Saunderton is about an hour outside London, a town surrounded by rolling fields and lush green hills. We began with an easy stroll in the Chilterns through sloping meadows and woodland.
The trail through the forest was very pleasant, until the paths became rather muddy. In that situation, you could either walk through the squidge or try to edge around the side. However the sides of the path are lined with holly and gorse bushes and shrubberies; pushing past those required a little patience and a little tolerance for pain.
I had the option to protect my face or my lens. I chose my lens. And swore a lot.
Thankfully, the trail dried up and became delightful. We spotted deer, pheasants and many dogs came bounding through cheerfully. A couple of dogs were huge, as large as little ponies.
After lunch at the Black Lion, a little pub near the woods, our route led us past quaint old churches, graveyards, a mausoleum on the hill, down to the old Hellfire Caves and back. We didn't have time to enter the caves, which consisted of man-made tunnels built for aristocratic debauchery.
The walk ended with a steep climb which took my breath away, and a gentle stroll back to the station.
We learnt a few new terms today. "Kissing gates" and "bridal paths" are now part of my vocabulary. They make the countryside sound rather randy.
And oh, there was sheep.
2 comments:
You forgot the Permissive Pathways!
Aye, indeed!!
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