Exquisite Gardening #sambourne 11

Someone has some serious skills here with a hedge trimmer. It must really irritate them when there’s a twig or leaf poking up out of place or not in line. Even  the tree is carefully pruned. It looks like it’s got eyes. I wonder if it nibbles a bit of hedge each time the wind blows and bends it over. I wouldn’t know how it reaches the bushes on the far side though. Perhaps the leafless tree does that. They do look a little more rugged. Perhaps there’s lasers at night that trims off any excess growth. The sensors could be installed on the drainpipes. Or maybe there’s a template for every shape that’s kept in the gardener’s shed. It might even be a school for trainee gardeners and the mistakes are kept around the back. I bet that little blackboard reads “Keep off the grass”. But it does look more than four words. Maybe it states the punishment as well.

Raising the Bridge #sambourne 10

Continuing north, we crossed two very large fields until we reached the hedgerows and crossed a stile to turn left. Heading west, we followed this footpath until it brought us into contact with a house. At this first boundary, we turned left and headed south directly across the field. Turning right, we entered the wood and headed north-west which allowed us to cross the brook and bring us out onto a field on the other side. Heading south-west, we walked directly across the field past the tree in the middle of it to reach the other side. We followed the hedgerow north until we passed the border of an outhouse, then took the stile left over the hedgerow into a plain grassed field. Heading south-west, we cut across this field and passed through another to reach our last stile which brough us out to the driveway of our starting point. 

Approaching the Green# sambourne 9

Continuing north, we followed the footpath through a field, keeping the river Arrow on our left. Crossing a stile, we continued through a wood to another stile which led to a trail with a wood on either side. We continued north until we passed three more stiles to reach a building on our right. Here, we walked halfway alongside the property until the footpath presented a left turn and faced a footbridge heading south. This took us across the river then we bore south-west through the wood until the path turned directly east. We stayed true to the arrow which brought us up to a small hill alongside a house, and at the end of the wall was a kissing gate which brought us onto the main road. Turning right, we crossed the road then continued east through the gap in the hedge. We followed the hedgerow directly east until it reached a wood, then turned right and headed north.

Around the back #sambourne 8

Heading east, we crossed the ford via the footbridge, then as it met the road we turned left to head north and follow the footpath on the other side. This footpath followed a wood on our left and over a stile into a field beyond. On our left was the back of the manor. There was a stile to access it via a footbridge, but this would put us back onto the property. I’m sure that’s someone walking the grounds like a tourist, but the property should have been closed. Maybe it was a ghost. It might have been a statue and it does look like it’s on a pedestal, but surely if it was it would be positioned directly in front of the entrance. Maybe it’s a dummy to deter passers by. It’s placed at just the right distance that you can’t make out if it’s real or not. It might even be a wooden mop with clothes on.

The Crossing #sambourne 7

So here’s someone giving it a go, creating waves and making their mark on the local land. It’s a proper car prepared for the elements so it should make it. But the entertainment comes if it does get stuck. Will the driver risk getting out, or will they appeal to local witnesses to help come and push? I wonder if it set off only after watching the car in front. It’s worth wondering if this route is worth it or is there a safer one available. There’s even something on the green on the left which could be a tombstone or tribute to those who didn’t make it. Some wouldn’t attempt it and turn back. But it’s a dream come true for local mechanics who come to the rescue. That van could be one ready and waiting, or it could have been abandoned. It’s a shame that the bollard’s in the way, otherwise I could go online and check.

The Big Dip #sambourne 6

Heading east, we walked directly through the woods until the trail met up with a track. Turning right, we headed south until the track met up with the road by the ford. It’d be interesting to  see how deep this ford is in times of drought. There’s a footbridge to get pedestrians across, but for traffic you’ve got to take the risk and plunge through. Fortunately, you can see the bottom  today, so if you take it nice and slow, it won’t be a problem. Just keep your vehicle slow and steady so that water won’t come up through the engine and flood it. What you have to watch out for are the idiots who decide to rev their engines and floor their vehicle through, creating a huge splash as they enter the water. This makes it easier for water to enter the bonnet and create all sorts of problems for the engine.

The Approach #sambourne 5

It’s a proper yellow brick road entrance. It’s as if we’ve come to the wizard’s home after a long journey. The bricks near the entrance. They seem distorted images that are about to fade in and out of a computer picture, leading to a true entrance. It might even slide away to reveal a garage or a passageway underground. After all, this was where the gunpowder plot was conceived. Even today, this still could be a communication monitoring station and headquarters. The flagpole could double as an aerial. It’s a building that could be easy to reinforce without being too suspicious. It’s in the countryside with flat open fields so it’s not a problem by air. There’s road and horse access through the countryside, and you can escape on foot through the fields if you need to. And there’s even a river that you can flood to prevent escape or create a distraction for another getaway.

