Today was the start of Joyce's Mini Walking Festival....
..,although she wasn't on today's walk. It was led by Glen, who took 5 of us in two circuits around Brandeston, stopping for our lunch break at the village hall where we started after the first loop. Then it was a welcome drink in The Queen afterwards.
This was the invite...
"Hello everybody. I am pleased to begin Joyce’s Mini Spring Festival this Friday, and look forward to seeing you all again. Pity that Joyce herself can’t make it. I am looking to find another participant to make up the six.
Our meeting place is the village hall car park in The Street, Brandeston at 10.15 hours for a prompt 10.30 start please. IP13 7AE is the postcode. There is a small sign in The Street pointing to it. We’ll be wending our way through two loops around the vicinity of this lovely village, returning to the village hall after the first loop to take advantage of their picnic benches for our packed lunch. (No toilets, though, so alfresco arrangements during the walk will be necessary).
I expect the total mileage to be between 9.5 and 10.5 miles.
What better way to celebrate St George’s Day than exploring unspoilt English countryside? And we have the opportunity of a post-walk outdoor garden drink at The Queen pub in Brandeston if the weather is kind and you fancy some liquid refreshment. Don’t forget your mask. See you on Friday."
This was our impressively loopy route.
We met at the village hall as planned for a 10:30 start. Along with Glen and myself were Ann, Roland, Teresa and Peter, a friend of Glen's from the Ipswich Outdoor Group.
Here are a few of my photos.
Glen briefing us at the start.
More oxlips!
After a first loop, we were back at Brandeston at the village green, just down the road from where we had parked.
We followed some pleasant country paths.
We went through this gate, but never closed it.
It looks as though we may owe someone £12.
There were some sheep on our path, but they ran past us.
We stopped briefly to admire
Hoo Church, parish church of the most sparsely populated parish in the county of
about 20 people and dedicated to St. Andrew and, unusually,
St Eustachius, more commonly known as St. Eustace, patron saint of hunters and
firefighters.
We stopped briefly for a drinks break before passing through some rapeseed fields. Rapeseed is especially prized for use for human and animal food. It is the third-largest source of vegetable oil and second-largest source of protein meal in the world.
We headed towards the Grade II listed
Monewden Hall, where we saw some bluebells.
Recrossing the Deben in a chain of 3 bridges...
...we passed
Brandeston Hall School...
...before arriving back at the village hall for our lunch stop.
For our afternoon loop we headed first for All Saints, Brandeston Church.
Out in the countryside once again, we came across a field full of sheep with their lambs. How cute the lambs are!
After crossing the Deben here...
...we followed it a while before entering a wood.
Were there any bluebells? No. Not a hint.
We liked the funny shaped tree. Is it like a squirrel, or what?
Shortly after, we saw something red-brown running through this field. We think it was a fox, though it's hard to tell from my photo!
Nearing the village once more, we passed this converted old chapel.
And now we were back after a total of 9 1/2 miles.
Anyone for a drink?
Yes please!
Thanks Glen for leading us round and the rest for the company. A beautiful day and beautiful countryside... the mini walking festival was off to a great start! More tomorrow!
You can see more of my photos
here on Flickr and
more details of our route
here
on MapMyWalk,
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