Thursday 7th April Studham, 9 miles

 7 Ramblers, led by Ruth

This walk began at the car park to the East of Studham Common and meandered around field and wood edges to Jockey End. The sun sometimes came out, sometimes there was cloud cover, and whenever we lost the shelter of a hedge or trees we were exposed to the full force of the Northerly wind. It was difficult to know how many layers to wear! 

 

 We stopped for a drink at the playground at Jockey End, then walked along Dean Lane, with Dean Wood to our left. There were carpets of bluebells and Ransoms and several trees that had been blown over. 

 

 

We were nearly blown over as we walked across the playing field and up to Beechwood School! A Red Kite was tearing at somethime on the field and seemed to enjoy the wind as it soared up into the sky.

Next we enjoyed the shelter of Great Bradwin's Wood, before the next exposed area: the upper meadon of Studham Common. We walked through Studham the round the back to Studham Church. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  It was a perfect spot for lunch: in fact, the walk had been planned around having lunch there. Plenty of seats, flowers, mowed lawn and the option to eat in the porch, or even the church should we be caught in rain: but the sun shone and we enjoyed our lunch spot. The last two miles were through woods with many Wood Anemones is full flower, green woodpeckers laughing and Lesser Celendine coming to the end of the season. Finally we crossed through Lower Meadow and back to the car park.