Who lives in a house like this? #sambourne 4

The gardener’s come outside for a cheeky pose for her friends. She’s not doing a very good job though. She might be happy with the size, but I’m not happy with the sight. Some of the windows might have holes that need fixing. The grass is all scorched to match the stone. She’s certainly let it go. Maybe she’s leaving l=it like this for the new owners to take care of, or she’s quitting her job today. Her jacket nearly matches the grass. If she lay down facing the camera, there’s a chance that her torso could be disguised, and all she’d need to do is find a long patch to hide the jeans. Perhaps there’s an army hiding behind the bushes with rifles, or even on the ground covered in grass. The sergeant’s in the trees with a periscope spying on us both. We’re probably going to get shot just for being on the lawn.

Adaptive Camouflage #sambourne 3

Continuing east, we cross a stile to reach a small road. We turned right and found our next stile on our immediate left to continue east. This put us on a dusty track that passed a large farming structure on our right. The track slowly bore south-east and crossed a ditch before running alongside a brook. The brook carried on underneath the road, and we passed through two gates to join it. Crossing the road, we turned right and continued south passing the driveway on our left alongside a rail next to an open field. Passing a cluster of oak trees, we continued south to a second cluster and passed through a kissing gate on our right. This brought us out to an outside view of this stately home where the gunpowder plot was planned. It’s been one of those dry summers where the colour of the grass matches the building.

Under the Bridge #sambourne 2

It’s amazing what farmers use for a shelter. It saves them having to build anything themselves. I think it’s some kind of engine. It could be a cherry picker used to maintain the bridge itself. On closer inspection, it looks like a trailer carrying a trolley. I wonder if any liquid drips through, or is the bridge is sufficiently covered with ballast to prevent this06. It looks like there’s been an accident already, and that a fence has had to be built around one of the bridge supports to prevent the farmer from crashing into it again. The farmer might have took it upon himself to do that. It looks like he’s taped off the other side. It could be electrified, or he could just be marking the border of his land. There might be an embankment under the larger arches and that’s why the whole thing is fenced off.

Ghost Train #sambourne 1

We’ve left the car on a small road by the village. It’s not obstructing anyone’s drive and people can get by. And there’s less chance of people visiting each other at the moment because of the lockdown. Starting on the green, we headed east on a footpath past a small wooden bus shelter that led down a driveway to a gate. Just before the end of the driveway, we turned left and crossed a style, then turned right to continue east directly across the field. On the south side was this old railway bridge which was part of the line from Redditch to Evesham. There’s a great video  on YouTube which shows pictures of the area then and now as it tracks an old train making its journey. You’d think that the line would run vertically to connect the towns directly, but it’s possible that Sambourne used to have its own station. 

Out of the Box #bentley 8

Postmen stay the same, but what happens if a courier comes? Will he try to deliver a parcel through the door? Hopefully they’re smart enough to find a hiding place or the owner may have left instructions, but there could be an attempt. It looks like there’s a panel missing above the door, though that could be the wind. Perhaps it’s a home for the birds. It’s an odd place as it’s very close to the road. Are there curtains and an attic room? Is there a back door? Do they suffer from damp as water falls through the chimney? Do they pay rent? And what sort of mess do they leave? It’s obvious that someone’s spent a bit of time crafting this. It’s not something that you can just buy out of a shop. The base looks a bit rotten. I hope it ca withstand strong gusts of wind.

Little Lambalot #bentley 5

This little lamb was a bit adventurous. Rather than running away, it was curious and decided to follow us. At least it didn’t chase us. I wonder how it got the guts to do that. How can something so small and fluffy be so confident? Maybe it’s been shunned by the flock and just wants to make friends. Maybe it’s mistaken us for the famer who’s going to feed and nurture it. Or maybe it needs our help and wants us to follow it. It could have come from a different land. The hole in the hedge behind it looks a little warped like a portal. The branches could even be made of bones of previous lambs and we can still see specks of their fur. The one in front of us could be a ghost. We climbed the hill in a northeasterly direction to return to the road where we were parked.

