Julia chose The Watercress Line as her favourite steam train destination. The Mid Hants Railway runs between New Alresford and Alton. I love steam trains and was lucky enough to get a ride on one  here when my friend Carol who lives in Hampshire, took me for a visit. There are many special events planned for 2015, check the web site for details.

SS Great Britain is a museum ship and former passenger steamship, built in Bristol. She was the first steamer to cross the Atlantic between Bristol and New York, which she did in 1845 in a time of 14 days. She was designed by Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company. Oh my, does she look magnificent or what. This has to go on my list, I need to go to Bristol. The picture and additional information can be found on Wikipedia. 

I went to visit the National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield, and can report that it is fantastic place to visit. You can read about my trip here.  Julia also enjoyed it, taking the same underground trip as I did. It really brings it home to you just how hard the work of a miner was at the coal face. Entrance to this site is free, there is a small charge to go down to the coal face.. Here is the web site. 

Julia also visited The Leadenhall Building, a new skyscraper in the centre of London, which has been nicknamed The Cheesegrater. It looks a fascinating place, I've been reading up about it. I haven't any plans to revisit London any time soon, but if you are there, maybe this is a good place to visit. The picture and more information can be found at Wikipedia.

These are some of the places that Julia Bradbury visited on her Wonders of Britain tour, I am sure that there are many more that would be worthy of inclusion. Hope you have enjoyed this small selection.  Blimey, I've got a lot of travelling to do before I die, I need to get a move on.
Are you going travelling this year? Tell me where. Toodle pip.

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A good blow out

Hello. The things I do to take some photo's for my fab readers. Yes folks, this is me all wrapped up, stepping outside of my comfort zone, aka my living room, and forging my way through the countryside in a force nine gale. It looked a nice day when I looked out of the window this morning, it was a lovely warm car journey to Epworth, the start of the walk, but, chuffin heck, was it BLUSTERY when I set off, and it didn't let up all day. Definitely brass monkey weather. Like the scarf? Yep, I found it, been chucked.

On the outskirts of Epworth now, you can't see my trousers flapping like crazy, if I had one of those wing suits on I would take off. 

I've seen these Alpacas at Epworth Show, here they are on their home ground. There are six of them but the others were huddled inside their shed. They have such cute faces.

Here is John Wesley's house. Not open today.  Blue skys all day, but don't be fooled, it was bloomin cold.

What do you think of this black and yellow shed, oooops, sorry, it's a house. It doesn't look right on the main road, the owners of the bungalow next to it must have been a bit miffed when it went up, goodness knows how they got planning permission.

It's connected by a covered passage to the brick building next to it, which looks like a converted barn. Oh my, what a sight for sore eyes.

Across the road are the council offices. This sign made me smile, it's on the front of a planter against the wall next to the entrance.

 The Council Offices are also the entrance to the cemetery.

Off I went following footpaths along the field edges. This is an old bridge that the railway used to go over, which is long closed, no tracks left.

I climbed up on the bridge to have a look down.

Lots of horses around here, shredded wheat for lunch. I often wonder if horses get bored standing around all day. Doesn't look a very exciting life, waiting for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to be served up. 

The path was long and straight and came out on a tarmac road at Epworth Turbary. I wondered what a Turbary is. Here is a bit from Wiki.
Turbary is the ancient right to cut turf, or peat, for fuel on a particular area of bog.^[1] The word may also be used to describe the associated piece of bog or peatland and, by extension, the material extracted from the turbary. 

I was ready for a bite to eat but nowhere to stop and sit down, then I saw a farm and sat on a lump of concrete with a bit of shelter from the side of a barn. The wind was blowing all the plastic crates across the road, there didn't seem like there was anyone about to pick them up. Then I had a long walk down Greenholme Bank. It's a wide track used by farm machinery and was very muddy. The fields all around had recently been ploughed. Black clouds were up ahead and it started spotting with rain. I decided to take a short cut through Haxey Turbary to give me some shelter from the biting cold wind. This was a bit more pleasant, and low and behold the rain passed over and the sun came out again.

Past some farm buildings at Haxey Carr, then I came across a graveyard for Massey Fergusson farm machinery at Haslams Farm. There must have been a hundred or more, all crammed together in a big yard, and spilling out onto the track outside. I have tried googling but I can't find anything connected with MF. Some of these are really old, maybe they are butchered for spare parts, or exported whole, who knows. 

The track takes me across the fields towards Haxey. This is looking back at Haslams Farm.

Aaah, small ponies, aren't they cute, I want one, ha ha. 

The church gate at Haxey is a bit unusual, it pivots on a centre pole though doesn't go all the way round in a circle.

The church is massive for such a small village, there are several good views of it, but this one doesn't show the clock which is on right hand side of the tower. 

And I will finish off with some colour. Some people don't like artificial flowers on a grave, but I don't mind. It's too expensive to keep putting fresh flowers out. More colour I say. 

From Haxey I got onto the disused railway track again. It runs parallel to the A161 for a while, then there is a path further up which joins the road back to Epworth. It was 4.30pm when I got back to the car, just right, it was getting even colder once the sun had gone down. Ten miles walked, some of it hard going against the wind, but it was good to get out, I needed the exercise. Talk about a good blow out, constant runny nose, and watery eyes, the sinuses are now clear.
Toodle pip.

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A walk with friends

Hi de hi, the walking has started. Today I went a walk with my two buddies, Paul and Paul. We went over the Humber Bridge and parked at South Cave. Paul was the leader, the one on the left, he got the route off the internet. I took my map anyway, because I like to plot out where I am going. I had done some of it before, and you may remember the picture of the two bendy wooden benches, at Little Wold Plantation. 

The weather wasn't very good when we started off, heavy clouds which rained down on us a few times. Misty and damp, glad I had the brolly. The ground underfoot was muddy and slippery.

We walked alongside a dismantled railway line for a while, then there was a long climb through Low Hunsley Plantation. Boy was I sweating when I got to the top, I think I had too many layers on. At the top there was a vast expanse of wide open farmland, and the wind was whipping across, it was freezing cold, I was glad that I hadn't taken any layers off.

Then on to Drewton Manor, we found a sheltered spot in a barn to eat our lunch. 

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We meandered down the lane of the large estate and spotted Drewton Manor, half hidden through the trees. There are holiday cottages to let.

We crossed over the A1034 and headed for North Cave. Coming into the village the chickens were enjoying their foraging. The weather had changed and the sun came out. 

The church stands splendid on the corner. I like the way the shadow of the tree is thrown across it.

Out of North Cave down a long straight road, over the dismantled railway, and on to Everthorpe. I think this picture is elsewhere on the blog because I have been here before. The grey skies have all gone and now it's a beautiful shade of blue.

Across some very muddy fields out of Everthorpe, we then skirted round the edge of a golf course. Chance to scrape a bit of mud off our boots. Here are the boys standing outside the gatehouse of the Castle Hotel, at West End on the way back to South Cave.

Back to the car by 3.30pm, and home by 4 o clock. I've checked the miles on bikehike.co.uk, it came out at ten exactly. Ignore the pink line, that's from a previous walk.

I've had a brilliant day, lots of fun, and a good laugh. I've got such great friends here in the village. Now, where to next  ;o))

Ooooh, I've just noticed, I've gone past the six years of blogging, 'twas the 2nd January 2009 when I started. Happy Anniversary my little blog, and thank you to my bloggerettes who have stuck with it.

Toodle pip.

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