Would You Like To Take A Walk With Me?

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Today, I'd like to take you for a walk through the countryside surrounding my village. If you'd like to wait on the bench outside the Post Office, I will meet you there. I can see you're sitting there from my dining room window. I have a lovely view from here, across the rooftops of cottages and houses on the further side of the road, to the school and church. The church is built on a hill, and is very old. The first part of it to be built, is Saxon, and was added to by the Normans some years later. It is built from stone, and has a castle-like tower, with a small flag in each corner of the topmost part. The sun has risen over the cemetery, and you're waiting there for me, outside the Post Office, so I will make my way over to greet you. Greetings over, we will firstly walk down the street, towards the A272, our main road to the West Country. We walk past houses, the first steps up to the church, the Eight Bells Pub which is opposite the second flight of steps to the church, and on, to the bottom of the street. Here, we turn left, pass the Village Sign, following a footpath across a triangle of grass, and onto the main pavement. We pass a huge, very old oak tree which stands at the bottom of the drive leading to a big, old house, where the monks used to reside, then under a holly tree which reaches elegantly across the pavement above our heads and the bottom of the lane leading to the east end of the church and the school. Then we pass a nursery, with pots of all sizes outside and trees in enclosures at the east end. There are rabbits in the grounds of the nursery, apparently disregarding us and nibbling on the grass. Here, we have to cross the A272, which takes a little time, as the traffic is always quite heavy. But we are in no hurry. We can see the South Downs, majestically stretching across the countryside from east to west, in the distance. A gap in the traffic; we cross, and step over a stile, beside the field gate. The corn is beginning to come up in the field... only a little sprout shows, but it is evident. Rabbits scurry from the field, crossing the footpath and disappearing into the woods displaying their little white puffs of tails to us. Some are babies and one stays behind until all the others are safe, before bounding into the woods, himself. Wood anemones and celandines grace the floor of the woods, and bluebell leaves are beginning to peek through the undergrowth. Great oak trees stretch out their boughs to roof the path with their newly growing leaves. Almost lost in the wonder of this place, we stumble upon the entrance to the wooded part of our walk. This, to me, is like stepping into a different world. There is a strange and magickal atmosphere here. A feeling of being hugged by nature, as we walk through the trees. The pathway is mulched wood and leaves, covering earth. The smell is earthy and woody... moreso when it has rained a little. After a short while, we come to a circular clearing, where there stands a dead tree, which looks like an oak, on the left, and on the right, a tree stump where we can sit awhile amongst hazel trees. The floor of the woods is covered with a vast carpet of last year's fallen leaves, brown in colour and the bluebell leaves are pushing through this carpet. Wood anemones, primroses, celandines, milkmaids and violets, edge the path and creep a little way into the cloak of trees. We come upon a couple of fisherman beside the first millpond, sitting lazily on the landing boards, with their lines dipped in the water, floats bobbing up and down on the ripples, the occasional cheeky fish popping out of the water to gobble up an insect in a blatent display of "can't catch me" attitude. A kingfisher swoops down from a tree on the far side of the rhodedendron lined pond. the water lily leaves are crowded in patches across the expanse of water. Birds twitter happily in the trees and crows are cawing and swans nest on the reed surrounded island in the middle of the pond. Onwards we walk, through the densely leaved tunnel of footpath, happening upon a fork in the path. One fork goes off to the left, through woods, to a gate leading onto the footpath alongside the A23, London to Brighton road. We take the right-hand fork. It's a little muddy here still, for the leaves protect this area from the drying rays of the sun. Once past this muddy patch, we are fine. The path is dry and covered in the old dry, discarded leaves from last Autumn. A little further, and we come upon the second millpond, this time to our right. As we walk, we catch glimpses of rippling water casting the sun's silver glow, through the trees. We pass a boat shed and three or four landing boards, before reaching the end of this path. Then at the T-junction of paths, we turn to the right, past the water overflow which used to be the old mill, and to a place between this pond and the third, which is at a lower level. Geese are on the island in this, the second pond. They, like the swans are nesting. From here, you can see the church and the home of the monks of days gone by. We sit awhile on the wall at the top end of the pond, watching the ducks, geese, and the fish popping out of the water to feed. Sunlight like glitter on the rippling water, and the sound of the church bells, which carries way across the water to where we sit. The sound of water tumbling over the overflow, and beautiful turquoise dragonflies grace the area. Refreshed, and calmed, we make our way back through woods and field to the A272, cross back, and pass the nursery, taking a right turn up the lane to the church. This lane is darkened by the dense cover of tree branches and leaves, and is quite an uphill slope. We reach the top, and the entrance to the cemetery and church, to our left. We walk the path into the cemetery, and take the right-hand path, to find a bench under an oak tree, where we can peacefully sit, surrounded by well-kept graves and yew trees. This is an excellent place to sit with your thoughts. So, we sit awhile. Sometimes, I'll go to this place alone, with a book, and read. Time to go, we walk back down onto the main path, turn right, past the church, through the cemetery, and taking a left fork, through the lychgate and down the steps to the pub. Time for a well-earned pub lunch and a glass of wine, or a beer. I think we'll eat in the garden today. It's been a very pleasant morning's walk, and I feel at peace with myself. How about you?