Update of Spixworth Sentinel
I thought it was about time I updated all my friends on RedGage as to what I've been up to recently.
Apart from working hard and having to sort through both Adam's and my accounts for the tax man, we found a little time for another walk out in the country. Unfortunately out latest trek wasn't quite as relaxing as our day out at Salhouse Broad back in May.
It was my fault really; it had been raining on the Saturday and, although dry, it was rather blustery and slightly chilly on the Sunday but Adam needed to take a parcel to a courier for a delivery to Northern Ireland so he asked if I'd like to take a drive out to the pick up point with him and then we could decide where to go.
Having dropped off the parcel at a local shop in the little village of Rackheath, about 5 or so miles from our home, we sat in the car pondering where to go. It suddenly occurred to me that if we took a slight detour on the way back to Spixworth I could recall that, as a child, my parents had taken me to an area which was unknown to anyone other than locals called as Little Switzerland. It wasn't particularly like Switzerland although there were some pine trees and a small ravine which led to a small lake. So off we went. However, in the mists of time, I'd actually forgotten exactly where the footpath was that led to this beautiful spot.
Initially, we came to a bridleway and, as I could see a tree line which looked as if it could be following a stream, we decided to park the car up and get walking. There wasn't any real parking area so Adam had to park our little Fiat (Fifi) up on quite a steep bank. It was obvious other people had done likewise so everything looked promising. We gathered up coats and camera and began the trek along the bridleway. The path was good to begin with; it was a track which looked as if it had had farm vehicles travelling down it, and had just a small amount of grass down the middle. But, as we moved further along the double width track disappeared and became a tangle of brambles, nettles and bracken.
We fought our way through. Adam at 6'1" of course had very few problems but me, a mere 5'3" tall, was constantly being buffeted in the face by high growing nettles and cow parsley and getting caught up in masses of brambles. Eventually we came to a muddy field entrance and had absolutely no idea where to go to next so we decided to head back to the car. On the way back, Adam found a clearing in the woodland which could be gained via a steep bank so he went off on safari while I remained on the main, somewhat overgrown, bridleway. He shouted back to me that he'd found a small ravine but there were no signs of a small lake. He suggested I might like to go and take a look.
That was all very well but again, being short and trying to carry a camera in a case which was hanging round my neck, I didn't have much success. Talk about one step forward and two steps back! If my camera strap wasn't getting caught in the brambles or shrubbery then I was, and as fast as I was untangling myself from the grasp of one thorny problem, I was entangled in another!! Eventually I waved my white flag and surrendered to nature!!!!
I was a bit despondent so, once we'd got back to the car, Adam suggested perhaps we should drive a little bit further along the road to see if there was anywhere else that looked as if it could be a footpath and, lo and behold, about a mile further along there was a public footpath rather than an overgrown bridleway. There was a small flat area of solid soil by the kissing gate which seemed to bode well - it had obviously been used for car parking - so off we trekked again. This time the path was relatively clear and level so we decided to up the speed while we were walking away from the entrance and then take our time on the way back to photograph anything of interest.
We must have been striding out for a good quarter of an hour when Adam, who was leading the way turned to me and said, "I don't believe it!" I went up and stood beside him and, to our utter dismay, found ourselves back where we'd ended our last expedition - at the entrance to the muddy field at the end of the bridleway.
Once again we turned back and just took our time getting back to the car. We found a mass of fir trees which produced the most exquisite small, tightly formed pine cones so I may have to go back there later in the year to gather some. I can then put them out close to Christmas so the local kids can come and take some and make some Christmas decorations with the addition of some paste and glitter!! There was also a mass of brambles which were just coming out in flower so, again, we'll probably go back armed with plastic boxes and pick a few blackberries (but ensure we leave plenty to help the birds and animals out in the lean winter months). We discovered one lone sweet chestnut tree - again, we'll probably go out and take a few for our own use. Apart from these delights we found all sorts of wild flowers that I can remember as a child but which had all but disappeared over the last 45 years or so. Bachelors Buttons, Campions, Scarlet Pimpernels and Wild Violas to name but a few.
There was also a slightly unusual butterfly which seemed to be attracted to Adam but as fast as we tried to take a photo of him (or her!) he fluttered off further along the path. Eventually we had to submit and just accept that he was a bit camera shy!!
I haven't yet had a chance to work my way through the photos we took but I have put up my latest blog - click on www.spixworthsentinel.blogspot.com or just Google Spixworth Sentinel which should lead you to it!! Enjoy - hopefully by the time of my next blog I'll have some photographs of our latest expedition!
