Ian led the medium walkers today in bright sunshine and a cold wind. We took the Portway path and followed it down the hill and up to the concrete road. We tried to stick to the footpath, but the mud was sucking our boots off. We continued across to Souldern but rather than do the usual lollipop route we walked through the village, admiring the topiary of the great yew hedge on our left. We reached the lane down to the ford and followed it to the footpath that branched off to the right. This was far less muddy and quite clear of overgrowth so we followed it downhill, crossed the stream and continued up the path alongside the stone wall. From there we passed into Millers Lane and walked up to the village and back to the pavilion where Dawn’s usual lovely refreshments were waiting. Someone was so refreshed they forgot their walking stick, but no need to worry, Dawn has it safe and will bring it next week. 3.67 miles.
