Another short walk this morning – I’m still suffering with a bad chest, and have felt really tired after the short walks I’ve done the last couple of days. This morning I started at Studham Common and walked to Markyate, returning via Roe End.
I saw and heard a Skylark as I crossed Studham Common. I took the track that starts in the corner of the common by the waterworks – I’d always assumed this track was a Public Bridleway but the sign indicated it was a ‘Public Highway’. The other end of the track is at the start of Roe End Lane, so it was obviously a lane in times gone by.
Where the ‘highway’ turnd left towards Roe End, I went straight on along a footpath that soon curved right, alongside Dedmansey Wood. Beyond the wood, I saw a Buzzard very high in the sky, and three other birds making a strange noise that I’d not heard before. They were quite big, possibly raptors, but I’ve no idea what they were.
The path took me to Markyate, which I immediately left by taking a long curving path towards Roe End. I followed Roe End Lane to its end (where the track I’d been on earlier continued ahead of me) and turned left down the farm track to Beechwood Home Farm. I saw the Guinea fowl that are usually around the farm environs, and continued my walk through Great Bradwin’s Wood (where I heard another Buzzard). On the far side of the wood it was then a short stroll back to my car.