Okay, technically it doesn’t and over the years I should count my blessings as I’m usually graced with good weather but I’m struggling to find a good original headline for these blogs.
Today’s walk started from Chieveley high street and can be considered a “wet one”. I’d been frantically checking the weather forecasts in the previous few days hoping that one of them would show us some improvement for the expectant weather but alas, that didn’t happen but having said that it could have been worse.
The walk started with persistant light rain gradually improving to light drizzle before soon only sporadic drizzle was being released until towards the end when it stopped raining all together. I can’t complain too much as when I did the reccy a few weeks earlier, a day after the warmest Halloween on record, I was walking in wall to wall sunshine.
On the way driving to the walk I predicated with the one fellow rambler who I had arranged to pick up en route that turn out today would be four. I was wrong. We had five! The group convened and soon made headway through the north of the village along hard surfaces. There was a muddy alternative option for a part of this first bit that would have taken us the other side of the houses in the village but considering the conditions I thought it slightly pointless. Before long, we made it out into the fields passing Down Farm and over the humming noise of the A34. Clambering over a slightly awkward stile which we would revisit later we headed northwards hugging near to the aforementioned “A” road, walking a part way up Old Street which is an ancient track that used to link Chieveley to Snelsmore East Common.
We soon had a decision to make. On my reccy the footpath that we were scheduled to take through Langely Wood was somewhat overgrown with brambles. Mainly due to the fact it was situated next to the A34 and probably not walked down all year. That was quite understandable considering there was a permissive footpath that we could take that was far easier to navigate. Decision made, the permissive footpath it was. We continued the walk through the woods and onto the roads which were partly flooded in places. A mile or so on we picked up the footpath that we take us to the northern most point of our ramble at Little Ridge Copse. By now the rain was easing off a little. Brief consideration was taken weather we should stop to have our sarnies under the shelter of the trees but as it was only just turned 12 o’clock I decided to move on. We turned right heading towards and past Banterwick Farm with the views opening out into rather lovely countryside.
A mile or two later we arrived at the village of Hampsted Norris. A village I don’t think I have ever visited in nearly seven years of the group. It was here near the Norman motte that we took cover – it was still drizzling somewhat – and quickly munched into our sandwich lunch. Once done without any hesitation we were off and made our return journey back past a few footpaths and other country lanes as well as Trumpletts Farm ,( a few farms on this walk!) and hamlet at Bothampstead.
The final mile or so, from where we joined Old Street earlier, was repeated but going in the opposite direction. The awkward stile was tackled more innovatively by a couple of people by rather going over it they decided to go through it! Soon we arrived back at our cars, took off our boots and over trousers and headed to the local hostelry for a well earned pint sitting inside next to a log fire. A splendid end to a fine days walk, despite the slightly inclement weather.