If the weather is okay then we will continue onto some 'new' footpaths through Rougham Park. We are estimating the whole walk as 12- 14 miles but we have options to make it shorter if the weather doesn't co-operate. Dress warmly for a brisk walk."
We met at Skyliner Sports Centre in a little flurry of snow. And that was as bad as the weather got. As we set off Roland remarked, "This is the first walk of this many people where I knew everyone's name before we start". Indeed all 7 of us had been on the second Christmas walk and I'd walked with everybody at least three times last year.
This was our route*...
*[Actually, my phone went into battery saving mode and didn't track our route properly for the last mile and a half, but I recreated it using the Ramblers Route planner. I exported the TCX file from MapMyWalk, converted it to GPX using TCX Converter, uploaded the GPX file and edited the last part of the route].
It was a very varied and interesting walk with lots to see. Here are some of my photos...
Our starting and finishing point.
As in our Christmas Walk Part 1, we passed the Flight of Peace and headed along Shackeroo Rd to the doomed Cattishall railway crossing.
Since our last walk Roland had done some research and found a link with the US Airforce presence at Rougham Airfield. Shackeroo! and Shackeroo II were two of the B17 Flying Fortresses that flew from there. Other roadnames on the estate are also related to the planes... Kismet, Sally, Ol-Casey Jones, Esky and Janey. I rather like that. I had no idea how many planes were based there until I looked it up. Read all about them and their crews here We are indeed indebted to them more than I can express in this little blog..
We walked along Green Lane past Great Barton Church...
...and a strange new footpath sign that pointed straight at a hedge...
...and these fine cottages at Shinham Bridge (as on my previous walk to Great Barton church).
All familiar territory to me. But then we turned up the footpath by the allotments and headed to towards Great Barton, which I'd never been on.
We crossed the busy A143 and walked along it to the Bunbury Arms before turning north along Brand Road.
"Hang on. This is the 1st February. Dry January is over now. Maybe we should stop off for a beer?", I thought. But the others were already heading up the road past a snowy field.
We followed a bridleway across the fields to return to the village. Miranda spotted some deer about 100m away. A chance to use my zoom lens! At fullest magnification it needs a tripod, but the result without one doesn't show too much shake...
As we approached our stopping-off point along the way, we met an ex-policeman training a speed camera on vehicles on Mill Rd.
We then took over the tiny Freedom Café at the Freedom Church.
We were made very welcome by Lizi. the effervescent proprietor. The coffee and cakes were delicious. But don't just take my word for it. Here is what the Bury Free Press had to say.
After our break we headed on through Great Barton Village, past some interesting houses....
...including one called the Turret House, that didn't appear to have one, and another that wasn't but did!
We returned to Great Barton Church finding this amazing display of winter aconites and snowdrops along the side of Church Road,
We walked round the Church passed the scary toilet (what creature was it that was lurking inside?) - maybe we shouldn't have gone widdershins....
...before going into the church. It dates from the 13th Century and is listed.
We had a team photo on the bench around the tree outside the churchyard.
We returned across the railway and walked along the cycle path beside Rough Airfield. We then crossed onto a footpath none of us had been on at Battlies Green into the woods to Rougham Park.
We liked this tree.
"Beware of the Bull" said a sign, but we were able to cross safely.
We then found it in another field as we crossed the A14.
We walked to Rougham Church, but then decided we were in danger making the afternoon walk longer than the morning, so altruistically turned back along a nice restricted byway and footpath with some lovely little snowy crevices via Ravenwood Hall Hotel.
We found another place we could have stopped for a cuppa in the Rougham Indistrial Estate...
...but we were nearly back now. One for another time.
A very nice walk of about 12.8 miles, with very nice company. Thanks to Joyce for organising and all for coming!
Here is a slide show of my photos (Flash required)
You can see my photos Here on Flickr and (most of) our route in more detail on my MapMyWalk log.
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