We arranged to meet at 2.30pm for this walk because the APCM was to be held in church at 11.30. Bob chose a short
walk, starting from the 5 Pits Trail and we strode off under abrilliant blue sky and warmed by the spring sunshine.
Almost immediately we were on a loose, gravel surface and climbing upwards. At the top of the incline and on the level
we were surrounded by hawthorn hedges, their leaves slowly emerging. We crossed at a main road, Slack Lane leading to Heath, and entered a field which had been planted but at only six inches above the ground we were unable to decipher what the crop was. We climbed a stile and ambled down a grassy path between some houses at Heath and spotted a man with a bare chest, sunbathing in his garden.
At the main road we turned right into Heath village and passed the Village Hall and the Old Cobblers Shop, now a
podiatrist business. We came across Holly Barn, which brought back memories of taking The Evangelist
magazine there for printing many years ago. Geoff’s hobby was stone sculpting and he showed me around his garden and the many statues he had carved. They are still there together with a display on the house wall of Punch, Judy, Croc and the Cop.
We crossed another main road, (Holmewood to the motorway), walked towards a farm and turned left, leaving
the sound of traffic behind us. We entered a field and found our way partially blocked by a great pile of rubble and further on, six heaps of well-rotted manure. We walked round the borders of the field and over a single plank bridge, bearing left towards a hedge, avoiding nettles and brambles reaching out to trip us up. We arrived at another wooden bridge and then had to bend carefully underneath a thick tree branch which was barring our way.
We entered a wood, the surface covered with dry, crackling leaves and turned right onto the Holmewood bridleway,
avoiding a particularly muddy stretch and noticed the bright green leaves emerging on the beech trees. A light aircraft flew above us as we passed a plum tree in full bloom, a row of Poplar trees and a patch of cowslips as we arrived at
Holmewood.
Our journey took us over a road bridge before we turned back on ourselves onto a different path, eventually passing an industrial unit and our return to the car park. This walk was a good mix of trails, fields and a wood, in good
company, on a sunny Spring day.
For our next walk on Sunday 4th May we will meet at the church gates at 4pm. New members are welcome to join us.
Evelyn Lowe