Ouch !!!
Most days when I go walking I have a plan. And usually the plan works out OK. But not always.
Yesterday saw me getting up at 6.00 am to have a good crack at a long walk. Things began to become unravelled when I got to Shrewsbury Bus Station. A little notice said that buses might be running late because of road works. But they could have told me that this might mean 50 minutes late!
Still, I was walking on Wenlock Edge by just after 10.00. The edge is a long ridge that runs from Ironbridge to Craven Arms in South South Shropshire. It is a historical place. Man has inhabited this ridge for thousands of years, and I like the notion that I’m walking through time. Wenlock is also an important place in geological terms and if you’re ever in Craven arms then it is well worth visiting the Secret Hills Centre.
Once the climb has been made up to the ridge this is a straightforward walk. The first section is through a delightful mixed woodland of oak, beech and some native pines. This is no forestry reserve in the Welsh manner but a wood that reminds me of Scottish Caledonian forest. I’ve walked this path many times before but I don’t think I’ve ever met another walker. I was on my own again yesterday until I came to the very last section of the walk.
Most of the walk was spent in rain, not particularly heavy but persistent. But the weather was warm enough to allow me to ignore my waterproof jacket, for the most part anyway.
The plan was to nip off the Edge and walk towards the hills of Church Stretton. I realised that I seldom walk these hills in high summer. As a result there seemed to be much more foliage everywhere than I remember, so much so that I overshot my exit by some way.
Sitting down and eating my pie (Turner style) I pondered whether to turn back or not. I’m not good at turning back and so decided just to continue to walk along the rest of the ridge. This is a long walk of about 19 miles but it is reasonably flat most of the way (once you are on the ridge).
I made good time. I entered the last section. Here the path is a narrow one cutting its way through dense woodland. A waymarked track heads off downhill but the intrepid walker can continue in a very quiet section of walk before dropping down on a muddy estate track to join the waymarked route at the road. Off I headed. Not thinking about summer. Soon I was trapped in a mass of overgrown brambles and nettles with no easy way out. Nothing for it to plough on. Perhaps it was not such a good idea to wear shorts!
I cut a slightly weird (or weirder than usual) figure as I made my way to Craven Arms train station. Â My Tilly hat was all over the place and my legs smeared with rather impressive amounts of blood! At the train station the local young women kept their distance!
The train was late. Eventually it came and dropped me in Shrewsbury. The connecting train to Birmingham was late. I was home late, too late to take in the planned 3D version of Toy Story3 at the local IMAX.
On the train from Craven Arms a bunch of walkers got on at Church Stretton. Through the corner of my eye I thought I recognised on. It was Challenger Sam Hackett. He moved through the carriage to quickly to be caught. Perhaps, If I’d been on the Mynd we’d have bumped into each other. It’s a small world!
I got home to shower and dace around in agony from the cuts on my legs. They were as sensitive again this morning!
So, in summer, think of the brambles!
Nothing went to plan. It was very painful in places. But it was still a great day out!
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