Yesterday (Tuesday 7/04/09) I did another very long walk, from Kensworth to Toddington and back, a total distance of 20.2 miles. I hope to eventually write the walk up and put it on my web site. Apart from the initial section from Kensworth to Dunstable Downs, the rest of the route was the same as Day 8 of my Berkshire-Essex Walk (part of the northern alternative of the Icknield Way).
The day started of cool and rather grey, though there were patches of blue sky amongst the grey clouds. By the afternoon it was much sunnier, but it was very windy as I returned across Dunstable Downs.
There were lots of Lesser Celandine and Violets again, and I saw a few Cowslips too. I found my first Common Chickweed, and saw Hairy Bittercress for only the second time. I saw few birds, but did see a couple of Buzzards near Wingfield. The highlight was seeing Roe Deer – I saw them three times, which is possibly as many times as I’ve ever sen them on all my previous walks since I’ve been back in Kensworth.
I found the walk far harder than the walk from Woburn to Ampthill I did the other day, though the distances were similar. In fact, after I’d walked 15 miles (which is the usual distance I walk) my legs felt much more tired than they usually do at the end of a walk, so I found the last five miles a bit of a struggle. This was definitely a walk for the challenge, more than for the enjoyment!