🥾 Walk 575 - Finchampstead Bluebell Evening Walk

Our first evening walk of the year was on Thursday 11th May. With sunset at 8:45pm, there was plenty of light for a short (3.7 mile) walk after work on a weekday. Sue led this walk in an area near where she lives that she new would have lots of bluebells in flower. We weren't disappointed. The only thing to take the shine off our first evening walk of the year was a bit of rain. The weather had been dry and warn all day but light rain began just as the walk started.

Starting at 6:45pm from the Simons Wood car park on Wellingtonia Avenue, we crossed the aforementioned road and headed south through mixed woodland. Within minutes we saw a sea of bluebells in the surrounding woods. Photos can never do justice to the sea of blue and green that looks so impressive to the naked eye.

Turning east, we continued through more bluebell laden woodland, finally emerging from Coalpit Copse onto Ambarrow Lane. This we followed down to Horseshoe Lake. We followed a permissive path around the north-west of Horseshoe Lake with Moor Green Lakes on the other side of the path. Then we joined the Three Castles Path which is also the Blackwater Valley Path along this section. Moor Green Lakes were to the north of the path and the River Blackwater to the south.

Looking at the lakes through gaps in the trees, we could see that the rain had become much heavier. Luckily the woodland was acting as an umbrella for us. Luckier still, the rain subsided as we left the shelter of the woods for a more open footpath. The evening sun produced a rainbow as we headed north past Colebrook North Lake.

Leaving Moor Green Lakes, we headed north along Dell Road, admiring the cottage gardens before heading up into the mixed woodland of Finchampstead Ridges. Following a winding path through the wood, we came to clearing with a bench, high enough to give commanding views to the south. We could see over Fleet and Farnborough to Farnham and the North Downs.

Leaving Finchampstead Ridges, we followed the road back to Simons Wood and the car park. See our route on Google Maps. The walk description on our programme also mentioned an optional pub stop after the walk. A couple of people decided to go straight home, but six of us drove the short distance to The Greyhound pub in Finchampstead for refreshments and conversation before heading home.

Thank you to Sue B for leading this walk.

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