8th April
The first Saturday of Spring? Certainly the best weekend for walking so far this year. The first part of our walk follows the end of our Nettlebed walk, so closely that for a while I’m worried I’ve mixed up the gpx coordinates. The rest of our walk weaves its way gently through Oxfordshire woods, pretty much for the entire 11 miles. The weather is perfect, beautifully sunny but a pleasant temperature for walking.
I read blogs written by other walkers and our adventures are all together more prosaic. Perhaps I should invent a few stories of ‘daring-do in the Chilterns’…but really, the charm of these woods and lanes is that nothing much has happened here for decades. I’ll not be contributing any stories themed on UNTAMED, ON THE EDGE or ADRENALIN. As if to re-enforce my musings, at the Crocked Billet in Stoke Row, we stumble upon the sedately decaying carcasses of two vintage cars, hidden away in the car park at the rear.
We’re back at the car by 2 o’clock and on the drive home listen to Watford struggle, on the wrong end of a shellacking at Spurs. It turns out some things have improved with age. A few years ago we could lose comfortably to Rotherham, Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers. At least now we’ve graduated to Tottenham.
Stoke Row picture gallery (more pictures on Flickr):
Distance: 11.3 miles ; Difficulty: Moderate
Postcode for Satnav: RG9 5DD
Stoke Row walk profile
Where Angells Tread! 