Thursday 6 March 2014

A Walk In Pictures


A fine day for a walk -
- boots, camera, map -
- two sandwiches and a waterbottle -
 - train to Biggleswade - through backstreets - cross the little River Ivel.
  

- a Robin sings - a muddy path - over the busy A1 road - through fields -


- skylarks sing on high - flooded gravel pits ahead -
- a place for migrating birds in a few weeks -


- tufted ducks and coots on the water -


- and a beautiful swan stands in the shallows -
- cross another road -
- into the smart parklands of Shuttleworth Agricultural College -
- a sign says "bull in field" -
- but there's no bull -
- a biplane flies over from Old Warden Aerodrome -


- down a path known as The Sheepwalk- and into the village of Ickwell -


- cottages grouped perfectly around the village green -
- ideal for cricket during summer -


- parts of the green are flooded after the recent rain -


- an oak tree dominates the open space -
- blackbirds sing and pigeons coo contentedly -


- there's a huge maypole too -
- then on to the neighbouring settlement, Northill -


- the church clock chimes the hour -
- too nice a day to venture inside -
- then it's up the hill and into Home Wood -


- some of the paths in the wood are under water -
- a muntjac deer skitters away through the undergrowth -


- the squelch of boots -
- overhead a buzzard calls-


- up a grassy slope to Highland Farm -
- horses graze -


- ascend gently to the Greensand Ridge Walk -
- follow it through trees -
- only occasional glimpses of a hazy view -


- a choice of routes back -
- I chose the only one I could find! -


- someone's been cutting timber -
- bizarrely a tawny owl is hooting at midday -


-catkins -


- the village of Old Warden -


- a thrush sings -


- a Swiss Cottage -
- or so it says on the gate -
- all the rage in villages built to house estate workers in the nineteenth century -


- all a bit too perfect for my taste -


- but there is a pub -
- which is how it should be -


- and another exasperatingly twee cottage -


- so it's up into the forestry plantation -
- noisy walkers behind -
- one of those irritating women who whinnies "I know, I know" at everything she's told -
- I duck into the trees till they've passed -
"I know, I know....."


- before long the sky is putting on a show -
- but the rest of the way back is a bit of a grind -


- I rather wish I could ride a horse! -

- Take care.

13 comments:

  1. Lovely walk…..humorous too! Thanks for taking me along.

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  2. Sooo many wonderful photos of the countryside and buildings and animals! The timber framed red brick building is superb. The gravestones photo is a piece art. -- barbara

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  3. Lovely. It's strange to me after a long, cold and snowy winter to see a place with open ground and green grass. Maybe that will be here on this side of the pond in another month or so.

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  4. a fabulous day-trip John, I enjoyed the beautiful reflections of the bare tree skeletons in the blue water. I believe that's something to celebrate - blue skies. You have good walking access across field, beside private properties etc. That doesn't happen here. A lovely post John, I see the blue sky didn't last all day for you

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  5. Quite a nice all today, John. My favorite images are the white cottage and brick reflecting house in the middle of the post, and the thin tree trunk jungle near the end.

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  6. My grandmother's people came from Bedfordshire, around Luton - lovely to see the country and accompany you on your beautiful walk, John. The catkins look so generously long and plump with the light turning them golden, and the blue sky behind...

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  7. A lovely sunny day for a walk, and thank you for sharing all these wonderful photos. Each one absolutely beautiful!

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  8. Lovely cottages, beautifull landscapes, greeting from Belgium

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  9. Have a nice day and spring arriving.!

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  10. What a splendid walk. I've visited the air museum at Old Warden and watched the bi-planes fly overhead. Your descriptions of the wild life you saw and heard on your walk are delightful - if we get those 'loud' kind of people behind us when walking we always stop to take photos and let them go by:)

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  11. Phew! I'm exhausted John! Loved all the pics, brilliant wordage BUT you forgot to say what was on the sandwiches :)

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  12. That was quite a wonderful journey. Thanks for taking us along. Really love seeing the sky there.

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  13. Beautiful photos, looks like a lovely walk, but I agree about the cottages, I'm not a fan of those perfect, twee looking cottages either!

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