Another experienced walker new to our walks joined us today. This brought the total on the long walk to fourteen, an excellent turnout considering the weather. We walked along the Black Path to Butts Close, crossed the Charlton Road and the stone stile and walked down to Lower Walton Grounds. The two horses ahead of us did not churn up the path as, although the soil was damp on the surface, it was still very hard from the summer heat. The gravel track along the valley was already covered with long puddles from last night’s rain so we were pleased to reach the recently harvested field beyond. Pleased that is until the hail storm struck us. At this point we huddled beneath a tree in the hedgerow as we struggled into kagools, raincoats and over trousers. The optimists who had no protection from the rain were soon cold and very wet. The hail was gone as quickly as it arrived. We walked on, crossed the stream and walked through further harvested crops to the old stone pits at Charlton. We walked down through the village and up towards Rainsborough Camp, again through harvested field and meadow. As we came back along the ridge thunder and lightning preceded another heavy shower just as we were warming up after the hailstorm. Never had a hot drink at the pavilion been more welcome, in spite of the glee shown by some of the short walkers who had arrived back just in time to avoid the shower.
