where did you walk today?

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

...
I've always dreamed of living somewhere wild and wonderful, highland Scotland or Snowdonia for example, but putting my pics on this thread has made me realise that, although my local countryside is very different to my dreams, it has it's beauty in it's own right.

...

Well said, Claire!

Originally Posted by kiltoncomp

...

and this one had the elves at home
...

Lovely photos Brian - I remember how I used to love hiding in hollow trees when I was a boy!

Beautiful morning here, so I did a variation of my most frequent short local walk, through Whipsnade Heath to Whipsnade Downs and back through Whipsnade and Holywell.

Part of the huge green at Whipsnade, and the start of the bridleway to Whipsnade Downs

Bridleway between Whipsnade and Whipsnade Downs

The next two photos are just to make agrumpycow even grumpier! They are the views she might have enjoyed if she'd been to Whipsnade Zoo today instead of last Sunday!

Part of the Vale of Aylesbury from Bison Hill

Ivinghoe Beacon from Bison Hill

I saw my first butterflies of the year (Brimstones) and a couple of Bullfinches. The wildflowers are gradually emerging - I saw some more Lesser Celandine and my first Violets of the year.

[Pippa]

Love the Bridleway between Whipsnade and Whipsnade Downs Pete.Beautiful.

We walked at Waldridge Fell this morning.It was gorgeous, sunny and warm,so decided to stay real close to home.Absolute Bliss.

[agrumpycow]

That looks like a lovely walk, Pippa! Fantastic colours

[Pete Collins]

I agree with agrumpycow, those are gorgeous colours in your photos Pippa!

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Well said, Claire!



Lovely photos Brian - I remember how I used to love hiding in hollow trees when I was a boy!

Beautiful morning here, so I did a variation of my most frequent short local walk, through Whipsnade Heath to Whipsnade Downs and back through Whipsnade and Holywell.

Part of the huge green at Whipsnade, and the start of the bridleway to Whipsnade Downs

Bridleway between Whipsnade and Whipsnade Downs

The next two photos are just to make agrumpycow even grumpier! They are the views she might have enjoyed if she'd been to Whipsnade Zoo today instead of last Sunday!

Part of the Vale of Aylesbury from Bison Hill

Ivinghoe Beacon from Bison Hill

I saw my first butterflies of the year (Brimstones) and a couple of Bullfinches. The wildflowers are gradually emerging - I saw some more Lesser Celandine and my first Violets of the year.

some great views there Pete, i like the look of the bridleway especially,
it must be spring here as well, as it was nice and sunny this morning which brought two very fresh looking Comma butterflys and also one Brimstone out into the garden,

Brian.

[kiltoncomp]

[quote=Pippa;445399]Love the Bridleway between Whipsnade and Whipsnade Downs Pete.Beautiful.

We walked at Waldridge Fell this morning.It was gorgeous, sunny and warm,so decided to stay real close to home.Absolute Bliss.
QUOTE]

You are very lucky to have all that on your doorstep Pippa, it looks brilliant,
dont like all the crowds though

Brian.

[Pippa]

Originally Posted by kiltoncomp

[QUOTE

You are very lucky to have all that on your doorstep Pippa, it looks brilliant,
dont like all the crowds though

Brian.

We just commented on that this morning Brian We have the same problem with people down on the beach. That's why we love it.Mind you, could be the mask i am wearing ha ha.

Thankyou Claire and Pete .

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by Pippa

We just commented on that this morning Brian We have the same problem with people down on the beach. That's why we love it.Mind you, could be the mask i am wearing ha ha.

Thankyou Claire and Pete .

WOT!! you mean you dont look like your avatar

Brian.

[Pippa]

Originally Posted by kiltoncomp

WOT!! you mean you dont look like your avatar

Brian.

I certainly do but the mask i wear out walking is more like your avatar. Gives people a shock,hence empty beaches and fells.

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by Pippa

I certainly do but the mask i wear out walking is more like your avatar. Gives people a shock,hence empty beaches and fells.

i pleased about your first bit of the answer, but i dont think my little avatar is very happy about your description of him, he's had that happy smile on his face ever since i found him like that in Clumber Park
there is a bigger pic of him on my website (under boletus scabra) if you want to see what a happy little chap he is


Brian.

[foxy mars]

Another good day's walking and the weather was great, just like spring. Today's walk was 16 miles and 2020' of total ascent and 64 training miles for my coast to coast walk, just another 120 training miles to complete.

Route:
Old Margery Stone on the Castleton to Hutton le Hole road.
Farndale Moor.
Cockayne.
Pockley Moor.
Skiplam Moor.
Faddell Rigg.
Hutton le Hole.

[BarbaraEmma]

This is a lovely walk we do quite often But unfortunately not today ,so bit of a cheat,sorry.It's across an old dram road towards what many years ago were old iron ore quarries.You can still see signs of the old stone "sleepers"where the horse drawn drams would have run.At times it can be very bleak but if you go on a good day the views are wonderful.

[Gypsy Orchid]

Lovely pictures and walks I really enjoy this thread. Beautiful warm sunny day here so we just went for short walk at Dawlish Warren round the nature reserve and sat in the sand dunes enjoying the sun and the view. Saw peacock butterfly and pussy willow.
Sylv

[LynM]

Beautiful, Sylv. I have many happy memories of Dawlish and the Warren from childhood holidays when my grandparents lived there....rather a long time ago now!

