🥾 Walk 654 - Hampstead Norreys

Saturday 17th August was another warm summer day, but slightly cooler and less humid than the previous weekend. Fourteen of us set off from the car park at Hampstead Norreys Village Hall on a 10.8 mile walk led by Anne and Hazel.

We headed north and then west passing Perborough Castle, an Iron-Age hill-fort, which is on private land and not accessible to the public. We also passed a number of wheat fields, some ready for harvest and some already harvested. Later in the walk, we saw a combined Harvester in action.

After Banterwick Farm, we turned south along a path enclosed by trees, which got us out of the sun for a while. A mixture of open and wooded paths took us south and west to Langley Wood. Then we joined Old Street (track) heading south-east to Oareborough Hill. We stopped for lunch, sitting in the shade of a big oak tree by the edge of a ploughed field near Oareborough Lane (track).

After lunch we continued across fields of wheat and oats to Bothampstead, and then through a field of maize, which was taller than us! Back in the cool of woodland again, we passed through Elingpark Copse and Down Wood, where we had to get out the secateurs again to cut back nettles and brambles, which were blocking the footpaths.

On reaching Hampstead Norreys, a few of the group headed straight back to the village hall car park while the rest of us made our way to the local community-run shop and cafe for refreshments. Suitably refreshed, we doubled back by the church and returned to the village hall car park. See our route on Google Maps.

Thanks go to Anne and Hazel for leading this walk. Rob wrote it up.

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