This walk begins and ends in the Newborough Forest. This Site of Special Scientific Interest has sand dunes and mudflats that make you feel like you’re in another country. You also have impressive views of Snowdonia, which is just across the water. The forest has red squirrels, which we didn’t see, but there were a … Continue reading / view photos Angelsey — Ynys Llanddwyn walk
Category: Hiking
Anglesey — Aberffraw walk
Aberffraw is a popular place for sun seekers. There’s also some good walking to be done amongst the covered sand dunes. The highlight of the walk is “the church in the sea” — St. Cwyfan’s Church. This medieval church was once on a peninsula but erosion left the church stranded at high tide. A causeway … Continue reading / view photos Anglesey — Aberffraw walk
London Loop – sections 22, 23, 24
After a six-month lockdown break, we finally resumed the London Loop. These three legs (from Harold Wood to Purfleet) are the end stages although we have more to do since we’ve not walked the Loop sequentially. This walk was straightforward, flat and passed without incident. The last time we were in this neck of the … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 22, 23, 24
London Loop – sections 20, 21
Ela and I squeezed in two more legs of the London Loop just before Season 2 of Lockdown started streaming across England. We had to limit our walk to two people because of the two-household rule. This walk started at Chigwell and went to Harold Wood via Havering-atte Bower. All were new to me. It’s … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 20, 21
Tarzan, trees and me
Nature has many splendours. Three that come to mind are mountains, trees and the many forms of water (lakes, rivers, oceans, snow, ice). Of these, I find mountains frightening. No matter how many times I walk up them, apprehension overrides the veneration I feel at the foot of a mountain. Rivers and vast expanses of … Continue reading / view photos Tarzan, trees and me
London Loop – sections 10, 11
We started this week’s section of the London Loop from the same place as last week: Uxbridge. This time we went south instead of north, taking in Harefield West, Hayes & Harlington, and Hatton Cross. The contrast to last week’s walk was immediate. The Grand Union Canal led into the lusciously green Colne Valley Park … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 10, 11
London Loop – sections 12, 13, 14
Yesterday, we tackled three sections of the London Loop since they were all fairly short. Section 12 started in Uxbridge, which has brightened up since my last visit a few years ago. The station itself has stained glass windows near the entrance. There’s also a fine vintage cigarette machine in the station. From Uxbridge tube … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 12, 13, 14
London Loop – section 15
For the section from Hatch End to Elstree and Borehamwood, our group expanded from two to four hikers. This walk was quite something. For the first quarter, we had cloudy weather but it soon picked up and the sun came out to shine on some lovely views. The group was still small enough to make … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – section 15
London Loop – section 16
After the dire warnings on Monday from the UK Government’s Chief Medical Adviser and Chief Scientific Adviser, I was expecting the Government to announce a second national lockdown on Tuesday evening. With that in mind, and because it was the last day of summer, a friend and I decided to embark on the 242 km London … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – section 16
Flower show in Snowshill
Every time I go to the Cotswolds, I marvel at the honey-coloured houses and the immaculate front gardens everyone seems to have. I sometimes wonder if the area is inhabited by retired gardeners; perhaps to incentivise them, people are rewarded with a prize each year for best garden; or, maybe, cultivating a beautiful garden is … Continue reading / view photos Flower show in Snowshill