ASHURST BEACON

"JUST A WALKIN' IN THE RAIN" 7 Miles

SWIMMERS :- Anthony, Vic, Martin, Mike, 
                         Danny, John W,  Jim C.

After years of walking every Thursday  we can recall very few days when it rained ALL THE TIME !  Today was one of them.

We parked in  Parbold (?)  next to a very convenient bench and donned our waterproofs ready for the worst the weather could do.

A short walk back in the direction we had come and we arrived at the canal. This we followed for some time. It was raining !

Not so much a "Bridge" photo as a transport statement. Road - Rail - Water.

At the next bridge we dropped away from the canal to follow a track through the fields.

As usual our passage did not go unobserved. By creatures Great and Small.

A fledgling swallow.

A short stretch of wet field took us alongside a private drive to a large and rather magnificent house. The footpath signs took us through a gate and onto the private drive where a low but comfortable wall provided a perfect coffee spot. It was raining !

Caffeine levels topped up we continued down the drive past some magnificent Beech trees,

Until we came to the gates and out onto the highway.

A few minutes tramp and we arrived at a  lane called "Hillock". In spite of much encouragement no-one was prepared to stand to the left of the sign as I photographed it...…. I wonder why ?

"Hillock Lane" was exactly that and we now had quite a steep hill to climb  at the top of which a left turn took us down a further road past several extremely well appointed properties - There was a definite smell of money in the air.

Standing outside the gates of one such property

Not exactly your average rustic garden bridges purchased at a garden centre.   Am I flirting with the green-eyed monster here ?

The road continued for a while until we arrived at a larger , much busier roads. We turned left and began to walk uphill...plod...plod...plod...plod.. it was a Loooooong Hill !!!  and it was raining ! At the top of the hill was the church of.... The grounds and the graveyard were both immaculately tended and it was a great spot for lunch. It had benches and ducks to entertain us.

Vic as is his wont went off to explore the immediate surrounds of the "Duck Pond". He returned to ask did anyone know what a "Columbarium" was. On approaching the building it was obvious that it was a pigeon loft or as Vic had missed seeing a "Dovecote"

The word "Columbarium"  actually mean a room or building with niches in it to hold funerary urns.

The building did indeed have niches (dozens of them) but in more modern times was in fact built to house lots of nesting pigeons as a ready source of food.

To the left and behind the "Columbarium" a narrow, somewhat overgrown,  path led upwards as we began the final ascent (That's a bit over dramatic.) to Ashurst Beacon. It was raining.

At one point the path became very narrow and rather dark and as it was raining it resembled a small stream more than a footpath. After about 200 yards we reached a junction in the path at which it suddenly rose VERY steeply up to the beacon.

Amongst the multitude of graffiti on the sides of the monument was evidence (perhaps) that your writer had been here before.

….but as they say in all the best TV crime dramas "No comment !"

Even with the help of a large information board it was difficult to decide which of several paths we needed to take to complete our walk. BUT as it was raining we quickly plumped for one and set off downhill.

A further lengthy stretch of highway took us eventually to a small side road called Crow Lane.

This proved to be the first of several steep downhill stretches as we descended Beacon Hill. I don't think a "Crow" was involved but there was definitely a "Bird" incident as we walked down this lane.

Little birdie flying high

drops it's cargo from the sky

Mike below wipes his eye.. and thinks

"Thank God that cows can't fly."

Mike had been "Birdie Bombed" !

On leaving this particular lane we entered a rather strange sylvan scene. The land was definitely not the normal farmland but more akin to a neglected Parkland. There were groves of trees which where definitely not indigenous and had ben planted in somewhat regimental form. It gave the landscape an unusual and even eerie aspect.

A narrow path led us through this strange landscape and then once more back onto the highway to where a large depiction of Christ's crucifixion made a bold statement in a field across the road,

This small hamlet contained, once again, some very attractive properties and also a little eccentricity. Someone is lurking in this telephone booth.

Off the highway and back into the "Wilderness" but not before seeing further eccentricity,

There is at least one gorilla in this photo !

The path at first was quite pretty and  photogenic.

There were even orchids to admire.

And then the path become a tangle of overgrown weeds and wildflowers (They essentially are weeds aren't they ?)

Now back onto the highway for quite a lengthy plod back to the cars but not before a final bit of eccentricity. This time in the form of a religious "Grotto" guarding the entrance to one residence.

And then as we arrived at the cars (in my case feeling VERY tired) We witnessed a bit of "Bad" parking.

Martin's ever present shandies were greeting with great enthusiasm after such a strenuous walk. An excellent walk full of variety and interest. Well Done.

THE END

p.s The tree of the week had to be this one.

p.p.s.…...  IT IS STILL RAINING !