Into The Sun

Wednesday was unseasonably sunny in this part of the world as summer had what may be its final fling. As we drove through Newmarket we saw the racehorses returning from their early morning gallop. Horse racing dominates this small town to the extent that, when a statue of the Queen is commissioned, it's no surprise to see that it also includes a racehorse and a foal.

But my brother and I are on our way to Moulton to do a circular walk through the villages of Moulton,  Dalham and Gazeley. I've done the walk before, but today I see a sign that tells me that my route coincides with the Three Churches Walk and there's a map outside Moulton church which echoes our intended journey.

The sun at this time of year is quite low in the sky and we were heading straight towards it for the first leg of the journey.

Sunbeams filter down through the leafy branches.

Dalham is a small but perfectly formed little village with many picturesque cottages.

It also has this puzzling structure by the roadside. It's actually an eighteenth century malt kiln, an important part of the brewing process. Most villages would have had one of these in the past but this is one of only a few survivors.

An avenue of trees leads up towards Dalham Hall.

The Hall was built for the Bishop of Ely in the early eighteenth century. Nowadays it's owned by Sheik Mohammed, Prime Minister of the UAE and leading race horse owner.

This is the view the Sheik can enjoy from the property, not as extensive as that from his Burj Khalifa in Dubai but pleasant enough to my eye.

The path from Dalham to Gazeley passes along woodland edges with views out across the newly ploughed arable fields.

This seventeenth century barn in Gazeley has also been taken over by horse racing and is converted to stables. 

The footpath here is confined between fences. Walking near Newmarket you get used to the security around the racing stables which is quite understandable considering the value of some of these horses.

Just a trace of autumn gold along the roadside leading back to Moulton.

And in Moulton you'll find this rather grand packhorse bridge, built back in the days when horses were used to carry goods from town to town - rather different beasts from those that today carry small men at high speed towards the winning post. The village also has a prize-winning village-shop-cum-post-office-cum-coffee-shop where we enjoyed a well-earned mug of tea.

Take care.