Tag Archives: Walk

Spring Walk 2023

Posted on by
Reply

Spring Walk April 27th 2023

We had a good turn out for the Spring Walk this year – 20 of us in all, and it was a good thing that we set off in the morning, as it poured with rain all afternoon.

We all met at 10am at The Potter’s Arms in Winchcombe Hill, a lovely pub selling real ale and with a good choice of lunchtime food. We spent some time selecting and ordering our food for lunch before setting off across the Common, down a footpath to a small pond called Gawde Water beside Horsemoor Lane.Gawde Pond

We crossed the road and went along the footpath across Warren Field from where it was just possible to see Penn House, the home of Earl Howe, who is patron of the Chiltern Society while his wife, Countess Howe is patron of the Amersham Festival of Music. Here, under the trees we found a large clump of bluebells (though nowhere as impressive as those in Church Woods in Hedgerley).

Gwyndaf and Janet John had selected an easy and a more difficult route and at this point those who wanted to avoid a steep slope (and to 5get to the pub earlier) took the quicker route with Janet. The rest of us followed Gwyndaf down a slope through trees where in days gone by bodgers used to work, and then joined an old wagon track leading back up the hill on the other side of Penn House, through woodlands known as Charcoal Grove.

CoralrootOn the way Gwyndaf found several plants of interest, including the Coralroot, a tall pink flower which is quite rare (in most places)96, but one of the few places you can find it is in the Chilterns.

We then proceeded around the back of the ground of Penn House, an area known as Little Readings, looking into the grounds to see a gardener hard at work.

Further on, we re-crossed5 Horsemoor Lane, past a farm and some woodworking buildings, across a field with views across to Penn Street and its church, then turned right into a path edging Priestlands Wood, back towards the common and The Potter’s Arms. On the way we were told of the hundreds of different types of dandelions, and were informed about sedges – all being asked to recite ‘Sedges have Edges’.

We returned to the pub right on time to enjoy our food and some real ales and before the rain started after lunch.

 

Thank you to Gwyndaf and Janet for planning and leading the walk.

London Walk

Posted on by
Reply

We had our delayed London Walk on Wednesday 26th October. It was originally scheduled for September, but was postponed as so many people were unwell.

Meeting our guideWe met our guide, Caroline James outside St Paul’s Cathedral at 11am. I’m afraid that our numbers were down – there were only 5 of us in total, but luckily the weather held mostly fine – a drizzle threatened a couple of times, but never came to anything.

Caroline was a fantastic guide with incredible knowledge of the Welsh population in the late 18th century, when the early Welsh Societies were first formed. She showed us the sites of the first meeting places (mostly in pubs and coffee houses).

The Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion was founded in 1751 by the two Morris brothers from Anglesey, to promote the language, literature and arts of Wales. This was a bit too high minded and serious for some, who, led by Owen Jones (Owain Myfyr), formed the Gwyneddigion Society in 1771. Many Welshmen were members of both societies and meetings were held on different evenings so not to clash with each other.

Bengal AlleyWe were taken on a walk through some of the older parts of the City of London, down tiny little alleys and narrow roads with names like Old Fish Street Hill, Bread Street, Seething Lane and Crutched Friars. As we went Caroline pointed out where the pubs and coffee houses stood or still stand, with stories about the Welsh people that were involved in them.

We passed the London Mithraeum with its remains of a Roman temple and briefly entered St Stephen Walbrook, a church designed by Jonathan's Coffee HouseChristopher Wren with a beautiful circular ceiling. It is also the place where the Samaritans was founded. We were very lucky in that when we entered the choir was practicing and the overall effect was enchanting.

Walbrook was also the site of the Bull’s Head Tavern, where the Gwyneddigion Society used to meet, the source of the following rhyme:

 

In Walbrook stands a famous Inn
Near ancient Watling Street
Well stored with brandy, beer and gin,
Where Cambrians nightly meet.

Another of the pubs that used to be used by the societies was the George and Vulture, which still exists and was later used by the Pickwick Club and now houses Dickensian memorabilia.

 

Outside the George and Vulture

 

 

 

 

 

Iolo Morganwg was one of the main founders of the Gwyneddigion Society,  but he was also a member of the Cymmrodorion and he organised an assembly of bards on Primrose Hill in 1792.  We also heard about prominent Welsh leaders who campaigned against slavery, and saw a recent art installation commemorating the abolition of slavery.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries many of the prime movers behind the creation of the University College of Wales, the National Library of Wales and the National Museum of Wales were London Welsh. The National Eisteddfod was twice held in Westminster, at the Albert Hall in 1887 and in 1909.