[ChrisJB]

Did a short walk in the Forest of Bowland today, from Dunsop Bridge. Decent weather and the good birds had returned to the uplands. Lots of Skizzies (Skylarks), Peewits (Lapwings), Oystercatchers and best of all, the Curlews were back performing their spellbinding joy-flights.
The time of year from now to the end of May is just the best.


Regards, Chris

[tameblackbirds]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

I agree with agrumpycow, those are gorgeous colours in your photos Pippa!

Exactly my thoughts great photos Pippa yet another wonderful part of the world

[tameblackbirds]

Foxy. Barbara and Gypsy wow!! lovely places to walk thanks for showing and sharing

[ron1863]

This is where I normally walk at least a couple of times a week, weather permitting. It's just a pity they are cutting the majority of the trees down and replanting:

[Mick_S]

Shuart Lane AKA Reculver marshes
I can't compete with your walks folks but I did pass this rather creepy looking derelict farm building on the way to the marshes.


Really nice to be out but nowhere near as scenic as yours.


Mick

[pammosley]

Wonderful photos everyone. It`s great to see what the rest of the country looks like I am able to join in again as we went on a couple of great walks yesterday based around the Wyre Forest, Worcestershire
View from the start of the walk, yes that is the moon around 6.30am





Down into my favourite wooded valley.





Pound Grren. This is wher Mr Chance carried out his research into cuckoo nesting habits in 1922.

[pammosley]

After breakfast we walked down the river Severn towards Arley & then on to Trimpley reservoir. On the way we saw a Noctule bat which was a first for us ( I didn`t know they flew in the day!), rescued a mallard that had caught itself in fishing line & feeder & tied itself onto a branch near the bank. I thought hubby was going for a swim but he & the duck were OK. An eventful walk

[kiltoncomp]

a few more from Clumber today, nothing as spectacular as the last few posts by any means,but still a nice walk,
the woods were full of birds singing away and an added bonus was we saw a lizard basking on a log in the sun (he was camera shy and dahed off before i could get a pic), but another first for this year was a ladybird on the same log




Brian.

[Pete Collins]

This is a terrific thread, with some lovely walks and great photos of lovely countryside!

A beautiful Spring-like day here today, so I went and did a 12-mile walk in and around the Chess valley (southeast of Chesham, on the Bucks/Herts boundary). It was treat I'd been promising myself for some days! This is one of my favourite parts of the Chilterns, and one of the few places in these chalk hills where there is a river to walk along.

Starting at the attractive village of Chenies, I headed west along the hilltop south of the river, with nice views across the valley to Latimer and Latimer House.

View across the Chess Valley to Latimer House

I descended through a beech wood and crossed the river just below Latimer House (now some type of Management Centre, I think). In the photo below, the actual true river is to the right, while to the left is a series of fish ponds and wiers.

The river Chess, from the bridge below Latimer House

I followed the river a short distance eastwards to the village of Latimer (another attractive place, with some interesting items on its small triangular green). I then turned and headed west again, along the northern side of the valley, back past Latimer House and along a lovely path beside a beech wood, with the river in the valley down to my left.

The Chess Valley, looking towards Chesham Bois

Footpath through the Chess Valley, heading towards Chesham

Almost on the edge of Chesham, I turned right, and followed a series of mainly bridleways for several miles, going in a semi-circle that eventually brought me back to the Chess Valley about half a mile east of Latimer. On the way I passed through the valley of Flaunden Bottom.

Start of a bridleway to Flaunden Bottom

The bridleway approaching Flaunden Bottom

I then headed eastwards along the path through the Chess valley, passing Chenies Bottom and carrying on to reach Sarratt Bottom, where I recrossed the river and followed a path uphill back to my starting point at Chenies.

Path along the Chess Valley, approaching Chenies Bottom

The river Chess, at Chenies Bottom

Path along the Chess Valley

The river Chess at Sarratt Bottom

If anyone's interested, there is an official 10-mile "Chess Valley Walk" between the railway stations at Chesham and Rickmansworth. My walk today overlapped with maybe half of that route.

I saw a Little Egret flying along the river, between Chenies Bottom and Sarratt Bottom - it was making quite a racket, the first time I've ever heard them make a noise. I've seen them in the Chess valley a couple of times before (and saw them regularly when I lived near the Suffolk coast). Otherwise I didn't see too much in the way of birds, except for a Jay and Buzzards in several places.

There were lots of Lesser Celandine out, and lots of Dog's Mercury too, as well as a few Violets. I saw my first Peacock and Comma butterflies of the year, as well as one or two more Brimstones. Edit: And I saw some fungus which I'm pretty sure was "King Alfred's Cakes".

[Pippa]

Just going to run through a few names here as once again i am amazed as to how many beautiful pics have turned up since my last visit.

Love No 5 Ron but sad they are cutting them down.

From the pics i have seen here, and elsewhere Mick you hold your own

Your pics Pam are definately my kind of pics.I adore wooded valleys.

Super duper, a ladybird Brian and superb walk too.What more could one want.

[LynM]

Some very busy WAB walkers there today! Like most of you, I just love to see other people's areas, what they have seen and how they view their own area. Thanks to you all for adding to my pleasure.

I've been down to the coast today and will add pictures later as I'm off out with the dog soon, hoping to catch the sunset!