Walcote - Swinford - Walcote

Led by Barry, with me, Maureen and Gordon. Flattish, sheep and cattle and some arable. Dry weather with a little sun later. 7.8 miles.

There's a smell of resin from the cut wood

I meet the gang at East Carlton, and we make out way by car to Walcote once more. We park behind the same vehicle - 6IGEON of clay-shooting fame - as Monday.

The rowan berries are bright

We take the A4304 for a short distance before our path leaves to the left - somewhat hidden by the lushness of the hedge. We cross the field and then walk along the edges going south. We pass a few tiny ponds in field corners and clamber over ten or a dozen stiles. We notice them today - nearly all are slippery. In one field behind Thornhill Stud, there are several horses. A white one is quite interested in us - not just for a fuss though.

"Is that all I get?"

We walk past some old practice jumps , then cross the Lutterworth Road. Near Swinford Corner we take another path southwest - a bridleway this time, so no stiles for a while. This leads towards the M1 - we kept on the bridleway all the time, ignoring a path to our right. When we reach a bridge carrying the farm track over the motorway, we wander out to watch the traffic rushing along, then go back , and leave the bridleway, taking a footpath going south east with the motorway roaring away on our right as we walk. After a couple of hundred yards we turn east, and the noise grows fainter, as we approach the village of Swinford - nothing to do with swine, it seems, according to some online information:

The village of
Swinford is a compact village at the head of a small tributary of the River
Avon. The Anglo-Saxon name would have been “Suin
Heaford” meaning “the head or source
of the Swin Stream”. In time it was shortened to “Swin-ford”, but has nothing to do with swine!

1718 - the photo isn't quite in focus!

The village is quite big, and provides a seat where we sit a while.

Our footpath heads slightly north of east, past a playing field, over fields (more stiles) and past a wooded area, before meeting a byway heading more or less north. The main features here are power lines and wind turbines, both of which provide background music as we go.







After almost a mile, the byway meets the road between Walcote and Swinford. We promised outselves we'd have a second break today, so we sit on a handy length of wood, even though it's no more than 3/4 mile to Walcote. A bus passes by, but little else.

I had to include this photo for the colour that's in it!

On the roadside there's a stall with plums and veg. Too tempting - I pays me money - but the paper bag's wet and they fall out instantly. They're not difficult to collect and re-bag, and tonight I feast again!

I love vegetable gardens - and sunflowers

The Old Post Office

Walks - you must be crazy!

A pleasant walk, with more than twenty stiles - and no rain until later in the evening. There are still a few swallows around.