Flick of the Elbow
Solitary Cyclist, not by choice
- Location
- Pentlands and West Lothian
A wander around RSPB Insh Marshes this morning before driving home, lovely spring sunshine between the showers.
Your walk today...
- Thread starter Jameshow
- Start date
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Yesterday's walk, after a pedal around Blakeney, Cley Next the Sea and nearby lanes & villages, was also around Blakeney harbour, the Norfolk Coastal Path that is also Peddars Way.
Up with the lark at my usual work time of 02:50, I was parked up in a rare free soace near the harbour front. Ride finished by 08:15, I started my walk. No particular distance or roite in mind, i just meandered around the footpaths and village enjoying the sea air and relative peace & quiet before too many (other) day trippers arrived.
No further description needed, really.. Just under 5 miles walked before having a coffee & Croque Monsieur from the quite pricey café overlooking the harbour.
Up with the lark at my usual work time of 02:50, I was parked up in a rare free soace near the harbour front. Ride finished by 08:15, I started my walk. No particular distance or roite in mind, i just meandered around the footpaths and village enjoying the sea air and relative peace & quiet before too many (other) day trippers arrived.
No further description needed, really.. Just under 5 miles walked before having a coffee & Croque Monsieur from the quite pricey café overlooking the harbour.
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FrankCrank
Old layabout
Today I decided a sojourn into Oxford was on the agenda.
After around 1.5 hours on the bus, some replenishment required
Next, a stroll around Christchurch to walk it all off
A peak into the Botanic Gardens
Through the town centre, hoards of tourists as always
And onto the Ashmolean Museum
Whilst in there I noticed the Turner painting of a view I had taken by chance earlier, here they are side by side
A very nice walk, and a pleasant few hours in the City of Dreaming Spires.
After around 1.5 hours on the bus, some replenishment required
Next, a stroll around Christchurch to walk it all off
A peak into the Botanic Gardens
Through the town centre, hoards of tourists as always
And onto the Ashmolean Museum
Whilst in there I noticed the Turner painting of a view I had taken by chance earlier, here they are side by side
A very nice walk, and a pleasant few hours in the City of Dreaming Spires.
After a 20 mile ride from St Ives to Grantchester to meet up with my sister, we walked over the fields, avoiding the soggy parts, to cross the M11.
T'was very breezy, but, happily, not cold. We ended up in the The Orchard Tearooms for an early lunch and a chat for an hour before wandering around Grantchester Meadows (I could almost here strains of Pink Floyd in the breeze!)
Back via the Red Lion for an orange juice with more nattering before she dropped me off at Trumpington Park & Ride wher I bagged up the Brommie and used my ol' farts free bus pass to get back to the car i St Ives..
5 miles or so.. Most enjoyable 👌
T'was very breezy, but, happily, not cold. We ended up in the The Orchard Tearooms for an early lunch and a chat for an hour before wandering around Grantchester Meadows (I could almost here strains of Pink Floyd in the breeze!)
Back via the Red Lion for an orange juice with more nattering before she dropped me off at Trumpington Park & Ride wher I bagged up the Brommie and used my ol' farts free bus pass to get back to the car i St Ives..
5 miles or so.. Most enjoyable 👌
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
A nice short 3.6 mile hoof today.
No pic's but I did see one of these:
Only the second 'red' I have seen in the 26 years of living here.
The little bugger thwarted my own attempts to take a photo!
No pic's but I did see one of these:
Only the second 'red' I have seen in the 26 years of living here.
The little bugger thwarted my own attempts to take a photo!
FrankCrank
Old layabout
Yet to see a red squirrel. Nearest to me are on the Isle of Wight or Brownsea Island. Maybe one day.
lazybloke
Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
RHS Wisley today. A little cloud, but mostly beautiful sun.
Had missed the cherry blossom by a long shot; the trees were in full leaf with no hint of flowers left! Otherwise, tulips, bluebells, azaleas, rhododendrons, wysteria and so on... but most of the colour is yet to come.
What the hell is this green alien bloom?
Had missed the cherry blossom by a long shot; the trees were in full leaf with no hint of flowers left! Otherwise, tulips, bluebells, azaleas, rhododendrons, wysteria and so on... but most of the colour is yet to come.
What the hell is this green alien bloom?
