Eleven of us set off on a cool, overcast morning along the Charlton Road to the Dad’s Army Hut. We took the path across the fields to Lower Walton grounds. The views were good although cloud cover gave the hills on the horizon an indistinct outline. We continued round the Cherry Tree Avenue. The cherries were small and green at this stage although some were beginning to redden. The lay-by had been freshly mown and so had the litter strewn around a few yards from the bin. Sections of tin can and plastic bottle lay all around. Across the road the bridleway was somewhat overgrown but perfectly passable and we were soon over Station Road and into Millers Lane. The ford was very shallow; it just reached the Jack Russell’s knees. We continued up into Souldern and took the path on the edge of the wood with the view across the valley to Aynho Park House. The sheep in the next two fields paid us scant attention as did the cattle at the bottom of Portway. The ground here was remarkably dry and the mud well baked. We were back at the Pavilion after an hour and forty minutes, a very good time for 5.4 miles. This made the lunch and coffee awaiting us all the more inviting, along with time for a good long chat.
