Thursday is my usual day for walks as a countryside access warden. April 7th is birthday of youngest sons, who needed the car. With trepidation i took bus to Pean Hill on the Whitstable Road. No worry about parking but more exposed to the plague. Third visit to look at paths in Ellenden Wood, five km south of Whitstable harbour. 91 hectares of SSSI woodland. On a map the paths resemble an Irish harp. Like the one on the Guinness bottle. A triangular frame with three strings. Recent visits had covered all but two strings.
Oh to be in England now that April’s there. Browning was abroad when he wrote that. This April morning, after a heavy shower at 5 had helped pierce the drought of March, was cool, sunny and blustery. All the public rights of way here are bridleways, usable on foot, horse, or pedal bike. Mostly easy to see, not easy to walk as mud and puddles aplenty. Other paths are not on the rights of way map, increasing chance of getting lost.
Mostly beech trees, not yet in leaf, also oak and holly. Patches of white flowers. Wood anemones? Anthills. Unfortunately i took a wrong turning and so revisited a walk of Feb 17th, but in the opposite direction. Too busy picking my way to think of all the things i dont want to think about.
Did no CAW work, such as pruning or waymarking. Found two places where marker posts needed. At a Y junction the route may be clear in one direction not in the other. We were told NOT to nail markers to trees.
Take positives: didnt fall over, didnt lose a shoe in the mud, didnt stray from the bridlepaths. Still need to visit the two remaining paths. Preferably during a drought.
Rambling Brummie 