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Nice pic's.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
I definitely need to up my game on the picture front. Today's one feeble, crappy shot of the radar 'golfballs' on Great Dun Fell from Cross Fell. My mate is in the pic' too. Anyway 1/10 for picture quality and 7/10 for route choice.
Cross Fell is England's highest point outside of the Lake District @ 893m/2930' and is located a short drive East of Penrith.
A nice, easy up & down on a nice, warm day. 9.68 miles.
Cross Fell is England's highest point outside of the Lake District @ 893m/2930' and is located a short drive East of Penrith.
A nice, easy up & down on a nice, warm day. 9.68 miles.
FrankCrank
Old layabout
Another jaunt to Henley today
Lots of work going on in readiness for the Regatta
Lanes marked out on the river
Temple Island, the starting point of the regatta course
Then continued on to Hambleden, about a 2 hour round trip for a sloth like me. Very nice conditions - a bit overcast so perfect for walking.
I have a particular fondness for Henley - spent the first year of my apprenticeship there at the Engineering Training Centre (long gone), and had a girlfriend from the town many moons ago.
Lots of work going on in readiness for the Regatta
Lanes marked out on the river
Temple Island, the starting point of the regatta course
Then continued on to Hambleden, about a 2 hour round trip for a sloth like me. Very nice conditions - a bit overcast so perfect for walking.
I have a particular fondness for Henley - spent the first year of my apprenticeship there at the Engineering Training Centre (long gone), and had a girlfriend from the town many moons ago.
Three days walking (and a few shortish rides, too) in the Peak District, all in perfect weather! Separate posts for each.
Day one: After sorting out the tents etc, daughter & I drove to Gradbach to check out Ludd's Church (not a church, but a chasm)
From the small free car park, it was uphill on tarmac for a mile before entering wooded footpaths and stepping stones over Black Brook.
Fairly relaxed day @ 3½ miles. Once back at the farm we were camping on we rode a few miles along the High Peaks Trail to a pub for on orange juice & lemonade.
Most enjoyable start to the weekend!
Day one: After sorting out the tents etc, daughter & I drove to Gradbach to check out Ludd's Church (not a church, but a chasm)
From the small free car park, it was uphill on tarmac for a mile before entering wooded footpaths and stepping stones over Black Brook.
Fairly relaxed day @ 3½ miles. Once back at the farm we were camping on we rode a few miles along the High Peaks Trail to a pub for on orange juice & lemonade.
Most enjoyable start to the weekend!
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Day 2, Saturday:
Big walk day!
Up @ 02:45 to drive to Hayfield to start walking Kinder Scout.
Quite a historical walk following in the footsteps of such folk! (and worth looking up if it's of interest..)
Hard to think you could be jailed for going out for a walk!! 😔
Anyways.. The first few miles were, basically, up up up with a brief respite whilst overlooking Kinder Reservoir.
William Clough & daughter..
With burning leg muscles, we reached Kinder Scout and headed along the edge to Kinder Downfall where there was some, but not much water downfalling! Still nice, though.. 👍
Still on fairly level ground we reacher the Trig Point, Kinder Low.
The next few miles, we'd discussed beforehand, was going to depend on how we felt (my knees & daughter's issues). On the moest easterly side of the walk could choose between the Trig Point straight to Edale Cross or to loop around the bridleway ti the bottom of Jacob's Ladder so we could walk up it.. Masochists as we are, we chose to latter..
The old bridge at the start of Jacob's Ladder.
I sent this pic to a mate as, a few years ago, this is where I was sat when we cycled the area..
This mile or so was, once again, a steep and tough climb up to start the descent, via Edale Cross, back to Hayfield.
Dead on 12 tough miles by the time we reached the car at about 11:30.
After a short break, we got the bikes out for a few miles pedal into New Mills along the Sett Valley Trail for a spot of well earned lunch.
Tiring morning's walk but we'd achieved our aims..
Big walk day!
Up @ 02:45 to drive to Hayfield to start walking Kinder Scout.
Quite a historical walk following in the footsteps of such folk! (and worth looking up if it's of interest..)
Hard to think you could be jailed for going out for a walk!! 😔
Anyways.. The first few miles were, basically, up up up with a brief respite whilst overlooking Kinder Reservoir.
