Tue 29th Dec 2009 - Leg 3 : Willian to Codicote 11.8 miles

This was the section of the walk for mud-larks. The day dawned wet with a bitter north easterly wind. It did not improve! However, full of Christmas cheer, Peter and Barbara Mitton, Guy Garfit, his daughter Helena, her boy friend Richard and the dog Ginny, Sandra Scott, John Kelly, Jim Webb, Neil Guttridge, Chris Hardy and me (David Izod) set off.

We got lost near to Cardinal Wolsey’s palace, who famously fell out with Henry VIII, had a dice with death crossing the A602 dual carriageway and pressed on regardless. Why the reference to mud-larks? Well, the farmers plant up their winter crops with scant regard to a public footpath expecting you to walk over the field in the right direction. Because it is newly ploughed each of picked up a hundred weight of mud on each boot by the time we crossed it!

We passed the church of St Paul’s Walden and later the ornate house of St Paul’s Walden Bury, where the late Queen Mother was christened and reputedly born, respectively. A little further on having ploughed our way through another obligatory mud bath where the River Mimram had overflowed its banks, we arrived at the village of Whitwell. We lunched at the Red Lion. We could not be served food in the pub because we had a dog with us but we were allowed to eat our own food sat outside in the pouring rain under the smokers canopy.

Suitably refreshed, we made our way onwards through fields and old parkland, crossed a classical bridge over a dried up ornamental lake then followed the Mimram through to Codicote, arriving just at sunset.

We certainly earned our sponsorship money this day but we had a lot of laughs along the way, observed huge piles of empty bottles outside houses indicating that they had had a good Christmas, and had the satisfaction of the achievement of another leg.

David Izod

St. Mary's, Great Wymondley

Ruins of Minsden Chapel

Built in 14th century as a chapel of ease for pilgrims going to St Albans.

More about this chapel may be found at

www.haunted-britain.com/Haunted_England_Home_Counties.htm

Grave of Reginald Hine, historian, buried at Minsden Chapel

Read more about him at the above link.

President David cleaning his boots in a puddle

Crossing the A602

Sun 29th Nov 2009 - Leg 2 : Wallington to Willian 11.4 miles

On Sunday morning at 9.30 a.m. President David and I with our leader Jim Webb and Sandra Scott returned to Wallington having parked one car at Manor Farm car park near Willian. On the way we picked up Sandra’s mum, Carol, near Sandon. The awful overnight weather improved so that we started off in the dry.

Underfoot we were constantly coping with sodden fields and pools.

We visited the churchyard at Weston to pay our respects to the legendary giant Jack-O-Legs whose remains rest in the graveyard. He was a robber of travellers who before he was executed by the men of Baldock requested to be buried wherever his arrow, which he shot from his bow, fell. His arrow glanced off the church tower at Weston and landed in the churchyard. Some feat as Baldock is three miles away!

Killing time in the churchyard allowed us to arrive just as The Red Lion opened at noon. Fortunately we were carrying our own vitals and only needed ale from this sad pub. We were its only customers.

There was little of note as we progressed from Weston to Chesfield except for-

Before Gravely we had great views of Stevenage and the Lister Hospital through the falling rain. It came down quite heavily for thirty minutes but after 2.00ish it eased up enough for us to be able to converse with one another again. We were relieved finally to reach the car at Willian at 3.45 in pretty murky weather. We had a sense of achievement and felt we had well and truly earned our sponsorship.

Only another 170 miles to go......

John Kelly

Sat 28th Nov 2009 - Leg 1 : Royston to Wallington 11.1 miles

The morning started early for Jim, Guy and John as they had to drive out to Wallington and leave two cars there to get us home at the end of the walk.

At 9:30am, we all met at the Cross in Royston; David Izod, Guy Garfit plus dog, Jim Webb, John Kelly, Ken & Di Charles, Sandra Scott and me. After a quick pose for photographs we set off towards Therfield Heath. Despite the sunshine, there was a bitterly cold wind as we walked up to the back of the Heath. Whilst the majority of us followed the path into the woods, Ken & Di hadn’t noticed and, instead, turned off left to follow the Icknield Way arriving at the Fox & Duck in Therfield well ahead of us.

In the meantime we walked through the woods and along the back of the golf course crossing Therfield Road into the Jubilee Wood and to the Jubilee Stone. As we came out of the woods the sun was shining across towards Litlington and Cambridge. The path finally dropped down to a small track which we followed for a short distance before turning left and walking alongside the woods to The Thrift. Our path took us through the farmyard where, in the shelter of the farm buildings we stopped for refreshments.

We took the path out of the farmyard to follow the Chain Walk up to Therfield and the Fox & Duck and reunite with Ken & Di. On the way we saw a dozen or so hares playing in the fields. To our delight we were joined for lunch by David and Ann Bannister. Don Kingsley popped in for his Saturday lunchtime pint.

 

Lunch over, boots on, we set off through the churchyard for the path to Kelshall. In Kelshall we passed the Kelshall Cross and then on through the village to … the churchyard. Then, following the Chain Walk and the Icknield Way we entered Sandon via … the churchyard. As we walked through the village we met a very inquisitive goose by the telephone box.

Walking across the fields to our final destination we were observed by a herd of deer who kept their distance. We entered Wallington again … via the churchyard. Then past the cottage occupied by George Orwell, 1936 to 1940, where he wrote “Road to Wigan Pier”, to the car park and home.

To round off the day David and Lesley Izod kindly invited all the walkers and partners to The Willows for supper – chilli con carne followed by Sephrone’s delicious chocolate and sherry cheesecake.


Chris Hardy