Canal Towpath a good option (22-11-09)
We set out from the Wheatsheaf in fine sunshine but we knew that rain was on its way.
With all the rain we have been having, it was decided to stick to footpaths rather than trudge across fields that could be waterlogged. Nineteen were ready to stretch their legs and we set out south along the canal towpath.
Malcolm commented on the lack of sparrows in his back garden and several people noted an apparent lack of birds during our walk. Is it just a dull time of year when birds prefer hiding in hedgerows or are there fewer around?
We had reached the Owthorpe road when we felt the first drops of rain: it was early! As we turned for home the rain did fall but it was not heavy and our enthusiasm and talking was not dampened at all. There was talk of the Boxing Day walk and Tony said he would be emailing members again in the next week or so to finalise numbers and arrangements.
By the time we got back to Cropwell Bishop we felt refreshed, warmer and looking forward to Sunday dinner.
Tony Jarrow
Beyond Butler Roads (18-10-09)
"I've never been here before",
“I didn’t even know this path existed”,
“I have lived in Cropwell Bishop 30 years but I have never ever walked along here”,
“Where are we?”
When I hear comments like these, I know that the route I have chosen is a good one. When members of the Cropwell Bishop walking group go out on a Sunday morning, they get some exercise, they catch up on village news and they enjoy the sunshine (it always seems to be sunny). However, a key aim in planning the walk is to make it an adventure.
Can you remember the feeling you had when, as a five year old child you went on a bus all the way to its terminus, or got on a train to go to the seaside, or went into a new toy shop, or saw, for the first time in your life, a hare dart across a field?
As we get older, more experienced and wiser, such experiences are more difficult to capture but discovering a new path or view within walking distance of you own home has the capacity to stir your emotions more deeply than X-Factor, Strictly come Dancing, or even a win by Nottingham Forest or Burnley (depending on your tastes!).
Today, we walked beside Hoe Hill to Butler, through gated fields to its Green, then across fields behind half-hidden houses before coming across a football match on Sheldon Field. The Butler team scored their second goal as we passed; did we bring them good luck? The big horses in fields on our route proved docile and we were able to head along the road towards Tythby.
Before reaching Tithby we turned right down green Meadow Lane and on to the road south of Tythby (which way do you prefer to spell Tithby?). We then quickly turned right off the road to walk over freshly turned soil all the way back to Cropwell Bishop. We had permission from the Electricity people to walk under overhead power lines (many paths are still closed while maintenance work continues) and we passed near to Stuart Pearce’s old house.
The finish of the walk was not the end of our adventure: Elaine invited us back for coffee and we rested our feet in the sunshine as we supped, nibbled and chatted.
Whilst the walk might be no more than a tiny step in a lifetime, it was certainly a very pleasant and rewarding one for this day. For news of future walks, keep checking the Diary Page.
Tony Jarrow
Beyond Tythby (20-9-09)
How many times have you driven out through Tythby and, as you go round the right hand bend to head towards Bingham, noticed the path sign pointing ahead and wondered what it would be like to follow it? Well today the Walking found out.
Leaving the village in glorious sunshine and heading up Fern Road, the group of 13 turned left into fields behind the Primary School. Another large group of walkers were assembling outside the Church as we passed and a short time later we passed another group with about 30 walkers. Everyone seemed to want to enjoy the lovely weather. We paused to pick the sweet juicy blackberries that were tumbling off the hedgerows.
Once in Tythby we followed the ‘Path sign’ out into farmland with its isolated farmhouses. Then left along flat drives and paths and into Cropwell Butler. We discovered almost-hidden paths beside houses and across enclosed fields in the middle of the village before coming out on the bridle path that heads towards Hoe Hill and then Cropwell Bishop.
A beautiful walk in less than two hours: much more satisfying than lolling around the house all morning! The only problem is that we get so engrossed talking to each other that we run the risk of forgetting to enjoy the scenery! Such are the problems of the Cropwell Bishop Walking Club. Why not join us on our next walk: details will be posted on the Diary Page as soon as it is arranged.