Managed 20 miles in 9 hours today, walking to Draycote Water via Long Itchington and Birdingbury, returning via Grandborough. An interesting day, walking along less-used footpaths which emulate what I’m expecting across the isthmus.
Where’s the path?
I wouldn’t recommend this walk to others – the wayfinding was problematic at times. At Long Itchington a house and yard built across the path meant a ½ mile diversion trying to find my way through the surrounding fields. The quality of rights-of-way was very variable in general, sometimes having to shove one’s way through shoulder-high rape and emerging smelling of cabbage, or navigating paths along the sides of fields with the crop growing flush to the hedgerow – the line of the path being exactly that, just a theoretical line with no actual width on the ground, in spite of the big friendly arrows pointing the way along the field edge.
A hot, sunny day, the main lessons of which were …
- Sunblock and a hat. I don’t mind the beetroot effect on my face this evening, but if walking several days in the sun I’ll have to be kinder to my skin.
- Never walk in jeans again! The dew-sodden rape fields at the beginning meant that they were soaked in no time, never really drying out in spite of the scorching sun. Climbing over tall styles in wet jeans is surprisingly difficult.
- Take plenty of quality dry socks – it’s the one thing I don’t mind going overboard on.
Found a young crow sitting in the grass, maybe having left the nest too early?
Birdingbury Church, built in the late 1700s.
Lunch at Draycote.
Spoilt for choice. I took the one on the right-hand side.
Please consider making a small donation to my sponsored walk beginning 20th June, in person at the reception at Galanos House, Southam / by post to ‘Isthmus Challenge’, Galanos House, Southam, CV47 2BL / online at crowdfunding.justgiving.com/jonathan-russell-1. All funds go toward the ‘Amenities Fund’, to enhance the lives of the residents and other users of our services.
