Ramblers: Lesley & Trevor Dingley (visitors), Carl Hedderick, Michael Hicks, Peter Lee-Smith, Alan & Pauline Saunders, Harry & Paul Saunders (visitors), Geoff Smith & Pat Whitehurst, Margaret Stokes (12)
‘Make hay while the sun shines!’
We took the last chance of an evening walk before the nights draw in, when twelve ramblers gathered by The Cross in Ashton Under Hill. After welcoming our guests, including Alan’s son and grandson, we set out to climb Bredon Hill by the most direct route from the village, up a field of cut and turned hay.
We made frequent stops to look back to admire the extensive views across the Vale, before reaching the section of the Wychavon Way that runs along the top of the hill. As we turned towards Sheldon Farm, the low summer sun accentuated the terrain, highlighting the ramparts of Conderton Camp, with the Severn Valley in the far distance. Good field paths brought us to Grafton with its ‘chocolate box’ cottages, and on to Paris. No evidence of a mini Eiffel Tower or ‘Escargots for Sale’, but tradition has it that its mansion-like house was built by the French Baldwins Family and named after the French capital, and so the hamlet adopted the name.
With the prospect of a pint in The Star beckoning, we headed back along the same meadow that we had crossed at the start, only to find that the whole field of lying hay had been turned into giant round hay bales in the 2¼ hours that it had taken to complete the walk.
After saying farewell to Margaret, we all retired to The Star for drinks and snacks, a fitting end to an enjoyable evening walk in the late summer sunshine.
Alan & Pauline