William Clough & daughter..
With burning leg muscles, we reached Kinder Scout and headed along the edge to Kinder Downfall where there was some, but not much water downfalling! Still nice, though.. 👍
Still on fairly level ground we reacher the Trig Point, Kinder Low.
The next few miles, we'd discussed beforehand, was going to depend on how we felt (my knees & daughter's issues). On the moest easterly side of the walk could choose between the Trig Point straight to Edale Cross or to loop around the bridleway ti the bottom of Jacob's Ladder so we could walk up it.. Masochists as we are, we chose to latter..
The old bridge at the start of Jacob's Ladder.
I sent this pic to a mate as, a few years ago, this is where I was sat when we cycled the area..
This mile or so was, once again, a steep and tough climb up to start the descent, via Edale Cross, back to Hayfield.
Dead on 12 tough miles by the time we reached the car at about 11:30.
After a short break, we got the bikes out for a few miles pedal into New Mills along the Sett Valley Trail for a spot of well earned lunch.
Tiring morning's walk but we'd achieved our aims..
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Day 3: Chrome Hill.
Aim: to reach the top before sunrise.. Mission achieved ✅
Parking in Hollinsclough, we set out of at 04:00 as sunrise was 05:15.
First light, with the hill looming over us..
We started up one mapped path but found it blocked off after about ½ a mile so re-routed back down to find another way past the barbed wire fencing.
Once back to a bit of tarmac, we saw a footpath sign to follow back up the hill.
I was, at this point, feeing absolutely knackered and said to daughter to carry on to the summit (it was a box she really wanted to tick to see the sunrise from Chrome Hill) while I found a rock to sit on until she returned.
After a while, I thought I'd press on a bit and, with many stops, and after getting a message that she'd reached the top, I decided to crack on albeit slowly.
That's her sitting on the top.. 👍
That's me..
Was it worth the effort? 🤔 I think so!!
We rested for quite a while, ate snacks and just watched the sunrise develop.. Perfect 👌
Anyways.. Time to descend. It was quite slippery with dew so care needed to be taken.
Parkhouse Hill, another of the Dragon's Back range, which I climbed last year.
Once nearly back to Hollinsclough, we went into the unstaffed honesty shop for a coffee and a pressie for MrsPete. Money was put in tin & daughter used the card machine for her bits. Lovely to see 'trust' is still a thing!
3½ miles that I was glad to achieve!
Back at the campsite, we packed up and then decided to visit Poole's Cavern before heading home.
Totally knackered, after daughter & Granddaughter, who'd stayed with MrsPete, left for home, a long hot bath and an early night were in order..
Best weekend for a long time & great to have some dad & daughter time 😊
Aim: to reach the top before sunrise.. Mission achieved ✅
Parking in Hollinsclough, we set out of at 04:00 as sunrise was 05:15.
First light, with the hill looming over us..
We started up one mapped path but found it blocked off after about ½ a mile so re-routed back down to find another way past the barbed wire fencing.
Once back to a bit of tarmac, we saw a footpath sign to follow back up the hill.
I was, at this point, feeing absolutely knackered and said to daughter to carry on to the summit (it was a box she really wanted to tick to see the sunrise from Chrome Hill) while I found a rock to sit on until she returned.
After a while, I thought I'd press on a bit and, with many stops, and after getting a message that she'd reached the top, I decided to crack on albeit slowly.
That's her sitting on the top.. 👍
That's me..
Was it worth the effort? 🤔 I think so!!
We rested for quite a while, ate snacks and just watched the sunrise develop.. Perfect 👌
Anyways.. Time to descend. It was quite slippery with dew so care needed to be taken.
Parkhouse Hill, another of the Dragon's Back range, which I climbed last year.
Once nearly back to Hollinsclough, we went into the unstaffed honesty shop for a coffee and a pressie for MrsPete. Money was put in tin & daughter used the card machine for her bits. Lovely to see 'trust' is still a thing!
3½ miles that I was glad to achieve!
Back at the campsite, we packed up and then decided to visit Poole's Cavern before heading home.
Totally knackered, after daughter & Granddaughter, who'd stayed with MrsPete, left for home, a long hot bath and an early night were in order..
Best weekend for a long time & great to have some dad & daughter time 😊
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