The Hills might endeth #bentley 4

There’s little sign of a town in front, but you get the feeling that years ago, there used to be more trees. At least they’re facing whatever’s approaching us to offer us some cover. Someone’s been busy. But the diggers are approaching them from behind while they’re distracted. I don’t know how you can tell the front of a tree from the back, but you just get the impression that they are. Maybe they’re scared of the sun, and they’re using the hills to shelter from it. How far back do those hills go? Just when you think you can see the sky, another one fades in just behind it. Each one gets steeper as you go up and down to face the next one. Fortunately, we’re not going that far. We continued west alongside a stream, then our footpath shifted ninety degrees and we started to climb north-west. We passed over a track into the next field, then turned immediately left.

Watch your Step #bentley 3

At least someone’s made an effort to aid our progress across the brook. A simple plank mounted securely on two bits of wood makes all the difference and we don’t have to worry too much about getting our shoes wet or muddy. I suppose in winter the whole thing floods, but no-one would venture to come out in that anyway. There’s still someone who’s going to be overly cautious though. They just can’t bear to get a speck of mud on their shoes. I can’t stand that type of person. What’s the point of venturing out into the countryside in the first place? You’re there to enjoy it and should expect a bit of dirt. At the T-junction, we turned right and headed north along the road. We crept up a small incline until a farm appeared on our left. Turning left, we headed south-west through the farm to reach a footpath at the end.

On the Bench #bentley2

You come across certain features on a walk that look so good that you just have to pose with them. Some places are so popular that people even queue up for them. Spring was in bloom and this was a perfect spot for a weary traveller; though we hadn’t clocked up much mileage yet. We continued past a junction on our left, then just before a barn on our right we took a signed footpath bearing east through a steel gate. Here, we bore right through a field alongside the edge of a thicket, then passed over a stile and through a second field to reach another stile. Instead of crossing, we headed south and followed the outline of the wood and continued directly south through a section of it before emerging into another field. This footpath ended on a small track and we turned right to head west to a T-junction.

 

Bentley Book Store #bentley 1

This walk had an interesting start and we were quite lucky with the weather considering the time of year. There were also a lot of lambs about which made it fun. There’s been some great use of red phone boxes across the country to keep them in their place as part of our English heritage and this was a good one that we’d stumbled across. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring any cash or books to purchase one. They also don’t seem to be published on the map. There was also no official car park, but we found a lay-by on the edge of a corner which seemed to be suitable without blocking anything or getting in anyone’s way. Bearing east, we followed the road alongside private cottages with pristine trimmed hedgerows as it slowly curved to the south. We came across a beautiful bench placed underneath an oak tree that was begging for a pose.

A Warming Return

Here, we followed a footpath north-east alongside the river Arrow where it began to get a bit muddy. The path carried along the banks before reaching a mill pond. We continued until we reached the main road marked by a tile, then turned left. We continued along the road until we reached the roundabout, then took the first eft which took us straight back into the village. This wasn’t the most imaginative way to get back, but it was the driest. Fortunately, we had dry clothes back at the car. Heading south, we passed back underneath the motorway until we entered an area of modern built-up detached housing. Some of it was separated by hedgerows. We passed the school then arrived back outside the pub. We were shown inside to the lounge where two tables had been set aside for us to be socially distant while remaining in the same room.

Ambling Around Alvechurch

This was a short winter walk that we did to attempt to battle the elements. We went for a Christmas meal afterwards, but got a bit muddy in the process. We parked not at the pub itself, but at the back of the pub at the end of the lane since it’s the village’s own free public car park. Heading east, we followed the footpath through the fenced thicket which brought us out onto the pub’s car park. We crossed the main road and headed north-east down a narrow lane past a series of terraced cottages. At the end of the lane was a small, gated car park with some playing fields. We followed the path around the field to the northern corner where it trailed east to meet with a road. Here, we turned left and followed the road to the next corner and continued north onto a footpath via a stile on the right-hand side of a cottage.

The People you'll meet

You never know what kind of people you’ll meet when you’re out on a walk. Some you just want to acknowledge with a friendly hello as you pass. They might give advice of the route in the direction that you’re going, like if there’s any troublesome livestock in the next field or the amount of mud that’s coming up. Others might want to chat and be glad of a rest. But sometimes you have to drop the hint to keep moving. You might have to get back to beat the time you’ve put in at the car park. You might have to be back at the pub for your booked reservation before they close for lunch. Or you might just be standing around in the cold and you need to keep warm. But keep talking, and one of you might end up looking like this, chilling on a boat while needing the odd push around.