Hatfield Forest Walk

Off message but on Sunday Gill and I went for a 6.8 mile circular walk around Hatfield Forest courticy of Ordnance Survey and Country walking magazine. Hatfield Forest is a marvellous ancient estate full of history and the National Trust look after it well but the noise from airplanes coming in and out Stansted Airport did spoil things a little. 

Maybe during the week it is quieter? Well worth a visit but not that peaceful. 

Description

The wealthy Houblon family, who helped found the Bank of England, bought the partly wooded acres of Hatfield Forest in the mid-eighteenth century. Lancelot 'Capability' Brown helped create a fashionable Georgian landscape with an artificial lake. Before that, Hatfield had been almost unchanged for six centuries since Henry I declared it a royal hunting forest in 1100. By Phoebe Taplin ROUTE Start/parking: Bury Lodge Lane bus stop/National Trust parking near point 5 or parking for café users at Thremhall Park near start, postcode CM22 6NB, grid ref TL534213 Is it for me? Forest can get muddy in winter. Short section between 3 and 4 can get overgrown. Good tracks and paths Stiles: 4 PLANNING Nearest town: Bishop's Stortford Refreshments: Hatfield Forest outdoor café (0344 249 1895) or coffee shop at Thremhall Park (01279 874503) Public toilets: Hatfield Forest near café (point 5) Public transport: Bus 508 (<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/">Arriva</a>) Bishop's Stortford to Stansted Airport (other buses include 42A, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.firstbus.co.uk/">First</a>) Maps: OS Explorer 183 &amp; 195; Landranger 167

 

Chiltern Society: Ayot St Lawrence Walk

Yesterday, Gill and I drove to Kimpton in Hertfordshire, to start this "moderate" 6 mile circular walk. The weather was marvellous, cold but with bright sunshine. For a weekend Chilterns walk we hardly saw anyone. Early on we did pass the rather elderly couple (in the photograph) who were walking hand in hand as if young lovers...and why not!

I found this walk for free via the ordnance survey app (monthly fee £4.99 while annual currently £20.29) but it was originally published by the Chiltern Society https://chilternsociety.org.uk/shop/books/more-great-walks-in-the-chilterns/. Which I have now ordered a copy.

Lots of green paths, frost, mud and rolling countryside. You pass the ruined Ayot St Lawrence church (destroyed by a slave owner landowner, since it apparently spoilt his view from his manor house). Also, the home of playwright George Bernard Shaw, which is now owned by the National Trust but closed until the spring. 

Check out my Facebook account for other photos.

Avebury rings, Silbury Hill, White Horse Walk & Whatever happened to Custom House wartime evacuee Sheila?

Despite the storms, we are back from a lovely weekend in Marlborough, Wiltshire. On Saturday Gill and I visited nearby Avebury World Heritage Site. An amazing experience to see all these simply huge standing stones, some weighing many tons, built thousands of years ago and a massive deep circular ditch nearly a mile in length. Dug out of the local chalk with animal bones and anklers. 

Afterward we visited Silbury Hill (bottom right of collage) which is yet another breathtaking ancient Neolithic Britain site which, 30m man made hill which must have taken huge effort and resources to build but no one nowadays really knows why our ancestors did this?  

Despite the aftermath of storm Eunice wind and rain, we were able to go for a short walk along Calstone and Cherhill Downs. It was a hard, slippy climb up and super windy on top but fantastic ridge views and we walked around the "Cherhill White Horse" site. 

The central picture in the collage is of Avebury Manor (National Trust) which is well worth a visit but I noticed a mention there in information panels that in September 1939, a number of children from Custom House, East London (my part of the world) were evacuated there because of the fear of German bombing including "Sheila" (see painting by Doris Kellier). Shella was not well and stayed there longer than her siblings. I wonder what happened to Sheila and will ask Newham History Facebook if they know. 

Coombe Hill & Chequers Walk

 

As much as I enjoy walking locally in Epping Forest, Essex and East Hertfordshire, it was great to go on some more challenging walking today in the Chilterns. 