Navy OfficeWe were wandering in Pepy’s territory now, with St Olave’s Church, where he worshipped and was buried opposite the Navy Office where he used to work. (Richard Morris, one of the main founders of the Cymmrodorion Society, worked as a clerk in the Navy Office in Seething Lane’)

 

We ended our tour at a pub called’ The Hung Drawn and Quartered’ which is not that old, but was named after a quote from Pepys (see photo).

We enjoyed mini pies and mash, but had to follow in the old Societies’ habits with glasses of beer and wine!

Thanks to Caroline for an exceptionally enjoyable walk.

 

More photographs can be seen here.

Spring Walk with Wild Flowers

Posted on by
Reply

Chiltern District Welsh Society Spring Walk
28th April 2022

What an enjoyable and interesting day. The last time most of us saw each other we were in our fineries, now we were in our walking gear!

It was clear from the beginning that Gwyndaf and Janet had put a lot of effort into making a success of the day from Janet taking everyone’s order for the sandwiches for lunch, to Gwyndaf explaining the background to the Red Lion pub at Coleshill where we met.

The group included our Life President Ann Evans, current Chairman Colin Picton, two past chairmen, seven past committee and two new members. What a thriving society we are. Someone remarked that we were the strongest society around!

Our route was to take us south along Coleshill Common and the pond across the Chiltern Way, across white chalk paths of cereal fields, past Luckings Farm, down to Great Beard’s Wood and Owlsears Wood before looping back past Ongar Hill Farm and the old Windmill on the right.

In those couple of miles and hours Gwyndaf highlighted approximately 30 flowering species of plants (flowers and trees) with captivating explanations.

Coralroot
Coralroot

We saw plants only found in or near ponds, in ancient woodlands, in shaded areas (bluebells), in sunny areas, on chalk soil, or in cultivated meadows. One plant, Coralroot is confined to this area of the UK – so that was a very special find. That these plants and flowers are in these areas is conditioned by various factors including the soil and environment. The soil layer on the Chilterns is rather thin before one encounters chalk hence the chalk loving plants that we found.

Pendulus Sedge
Pendulus Sedge

The route and time were chosen for the best locations for us to see specific flowers. Those in flower included trees and sedges. Sedges are grass-like plants, and as we learned “sedges have edges”.  They have stems with triangular cross-sections. Gwyndaf explained the pollinating method highlighting the male and female parts of the sedge plants.

We learned that some species have male and female plants. One of these is Dog’s Mercury which we saw in abundance in the wood.

Wavy Bittercress
Janet with Wavy Bittercress

We saw edible and poisonous plants, plants used in medicine, sweet smelling plants and ones that were unpleasant. We learned a little of the derivation of some of the rather fanciful names. In short – lots to entertain. Our sightings included Barren Strawberry, Bugle (used for bruises), Lesser Celandine (opening and shutting to light), Common Dog Violet, Coralroot (propagating via red bulbils), Cow Parsley (edible leaves when young), Cuckoo Flower, Cuckoo Pint (otherwise known as Lords and Ladies), Dog’s Mercury, Garlic Mustard (young leaves can be eaten in salads), Greater Stitchwort (cures stiches in your side), Green Alkanet,

Gwyndaf with Green Alkanet
Gwyndaf with Green Alkanet

Ground Ivy (used to flavour beer), Herb Robert (named after Pope Robert the founder of the Cistercians), Summer Snowflake, Sweet Woodruff, Wavy Bittercress (sixy-sexy-flexy), White Deadnettle, Yellow Archangel as well as various Oaks, Hornbeam, Willow, Beech, and Hedgerows. You can tell our wild flower education was extensive!

The welcome victuals and drinks back at the Red Lion rounded off a very enjoyable easy sunny walk in the Chilterns. There was no end to the chatting!

Very much looking forward to next year’s – Diolch o galon Janet a Gwyndaf!!!

Bill Jones

There are more pictures in the 2022 Photo Gallery

2021 Spring Walk

Posted on by
Reply

Anne's groupOn Thursday 29th April Gwyndaf and Janet John organized a Spring Walk around the woods at Hedgerley.

Due to the fact that we hadn’t been able to meet in person for so long, there was a great deal of interest and 24 people signed up for the walk. The Johns organized us into 4 groups of 6 so that we could be properly socially distanced, and recruited Colin Thomas and David Powell to lead the other two groups.

The plan was to meet at the pond in Hedgerley at 10:30, book our meals at the pub and then set off covering very similar walks but at different times and in different directions. However, when parking the cars, people were so pleased to see each other again, that in true CDWS fashion, they stopped to chat and soon it was 11:00.

Nevertheless, we were able to give our orders at the pub and set off, aided by handouts from Janet showing us the difference between Spanish and English bluebells and pictures of other wild flowers to look for on the walk.

