Mothers day Mothering Sunday March 27th 2022. 7 deg C. Sons will take their mother for lunch. So car not available for walk with Dover and Thanet Rights of Way Society. Light drizzle, after ten sunny days. City circuit, anticlockwise. Slight head wind. Station Road East. Don’t like rain, even drizzle. But Sunday morning walking is what i do. City wall. Medieval on Roman. Playground in Dane John Gardens demolished, waiting for replacement. On right, other side of ring road, lots student flats on site of garage and former Mary Bredin school. Christchurch university library, Police Station. Fire and rescue. Riding Gate bridge over Roman road to Dubris. Bus station on left. Potholes marked in white. Former Zoar chapel now wedding venue. Former underground public lavatory now a bar. Irony: more places to booze, fewer to piss. Through carpark, quieter away from road, next to high wall of Cathedral precincts. Man stepped off narrow pavement for me. Much of this walk is Canterbury Inner Ring. St Radigunds Street. Exposed Roman wall. Parrot pub memories of when it was Simple Simons with folk music. Especially Tan Tethera. Computer Corner: models of moon rocket and shuttle. Also metal sculptures by local artist. Decision: do i extend walk from two to three miles? Increase stamina. Yes. Onto riverside cycle/ walk path. Three mallard drakes and one female. Cyclist. Moorhen. St Johns primary school. Coach park Toilets not open. 949 am. XXV stainless steel sculpture made at Canterbury College for Queen’s silver jubilee. Under Kingsmead Rd bridge. Used to be earth path and fairly rural. Now tarmac. Grassy bank with new housing on left. Nature preservation or gardening? Big development across river, including cinema. Some trees pollarded. Turn left on stony track, willows, wilder. Round former football field, speedway, rubbish tip. Nettles, brambles. Allotments across river. Trees more leafy maybe because sheltered from wind. Still can’t walk under Stonebridge Road: fenced off why. Kingsmead village green with football pitch. Used to be cricket. City Council wanted to build on the whole area. Objectors won.
Across Kingsmead Road, through leisure centre carpark. Back on riverside. Walked into Abbots Mill project for a wee. Empty vodka bottle. Lots fresh woodchip on paths. Millers Field ecopark. Another valuable public open space.
Path should be wider by North Lane. Into Westgate Gardens, White blossom. Bedding plants, both sides river. Massive oriental plane. Hugged Scots pine. Is leaflet on Westgate Gardens tree trail. “Taihg” Daniel Lloyd and his music, 1986 – 2012 forever in our hearts.
Ten mallard drakes, one female. Sat at Toddlers Cove and ate apple. More drizzle. No children playing. Through goat and horses tunnel to industrial estate. Bamboo Tiger cafe not open. Espresso at Shot Space on Wincheap. And home. Three and a half miles in about two hours.
Spoke to noone except to say “good morning”
Feeling of achievement: pleased to have walked distance of Datrows leisurely walks, though at a very leisurely pace.
Rambling Brummie 