{"id":"6984793f533dbb4b7311879c","title":"Walk 487 Walk Leader Training Day","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2021/volume-38-oct-to-dec-2021/walk-487-walk-leader-training-day","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 487 - Walk Leader Training Day\n\nSunday 28th November was one of those very cold but sunny days you often get in Winter. Four of us met up at Mortimer Fairground to do a Walker Leader Training Day. We'd done one of these in July, which had successfully encouraged and prepared a few more people to become walk leaders.\n\nBefore we started walking, Lee and I went through the types of things a walk leader should do before the start of a walk. Then we went through some basic map reading and route planning. We decided to take a fairly direct route to Calleva Atrebatum, the site of the Roman town near Silchester, and the first trainee planned a suitable route.\n\nWe set off through Mortimer West End and out into the countryside.\n\n![Stopping for coffee and peanut butter cookies.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume38/images/calleva_coffee_break.jpg)\n\nAfter crossing West End Brook, we stopped for a coffee break. Everyone had brought their flasks of coffee and I provided some homemade peanut butter cookies I'd baked the previous day. (Bribery to encourage new walk leaders.)\n\nAt various points along the route, we stopped to check our location by matching features on the map with what we could see around us. One feature not on the map was an enclosure full of inquisitive turkeys that came over to inspect us.\n\nCrossing through the centre of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum we passed a field of alpacas by the ancient little Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. Here we stopped for lunch by a wall of the church that was in full sun and sheltered from the wind.\n\n![A turkey farm near the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume38/images/calleva_turkey_farm.jpg)\n\nAfter lunch we planned a longer route back that headed east along the course of a Roman road and then north to Stratfield Mortimer. This went well until we found that a footpath we were going to use was closed. Our route now had to be modified, which we did there and then, only making it slightly longer.\n\nWe reached Stratfield Mortimer by another Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. Crossing the main road, we continued north and followed footpaths that took us west through fields and woodland, finally emerging at north-east side of Mortimer Fairground, just as the sun was setting. Perfect timing. See our route on Google Maps.\n\n![Alpacas in a field by the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume38/images/calleva_alpaca.jpg)\n\n*Thank you to Lee for doing most of the training and thank you to the trainees for their interest in becoming walk leaders.*\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 38\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 487 - Walk Leader Training Day

\n

Sunday 28th November was one of those very cold but sunny days you often get in Winter. Four of us met up at Mortimer Fairground to do a Walker Leader Training Day. We'd done one of these in July, which had successfully encouraged and prepared a few more people to become walk leaders.

\n

Before we started walking, Lee and I went through the types of things a walk leader should do before the start of a walk. Then we went through some basic map reading and route planning. We decided to take a fairly direct route to Calleva Atrebatum, the site of the Roman town near Silchester, and the first trainee planned a suitable route.

\n

We set off through Mortimer West End and out into the countryside.

\n

\"Stopping

\n

After crossing West End Brook, we stopped for a coffee break. Everyone had brought their flasks of coffee and I provided some homemade peanut butter cookies I'd baked the previous day. (Bribery to encourage new walk leaders.)

\n

At various points along the route, we stopped to check our location by matching features on the map with what we could see around us. One feature not on the map was an enclosure full of inquisitive turkeys that came over to inspect us.

\n

Crossing through the centre of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum we passed a field of alpacas by the ancient little Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. Here we stopped for lunch by a wall of the church that was in full sun and sheltered from the wind.

\n

\"A

\n

After lunch we planned a longer route back that headed east along the course of a Roman road and then north to Stratfield Mortimer. This went well until we found that a footpath we were going to use was closed. Our route now had to be modified, which we did there and then, only making it slightly longer.

\n

We reached Stratfield Mortimer by another Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. Crossing the main road, we continued north and followed footpaths that took us west through fields and woodland, finally emerging at north-east side of Mortimer Fairground, just as the sun was setting. Perfect timing. See our route on Google Maps.

\n

\"Alpacas

\n

Thank you to Lee for doing most of the training and thank you to the trainees for their interest in becoming walk leaders.

\n

📸 Back to Volume 38

\n

Return to volume index

\n"}