Both Gwyndaf’s and Janet’s groups had the advantage of expert wild flower knowledge, but the two other groups were supplied with pictures of plants to look out for – a bit like the old I-Spy books we had as children. The early purple orchids were not out yet, but the cowslips made a great display in the Glebe Meadow by the church.Cowslips

Three of the groups went for a slightly longer walk covering the trip to Hedgerley Green as well, but David’s group just covered the woods and then headed straight back for the pub.


The food was good and so was the beer, and the bluebells were almost at their best (a cold dry spring had delayed them a bit).

Thanks to Gwyndaf, Janet, Colin and Di Thomas and David for leading the groups.

 

There are some more photographs on the 2021 Gallery page.

CDWS trees at Parc Mawr

Posted on by

At the 2018 Christmas gathering, our hosts, Bill & Sue Jones, asked that as a gift, they would prefer a donation to the Woodland Trust for trees to be planted at Parc Mawr.

Following the Society’s Oswestry trip in June, Bill & Sue drove on to see how the trees were doing. Here is their report:

 

Parc Mawr is on the very steep easterly facing side of the Conwy valley. It is an ancient 84 acre woodland occupying a very prominent position in the landscape. Historically, the wood was managed most probably as a high forest, with gradations between upland oakwood and ash / elm with a hazel understorey. The woodland is now a valued local amenity for walking and horse-riding, boasting a network of permissive and public rights of way and fantastic views.

Woodland Trust’s focus is on thinning the exotic species introduced by humans and restocking with native woodland.

We walked up the steep path along Grove 1 which is where the 6 CDWS trees were planted. Our path went roughly North South along the steep slope and was therefore a little more manageable, crossing an old byway leading to the ancient Llangelynnin church. This is the North Wales Pilgrims Way (linking Basingwerk Abbey with Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island)) and passes through the site from the south: a further information panel is provided near this route, at the bottom of the byway.

Along our walk we had glorious views over Conway Valley including to Dwygyfylchi (where Kay Day hails from), and Conway Castle.

The Woodland Trust had forewarned us that the trees were already planted and that they did not mark the trees in any way to preserve the natural beauty of their woods. We saw very many young trees but none that could be specifically identified as saplings.  Therefore, in the event we could not identify the CDWS new trees since they were interspersed with existing trees and growing rapidly.

So, having walked over a mile in and then back again, we did not specifically see our trees but had a glorious walk through lovely fresh woodlands listening to bird song and looking out on to wonderful views in the sunshine. Here is a map reference for the site at Parc Mawr.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.2474083,-3.859518,2605m/data=!3m1!1e3

Bill Jones

WWT Slimbridge 12th September 2019

Posted on by

Slimbridge is situated north of Bristol, very close to the Severn estuary, and is home to many different types of birdlife. It was founded in 1946, by Sir Peter Scott.

Our coach arrived at Slimbridge at 11:15, giving us time to meet the others of the party who had arrived by car, to have a coffee or have an initial look around the reserve.

We split into two parties of twelve for the guided tour of the Scott’s house. The volunteers told us about Peter Scott’s earlier life, as a hunter and painter, his wartime career, as an Olympic sailing medallist, but he is best known for his passion for preserving wild life, founding the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, and especially for creating the World Wildlife Fund.

Scott’s whole house borders a man-made lake, where Berwick Swans and many kinds of other waterfowl were only a few yards from the windows. I looked down, and there was a snipe only four or five feet away.

We were shown the Scott’s kitchen, looking very much of the 1950’s, with its range and an old-fashioned Belling 2 ring cooker. There were hand-written notes inside the cupboards and in notebooks and it looked as though the family could return at any moment.

The Scott’s kitchen

We saw the dining room with its one long table, but were told that the Scotts usually ate on the small formica table in the bay window, where they could watch the birds.

We were also shown the study, where Lady Phillipa Scott had most of her effects and paintings.

Perhaps the most interesting room was familiar to any of us who had seen Peter Scott’s programmes on the television, with its painting easel, the wide panoramic view across the lake, and the extraordinary window which was built out in front of the house and extends about 8 feet in each direction, allowing an additional 6 of 7 people to enjoy the view, but not be in the room!

The tour took about 1 hour, and, as we were heading back to the main visitor centre, the guides asked us what we thought – as we were the first visitors to the house since the renovation! We have Peter Day (as chairman of the WWT) to thank for that privilege.

After the tour some of us went off to hear a talk about the re-introduction of the European Crane into the country (a couple of them could be seen skulking about on the other side of the pond) and then on to watch the otters being fed and playing in the water. These were North American otters rather than European, as European otters are nocturnal.

European Cranes

Other members of the party were more adventurous and walked across the flat site to one of the hides, where knowledgeable WWT volunteers pointed out interesting sites across the panorama.  These included cranes beyond the sea wall, godwits, curlew, knot, dunlin, linnet with it’s distinctive “puppet on a string” flight pattern, an array of ducks and a fantastic fly past by a skein of geese at eye height and within metres away.