We started off at the Coombe Hill car park (Just over 1 hour drive from Forest Gate.  The car park is pretty small so maybe if you are driving on a "busy" day park in Wendover. You could have joined the walk at the Coombe Hill memorial from Wendover Railway station or the town car park). 

Today we followed this free, downloadable path from the National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chilterns-countryside/trails/coombe-hill-and-chequers-trail. You can take either a 5 or 7 mile route. 

I have done different versions of this marvellous walk, a number of times over the years. Lots of happy memories but some sad, as a good trade union comrade of mine, George Woznick, who went with us on a walk in 2004 is no longer with us. 

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2018/10/coombe-hill-chequers-walk-2018-2004.html

Highlight of the walk today were not only the fantastic views but the magnificent birds of prey you could see nearly everywhere.  Red Kites, in particular, floating above us then diving down down to hunt. We saw 8 of them circling over what was probably carrion at Beacon Hill, just inside the Chequers security cordon. 

We passed the Prime Ministers Country Home Chequers. There was no sign of Boris painting or otherwise. 

Gill had a highly recommended chocolate ice cream at the Bookmoreend Farm shop and kitchen, while I had a tasty bacon roll. 

Afterward a drink at the "Shoulder of Mutton" in Wendover to rehydrate. I asked as usual for a pint of their "best bitter". Which today was "ConkerBonkers".  It was refreshing but a little hoppy for me. 

I have posted further pictures of this great walk on Facebook - here. 

National Trust St Ives and The Hemingfords walk

 

On Monday, Gill and I stopped off on the way home from a post lockdown family weekend visit to Lincolnshire to go on this simply marvellous 5 mile circular walk around St Ives, Cambridgeshire. 

We started off at the National Trust car park (free for members) outside Houghton Mill (currently closed). When we arrived it was raining cats and dogs (despite the weather forecast was dry). We admired the picnickers who just put up umbrellas and carried on despite the heavy rain. After the down pour it was fine for the rest of the day. 

The walk itself was simply lovely, with stunning meadows, rivers, ancient buildings and big skies. We went past the church where Oliver Cromwell use to worship and through historic St Ives (well worth a return visit for a weekend). 

Ditchling Beacon Walk June 2017

Off message but this was a great recovery walk that Gill and I did after the UNISON NDC conference in Brighton last month.

The National Trust car park at Ditchling Beacon is pretty small so either get there early or be patient. There is no cash car parking machine and you have to pay for a space (once you find one) on line with a credit card, so be prepared. It is a bit of a pain but not that difficult.

The walk itself is wonderful. A fantastic feeling of  isolation, big skies and fabulous views on this walk.

Who says we live in an overcrowded country?

It is sad and poignant that that Ditchling Beacon itself was donated to the National Trust in memory of the 21 year old son of the landowners, who was killed in action while serving in the RAF during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

But what a wonderful gift to the nation and memorial for their boy. 

Octavia Hill, Housing, the Diffusion of Beauty (& other things)

On Monday it was the 100th anniversary of the death of Octavia Hill. She was one of those remarkable, talented, passionate strong willed, Victorians whose influence is still live and kicking a 100 years on. While I don't actually agree with everything she did or believed in - if you work or have an interest in social housing you simply cannot ignore her.

She is credited with the development of social housing, the Army Cadet Corp, the National Trust, and even being "a forebear of occupational therapy". I love the fact that she was once a treasurer of the "Society for the Diffusion of Beauty".

She believed that the poor deserved decent, affordable, well managed housing. However, she did not believe either in state subsidised housing, female emancipation nor even social security. She was also a very hard taskmaster with regard to rent arrears or anti-social behaviour, which I believe would be popular on modern day housing estates but produce a field day for human rights lawyers.

Octavia also believed in the role of women in housing management. This was of course at a time when women were excluded from nearly all "professions". Women trained by her later founded the Institute of Women Managers in 1916. This much later eventually became the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIOH).

One final thought is that I remember attending a meeting of the London branch of the CIOH in middle 1990's. They had an elderly female speaker (whose name I am sorry I have long forgotten) to speak about the history of housing management. I remember her clearly talking about the significant role of women in housing management since Octavia Hill. She looked around at the (majority male) audience in the room and asked what has happened in housing management in recent years - "Where have all the women gone"?