Yesterday (Wednesday 12th November 2008) I walked the Ashridge Estate Boundary Trail again. I documented my first walk on this route on my web site – http://www.petes-walks.co.uk/Ashridge%20Estate%20Boundary%20Trail/aeb_frame_page.htm – so I won’t say too much about the route, as you can read about it on my web site and see the photos I took then. I may possibly add some more photos from yesterday’s walk to those pages.
It was a very pleasant autumn day, sunny at first, then clouding over briefly around noon before further sunny intervals in the afternoon. Many trees had lost most of their leaves, but there were still several trees with beautiful golden foliage. I saw several Fallow Deer again, the largest number being close to the end of the walk as I passed Ringshall Coppice. I saw a young buck, with just two prongs for antlers, close to the Tom’s Hill road above Aldbury.
I went wrong at one point, approaching Norcott Hill, as I unthinkingly stuck to the route of my Alternative Ashridge Walk. It was only for a few hundred yards and really made no difference. A bit further on I met the chap I’d spoken to at Norcott Hill on my last walk, out walking his two dogs again.
As I followed the long track from the Monument to Ivinghoe Beacon, I heard a Raven flying over the tree tops. Later on, as I followed the Ridgeway path as it climbed up Steps Hill, I saw a Buzzard over the hilltop ahead of me. I also saw three different groups of Long-tailed Tits at various points on the walk – I’d already seen several of them in the front garden before I’d set off!
I’m still a bit concerned against blisters, and twice stopped to add some stuff called ‘happiwool’ to my feet. It seemed to do the trick.
As always, it was a very enjoyable walk – a nice mixture of field paths, lots of woodland walking, the chalk downland around Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon and a short stretch along the broad grass common of Northchurch Common.