Saturday 28th September - Chairman's Garden Party

The afternoon was bright & sunny but not very warm, especially when a cloud arrived, However we had a good turnout with 32 people + 2 grandchildren in both the garden & in the house. There were a great many cakes provided by members and much tea & coffee make by the wonderful committee ladies. I would like to thank everyone for their contributions,

It was great to see so many people obviously enjoying themselves after our floods.

Just a small portion of the cakes on offer

Linda, Keith  & Mary

Richard, Tony P, Bob, Neal & Celia

The kitchen ladies, Yvonne, Nita, Brenda, Beryl & Celia

Vivienne talking to Anna

Cynthia & Penny

Joan & a happy Nita

Ramblers in the mirror

Mary, Liz, Yvonne & Cathy

Cathy, Liz, Geoff & James

Thursday 19th September Whitwell - Hitch Wood 7 miles led by Tony P

This 7 mile walk started from the village recreation ground, where we made our way along the field margins and down into the village.
Crossing the road we carried onto and over the river Mimram, on our way up to the Bury.

Walking down the drive we climbed up through the an avenue of trees giving a lovely view of the house at Bury farm behind us.

Joining the track at the top of the tree avenue we continued onto East Hill farm, where a well earned coffee break was taken by the duck pond.
After some road walking, we joined the tracks leading us through the houses at Langley End, 

There following the track through, we crossed the road and were soon entering Hitch Wood and looking for a nice spot to have our picnic break in the dapple shade.

 

Suitably refreshed, carried on through the woods following the tracks past Pinfold & Foxhole woods, eventually joining with the track that would bring us out at the large house at Staganhoe.

Continuing through Chalkeys & Little Bury Wood we came to the Whitwell living theatre.
Passing through, we were nearly at the end of the walk, when we passed Emily's tea shop which luckily for us was open, so a bonus stop was taken for tea & cakes, and very enjoyable they were too.
Upon leaving the tea shop, we once again crossed over the river, then through the village, climbing back up the footpath through the houses and back to the cars.
For what was a lovely walk enjoyed by all, on a nice sunny day.

Track of walk, walked in anti-clockwise direction

 

Thursday 12th September 6.5 mile walk from Toddington to Tingrith & back

This walk was part of the BEDS AUTUMN FESTIVAL OF WALKS & it had 15 walkers. We started by leaving Toddington Village Hall car park & followed a footpath to Park Road which we crossed to enter Long Lane. Very soon we left the road &followed a footpath through fields that had been harvested & roughly ploughed. We walked along this footpath for just over 1.5 miles before crossing Long Lane. Just under half a mile more brought us to Tingrith with its red telephone box, now a "book storage". We crossed the High Street and had a coffee stop in the old bus shelter, sadly now no buses.

Coffee stop at the old bus shelter.

 After our stop we walked up Church Road & continued past the church to a kissing gate which led into a sheep field. Here we stopped for a group photo.

Group photo

We continued through field for about half a mile before crossing Tingrith Road to a new footpath leading alongside woodland.

The footpath alongside the woodland.

After about three quarters of a mile we crossed a farm track into another field of long grass. 

 

Field with long grass.

 We walked across this field to enter Daintry Wood climbing all the way. After this wood we walked through a couple of gates before stopping for lunch by a seat we had installed over 20 years ago.

Lunch stop with the threatening sky

After lunch we continued along the hedge line, crossing another farm track & passing a paddock with several friendly horses, through another gate into parkland by Toddington Park House. We crossed the drive to enter another newly ploughed field. We walked for about half a mile across this long field to arrive at Park Road, which we crossed onto another footpath which led into a housing estate in Toddington. After few more roads we were soon back at the car park just as rain commenced.  We thought the timing was great as we had all enjoyed a dry walk.

Thursday 5th September Flaunden walk led by Richard W

6 intrepid walkers met by the Flaunden telephone box on a damp & misty morning. We walked down the road , past the The Green Dragon pub before leaving the road at a sharp bend. We walked almost due south along a track, much used by horses, before entering a wood. On leaving the wood we followed a path which led to a bridge over the surprising full River Chess..We crossed the bridge and followed a path which led to Chenies Manor where we stopped for a group photo.

The group outside Chenies Manor.

We then went into the porch of Chenies church where we stopped for a coffee break.  About this time we were warned by a lady dog walker of a flood ahead, but being hardened walkers we pressed onwards. After re-crossing the river we found the flood through which we waded without problems.
Soon afterwards we stopped for our picnic and all managed to sit on one bench. A kind lady took our photo.

Tony P, Richard W, Beryl, Wendy, Tony R & Kate

Suitably refreshed we made our way back to Flaunden where we were all pleased to see our cars having walked 7 miles