Today I walked the next section of Swan’s Way. It was another rather grey day, pleasantly warm but a bit humid.
From where I finished last time, I soon picked up a bridleway along the edge of Milton Keynes – I’d walked it about a month ago, on the last day of the Milton Keynes Boundary Walk. After half a mile or so, I turned right along the edge of a huge cattle pasture and then through a field to reach Whaddon (this last section was part of the North Bucks Way which I walked two years ago).
From Whaddon I followed a farm track then crossed an empty pasture (where I saw a Muntjac Deer on my way back) then entered another pasture where a large group of bullocks fled at my approach. Across a road and through a wood, a track led past some stables and paddocks. I followed the edge of a field of maize, then crossed a huge pasture shared by both sheep and cattle.
After a short road walk, I followed a well-surfaced track (part of the national cycle network) beside an old railway line. I saw some Kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me growing here (OK, it’s more usually known as Lords-and-Ladies). There was then about half an hour’s lane walking to Swanbourne, a village I visited about 15-16 months ago on the South Bucks Way. On the way, I passed a field with very clear evidence of Ridge and Furrow, the old strip system of farming which I saw so often on the Bernwood Jubilee Way.
I’d intended to turn round in Swanbourne, but in fact carried on for about another mile. I had lunch on a bench opposite the church in Swanbourne. I vaguely remembered that at the end of the South Bucks Way I’d regretted not looking inside the church, so I did so now. The church dates from 1230 – there was an interesting leaflet about its history. There was a small section of wall painting, and some plaques commemorating two admirals, one of whom served under Nelson at Trafalgar.
This was another pleasant walk, but nothing too special. There was a fair bit of road walking, but I’d expeceted there to be more than usual on the Swan’s Way as it is a bridleway rather than a path. The Ridge and Furrow field and Swanbourne church added a bit of historical interest to the walk.