Day seventeen – Exton to A272

Day seventeen – Exton to A272 

“Why do birds suddenly appear?” 

It was today that I came across the worst part of the walk.  In the initial fields that I crossed, I discovered a route which had been laid over with old, faded running track, of the carpet-like variety.  Clearly it must get muddy here and somebody thought it was a good solution, but for me, it jarred with the natural surroundings.  Not only that, it felt nasty underfoot after walking on the ground and grated against all my senses.   I guess this could be considered recycling, but I can't imagine it is very environmentally friendly either.  I’d much rather have seen a material sourced from plants or the earth used to correct the problem.    

Whether or not it's statistically true, the hill up to the beacon felt the steepest so far and because the path took a diagonal route, it meant your feet were on a sideways slope as you were walking, which I find adds to the difficultly. 

Halfway up there were some lovely umbrella-like trees, their canopies broad and low.  They broke up the trudge up the hill for me and there is, as the name would suggest, a beacon on this hill.   I went over to read the plaque and it said that it was erected in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee. 

There was still a little way to climb after this and at the top I met a group of walkers looking for a place to lunch.  They kindly directed me towards the car park, however I changed my mind and decided that I had turned off too early and to stick to the signposts.  I headed back, by which time the group were seeking down for lunch.  They apologised, asking if they'd sent me in the wrong directing, to which I assured them it was my mistake.   I then continued on the way I'd been going, only to find another signpost a few meters away which directed me back up the path they had sent me.   It was like I had gone around a mini roundabout of grass,  just to get back to the same place!   It was a little embarrassing, but I'm still glad I didn't miss any of the route, even if it was only a footful of paces!   

Not too far past the car park I came across a gate that requested it must be closed. I was surprised therefore to see the last person had left it open.   My surprise soon changed to amusement when I realised there was no latch to shut it! 

This next section of the walk seemed to be punctuated with birds.   First I watched a little tit bathing in the puddle and then a little way down the track my attention was again caught, this time by the intensity of sound coming from a small, nondescript, brown species, which in getting home I have now identified as a nightingale.  It’s tune really made an impression on me. 

I passed through a farm, the barn building of which had slits for windows, much like you would find on a castle.  You could easily feel you were a walking target, particular with all the screaming from the bird boxes to your other side, mimicking the critters of a bloody battlefield.  The boxes were long and up under the eaves so I can only assume they were swifts, swallows or house martins calling for their parents. 

Along the farm track and some more birds made their presence known.  Circling above my head they appeared to be saying ‘Here!  Here!’ or more actually, without any anthropomorphism, ‘Kee-or!  Kee-or!' in a duck like voice.  Their shape looked a little gull-like, but i don't know what they were.   I've certainly, from memory, never heard them before.         

Covid has indeed encroached even into the countryside now.   I saw two bottles of hand sanitiser on this walk, one at the water and one at the gate.  I presume placed there by the farmer whose land it is.   

I unfortunately ended up doubling my walking along the road, but did however manage to spot another overgrown signpost.   My eyes and wits are becoming attuned! 

On the way down a lane I looked up at the sky and it was truly like a picture book. The clouds were small, neatly-formed, flat-bottomed and with puffy tops, all evenly spaced over a mid-blue sky.  It was very uplifting. 

At the end of today’s walk I passed a little shepherd’s hut in a flower meadow behind a gate.  The gate had a notice on it, which read: Any person who omits to shut and fasten this gate is liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings. Nowadays you'd have to buy the shillings with modern money and quite how much that would make the fine, I don't know!    

And lastly, I passed along a tree-lined drive, which made a lovely finalé to the day.