![\"Miniature](\"https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume13/images/warfield_ponies.jpg\")
On Saturday 25thJuly, Lexi and Corinne led their first walk for us. Lexi has written up the occasion in her own inimitable style and also provided the photos.
\nFirstly, I would like to thank my co-pilot Corinne armed with a beautifully highlighted map, I would like to thank 8 further fellow walkers who came to support us on our first walk, I'd like to thank Mike for his support (via text from afar), I would like to thank Corinne's children who helped us find the lunch stop, I'd like to thank my Mum... Sorry! Getting carried away - it's like the Oscars!!!
\nSo ten of us gathered for a prompt start at 10:30am for what promised to be an easy ramble through Warfield on a 7½ mile circular walk - armed with waterproofs, just in case...
\nFeeling slightly anxious, we headed off towards Warfield Church, down the public footpath, over a little stream and eventually turning through a kissing gate onto St Katherine's Drive. With the church in front of us, we went left into Church Lane, past the vicarage (more tea vicar!) and right through another kissing gate into a field of little ponies. (Ahhhh) Heading in a diagonal, we crossed three little fields, passing cows and a bull (a large bull!) to the bottom left corner where we crossed a bridge over a little stream and followed another footpath (that had recently been cut back, to my relief) and eventually we popped out on Wane Bridge road. Here we turned left and then right onto another public footpath.
\nAfter crossing further fields with horses to our left, we eventually popped out near the village of Brockhill, to join another public footpath. We had to walk past two little houses on our right, and thereafter we turned right to continue our walk. We passed fields, we crossed the A330 into Garston Lane and when we reached Old Whitelocks farm we headed off to our left and 250m we came to Hog Oak lane and headed down to the nature reserve. We stopped here for a breather and a quick drink and chocolate biscuit... It was going to be our lunch stop but we had walked at quite a pace and were ahead of schedule... Everyone was happy to enjoy the scenery before heading off again.
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We headed off to the start of the woodland, where we took the staggered barrier into Ashmore Lane. It's meant to be one of the prettiest lanes in the area. Now we had settled into our first walk and were feeling quite pleased with ourselves and beginning to enjoy our ramble, but this was all about to change... In the distance, at the end of the lane, there was a white gazebo and a police woman... "NO ENTRY. Sorry!" These words echoed around my head... No entry!!! NO ENTRY!! What? We can't turn left or right? NO, came the words... (But what about our walk?!!!!)
\nSo after a little map flapping and the support of the group, we turned around and headed back off the way we came. It's a good job Ashmore Lane is so beautiful - we got to see it twice! We had to do a large detour to try and get back on track and this added approximately thirty minutes to our walk. There was unfortunately a certain amount of road marching, a definite Roman road, but everyone took this in their stride and with good humour.
\nLuckily we were able to trot onto a bridal way that had recently been heavily barked. It was like walking on bouncy cork... (we all had a bit of a leg work-out!!) and at the top of this lane we had our lunch stop and a welcome break. Now normally I get food envy as everyone unpacks there lunch, but today there was too much speculation over lunch as to why our route had been blocked... It wasn't the greatest spot, but we are ramblers and can cop a squat anywhere!
\nThe weather had so far been good to us, but just as we set off again, we had a little shower. It was a bit off a tease. By the time we all got our coats on the rain had stopped!! Back on track, we crossed over A330 onto Hawthorndale bridleway, followed the lane to the bottom, picking up pace as the New Leathern Bottle was in sight and a welcome shandy was to be had. The pub informed us of the bones that had been found in the lane and why we had been diverted... who would have thought!!
\nOne last leg, we crossed the A3095 onto Pendry's Lane. Here we picked up pace and followed our last bridal lane into Buckle Lane where eventually you pop out by the Shepard's House pub. Here we thanked everyone for joining the walk and stopped for a final drink to recover from our first walk... This was opposite Bowyers Lane and at the top of the lane was the car park to Frost Folly Country Park where the walk had started.
\n![\"Studious](\"https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume13/images/warfield_corinne.jpg\")
Reflection in the Shepard's House Pub... Well...
\nA 7½ mile walk turned into an 8½ mile walk, It took an extra half an hour, We had an extra shandy, I took 20,635 steps, Some impromptu expert map reading was provided, We included a Roman Road, We started with 10 and ended with 10 (thanks to our back-marker Lawrence), and Our first walk successfully delivered!
\nHope to see you again on another walk. Need a little time to recover from this one and not sure we can guarantee the same level of excitement next time...!! Thanks for making it memorable.
\n![\"Taking](\"https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume13/images/warfield_lunch.jpg\")
Thank you to Corinne and Lexi for leading this memorable walk.
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