The compact between writing and walking is almost as old as literature - a walk is only a step away from a story, and every path tells.
(Robert Macfarlane)
Enjoy our ramblings about walking and the great outdoors. From accounts of our adventures to interesting notes and stories about the special places and things we discover on our walks, plus a few tips to help you enjoy your time outdoors.
Meet me at the kissing gate, I know that's where you want to be…
Romantic Ramblings! The amorous-sounding ‘kissing gate’ is one of many much loved curiosities to be found in the English countryside, and it’s perfect for stealing a kiss on the Feast of Saint Valentine (14th February).
Read MoreMistletoe (Viscum album), the magical sacred plant of the Druids, has become embedded within our folklore, tradition and mythology, particularly at Christmas and New Year. On this festive themed walk we set off to discover more about this special sacred plant and to hopefully find a sprig for ourselves!
Read MoreSpontaneous Berkshire Days
We had planned to bring you some exciting walks as part of the North Wessex Downs Walking Festival programme but sadly the Festival was stopped in its tracks by the covid-19 virus pandemic! All is not lost, however, as the chalk hills where we love to walk are still here and our inspiring guided walks can be rescheduled for you to enjoy at a later date. In the meantime, it’s time to make your shoes happy with an amble through some of our festival walks ‘Up on the Downs’.
Read MoreStroll away, this sweet month of May
May is National Walking Month and a time when many walking festivals would have been held across the UK, including here in the Chilterns. We are proud to have been part of the Chilterns Walking Festival since it began and it saddens us that, in today’s climate of social distancing, the Festival has had to be stopped in its tracks. But all is not lost... Join us for an amble down Memory Lane of our past festival walks.!
Read MoreA perfect walk for Remembrance weekend. Along the way we discovered mediaeval fresco paintings, an unfinished sculpture by the renowned war artist Eric Kennington, stunning glass windows by Laurence Whistler and John Hayward, and a haunting sculpture by John Buckley. There were also our usual nature notes and other discoveries along the way, and of course some yummy refreshment at the Blue Tin Farm Shop!
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