Author: Shylock1966

hike

Wendover Woods Walk.

Wendover Woods

On a lovely summers day we decided on a Ten Mile hike starting in the market Town of Wendover in the Chilterns Hills. Parking was easy and we soon found the Ridgeway – Chiltern Link Footpath, this path is 87 mile long and runs from Avebury to Ivinghoe beacon. We soon passed Grim’s Ditch Earthworks dating from the Iron age and then onto Hale Wood and then Wendover Woods. Haddington Hill stands as the highest point in the Chiltern Hills at 267m you will find a small marker a Cafe and Toilets and plenty of parking. On the final leg of the journey we walked along the Grand Union canal Wendover arm now disused but with water still flowing into it its a haven for wildlife, the canal was completed in 1799 but closed 100 years later after leaks forced it to shut.

Click above to goto Viewranger Profile.
History, Holidays, museum, wales, Walking

Monmouth

The first time out for a while due to the Pandemic , we made a trip down to the borders and a visit & stay in Monmouth Wales. The Town has a rich heritage and History with some grand old Buildings, museums and bridges over the river Wye. We stayed in the [Mayhill Hotel](http://themayhillhotel.com) just a small distance and nice walk across the river right into the Town centre. A Visit to the Monnow Bridge is a must, this old bridge circa 1272 is the last fortified river bridge and it is now pedestrianised so you can walk across no problem.   Other great places to visit are the Monmouth military museum and the old castle . 

Days Out

Symonds Yat

On the way to Monmouth we paid a visit in the Forest of Dean to a local well known beauty spot Symonds Yat. We found  parking however you have to pay so take some cash or pay by the Ringo App on your Smart Phone.  There are a few well placed Viewpoints on Symonds Yat Rock where you can get some nice photos, also plenty of Walking routes nearby if you fancy walking. 

Symonds Yat.

From Wikipedia

Symonds Yat is a village in the Wye Valley and a popular tourist destination, straddling the River Wye in the English county of Herefordshire, close to the Gloucestershire border. It is within a few miles of Monmouthshire and the Welsh border.

The two settlements either side of the river are known as Symonds Yat (West) and Symonds Yat (East) and are linked by a footbridge and passenger ferries. Nearby is Symonds Yat Rock. The Seven Sisters Rocks are an outcrop of rocks forming cliffs above the Wye at Symonds Yat.

History, Holidays

Ross-On-Wye

We stopped on our journey to Monmouth in the town of Ross-on-wye. It’s a small town but has some nice shops and bars. We had a picnic down by the river wye.  I enjoyed this place and would recommend a few hours of your time to have a good visit, there are some good walks along the river bank if you so wish.  

FRom Wikipedia

he name “Ross” is derived from the Welsh or Celtic for ‘a promontory’. It was renamed “Ross-on-Wye” in 1931 by the General Post Office, due to confusion with other places of the same or similar name (for example, Ross in Scotland).[3]

Ross-on-Wye promotes itself as “the birthplace of British tourism”.[4] In 1745, the rector, Dr John Egerton, started taking friends on boat trips down the valley from his rectory at Ross. The Wye Valley’s attraction was its river scenery, its precipitous landscapes, and its castles and abbeys, which were accessible to seekers of the “Picturesque”. In 1782, William Gilpin’s book “Observations on the River Wye” was published, the first illustrated tour guide to be published in Britain. Once it had appeared, demand grew so much that by 1808 there were eight boats making regular excursions down the Wye, most of them hired from inns in Ross and Monmouth. By 1850 more than 20 visitors had published their own accounts of the Wye Tour, and the area was established as a tourist destination.

canal, Days Out

Foxton Locks

Foxton Locks

Been many years since we visited Leicestershire and a visit to Foxton Locks. There is easy parking however a bit expensive but its worth the visit. You have Ten locks in total working its way up a fair incline and only one boat at a time !. Back in 1900 they built an ingenious incline plane to help with boat congestion however it was not commercially successful and was disbanded after only ten years. You will find a museum there however its currently closed due to the pandemic but hopefully will open soon. We visited the Pub on the banks called the Foxton Locks Inn it sits on the bank of the canal with plenty of outside seating .

From Wikipedia

Staircase locks are used where a canal needs to climb a steep hill, and consist of a group of locks where each lock opens directly into the next, that is, where the bottom gates of one lock form the top gates of the next. Foxton Locks are the largest flight of such staircase locks on the English canal system.[citation needed]Bottom of Foxton Locks

Building work on the locks started in 1810 and took four years.[7]:3 Little changed until the building of the inclined plane resulted in the reduction in size of some of the side pounds.[7] While the inclined plane was in operation the locks were allowed to fall into decline to an extent and in 1908 the committee released £1,000 to bring the locks back into full (nightly) operation.[7]:35[8]

In 2008, the locks became part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage, a network which seeks to recognize the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe.[9]

The locks are usually manned during the cruising season from Easter to October and padlocked outside operating hours. This is done to prevent water shortages due to misuse and to ensure a balance between those wishing to ascend and descend. There can be lengthy delays at busy times but the actual transit should take approximately 45 minutes to one hour to complete; it is made quicker by the fact that the locks are narrow beam and the gates are light.

Walking

Ouzel Valley Park October 2020

A 7.5 mile walk around the lakes and canal in Milton Keynes. The weather was not great but we managed it rain free the whole route. The colours of autumn looked nice on the trees. It was all on easy paths a little muddy on the canal towpath but a good walk this one. The river you follow is the river Ouzel and this flows past Caldecotte lake  you will find a large weir and on the day we visited a huge amount of water was flowing over it. 

Viewranger mapping info

Pleasew Scan the image above or click this link to view mapping.

hike, Walking

Ivinghoe Beacon Walk September 2020

We took penny and roger for a hike around ivinghoe beacon a 9 mile walk. The weather was not great but at least the rain held off we did manage a nice pint at the Valiant trooper pub. Ive done this walk a hundred times but is always great this time of year, the autumn colours always look good. A nice easy route along good paths, can be a little muddy but nothing dreadful.

Mapping with Viewranger

https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzQ5ODM5Ng==

Please Scan or click the above image to view route.