Spring walk in the Chilterns

[S1lver]

Hi all

After a long hours seven day stretch at work I took myself off for a walk through the beauty of the Chilterns to re balance myself.

Photos should be here (still cannot master copying them in direct - any tips gratefully received).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/123663904@N02/sets/72157644238893699/


The forecast predicted showers so I went out with waterproofs and tarp packed for a lunch under shelter. I like to travel ready for most eventualities and use a Karrimor SF35 L pack for days out.
I tried just copying the small part of the OS map I was following and kept the original in my pack just in case. This proved to be a very easy way of navigating rather than faffing around opening and closing a big map all day.
Thankfully none of my wet weather gear was needed thanks to what turned out to be a glorious spring day with dappled sunshine and a gentle breeze.

I started off at a nature reserve just South of Maidensgrove in Oxfordshire. I picked up the Oxfordshire way long distance path and headed roughly North through a mix of open commons and mixed woodland. Typical home counties England with the wood carpeted in bluebells and the grass just high enough to clean your boots and encourage rabbits to run rather than hide!

Some of the forestry commission land I walked through was almost devoid of ground cover. I soon discovered why as they seem to be using pigs to clear the ground prior to cutting. Id like to know if that's what they are actually doing as it seems a great way to work with nature and animals to work the land.

My mid way point was lunch at Watlington hill with fantastic views North over Oxfordshire. I've often traveled the M40 South and seen the hill from the motorway, so nice to see it from another, calmer perspective!

I headed back using a loop of the long distance path with the sun shining to raise morale without any energy sapping summer heat.
Back to the car by three thirty having walked a good ten miles. A final mug of tea in the sunshine before heading home.

I love reading accounts of trips to far flung wild places but can only reflect that beauty takes many forms and Home Counties England in Spring has a magic of its own. Even in a crowded part of the world I didn't meet a soul all day.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Mesquite]

Looks like a great day out, thanks for sharing it with us

As for posting pics, have a look at this thread

 

[Joonsy]

Thanks for sharing, nice pics, I used to travel that way myself sometimes over twenty years ago, I used to get off M40 at Waterperry Gardens just north of where you were and have walked around Ot Moor and Horton Cum Studley, there were big herds of fallow deer in Bernwood Forest and some lovely ancient traditional hay meadows brimming with wild flowers in the summer. Like you say you don’t have to go to far flung places to get beauty and peace and quiet I know exactly what you mean and feel the same myself.

 

[treadlightly]

Fabulous, and yes, the view from the hill is memorable..

 

[Disruptive Pattern]

Some great shots there. Cracking place to stop for a brew and a bite to eat. Lucky with the weather. Thanks.

 

[THOaken]

To upload them directly to the website, you need to upload them in most cases.

Go to www.imgur.com and click upload. Once you've uploaded them find "BBCode (message boards & forums)" and then copy that to the forum. It should look like:

All you need to do then is post as normal.

Edit: You can also use Tinypic and a plethora of other image upload websites.