The coach left Slimbridge at 3:30 and we had a swift and pleasant journey back. Jonathan Pegler thanked Peter Day and David Powell for arranging such a successful trip.

Spring Walk 2019

Posted on by

1st May 2019 Spring Walk

This year Gwyndaf added a visit to a local church to our Spring Walk.

We all met at the Red Lion pub in Little Missenden at 10:00 to order our lunches for later. Then 22 walkers set off on a 3 mile walk in the hills around the village.

We started off following the River Misbourne and in the first field we passed we saw a curious collection of animals – pot-bellied Vietnamese pigs, funny looking sheep that turned out to be goats and a magnificent turkey displaying for his harem of females.

In the next field we discovered an archaeological party surveying the field. They explained that they had detected signs of very old buildings (possibly Roman) close to the river and were tracing out the shape of the building with a view to a future dig.

Janet shows us a plantWe then followed the South Bucks Way footpath up the hill with wild flowers on either side. Janet John pointed out some of the flowers, and when we reached the top of the hill, she introduced us to the flowers and explained their common names.

From here we were able to admire the views across the Misbourne Valley.

The weather continued to be fine and we didn’t need our coats, as we turned back towards the village pub, The Red Lion pub - Little Missendenchatting and getting to know other members of the society.  We arrived back at the Red Lion just before 12:00 after walking about 3 miles. There we were met by others who had come for the church tour, and there were over 30 of us when we sat down to lunch.A pub lunch

 

The food proved to be very good, with a wide choice from sandwiches to belly pork and sea bass. We also had time to sample the beer and watch the carp in a pond in the back garden.

About 2pm we walked the hundred The Church of St John the Baptist, Little Missendenyards or so to the village church, The Church of St John the Baptist, where we were met by the vicar, the Reverend John Simpson.

We were treated to a guided tour of the church and told that the original church dates back to Saxon times (about 975 AD). It was then added to by the Normans and by successive villagers over the centuries. The original Saxon church is very visible and you can see where the exterior walls and windows were.

Medieval Wall PaintingThe highlight of the visit was to see the medieval paintings on the church walls. There are a number of pictures on various walls, but the main ones on the north wall of the church show St Christopher and cartoons of St Catherine showing scenes from her life. The paintings have been declared ‘of national importance’ by the Courtaulds Institute and have recently been restored after receiving a grant from the heritage fund. During the restoration even more fragments of paintings were found on other walls around the church, dating from the 13th century and through to the reigns of Elizabethan and William and Mary.

The vicar made an excellent and enthusiastic tour guide, pointing out so many features of this old church that might otherwise have been missed. Our tour lasted about 1 hour and we were very impressed to see such artwork on our doorstep. You can find out more about the church and its paintings here: www.lmchurch.org

Many thanks to Gwyndaf and Janet John for organising such a fun and educational day.

Spring Walk 2018

Posted on by

Tuesday May 15th – Our Spring Walk & Pub Lunch took place on a gloriously sunny day. How could it have been otherwise!

The members gathered outside the Swan in Ley Hill. This attractive old pub faces the open land of Ley Hill Common and was originally three cottages dating from the 16th Century.

Sam, the bubbly landlady, unlocked the pub and came out to meet us – so some much needed relief was had before we set off!

Thirteen members went off on the walk with another five joining us later for the lunch.

Passing the little village Memorial Hall the footpath led to Tyler’s Hill. This woodland is full of large deep holes from which clay was excavated for the local brick and tile making  industry. We wound our way past and through these dips and on through open fields with distant views across the Chess valley, then followed a long, wide, but fortunately shady, path along a typical Chilterns “bottom”.  Finally we strolled up through open parkland and woods to reach the far end of the Common.

Ley Hill Common is the home of a golf course, and here Ralph Broomby was delighted to re-make his acquaintance with a par three hole of particular difficulty with the green located in a valley well below the tees. After admiring this tricky golf hole we strolled back across the springy turf of the common to the pub.

During the walk we learnt how to distinguish the scented native bluebell from the oft-planted Spanish species, smelt and tasted the leaves of Garlic Mustard, and discovered the extraordinary reproductive strategy of the Cuckoo Pint (also known as Lords & Ladies).

Inside the Swan still has the wooden beams, inglenook fireplace and the old original stove. Fortunately padded cushioning has been fitted to the old beams though I still managed to bump my head on one beam. After a rest with drinks in the cool garden we went in for our meal. Tables had been thoughtfully arranged in a U shape for us. Very conveniently the landlady had taken main course orders previously and had set up a tab for the various couples and singles present. The meals were excellent and quite a few found the desserts irresistible. The Swan delivered good food and excellent service.

All in all it was a relaxed day out. We learned about bricks and how they are laid as well as some natural history. And we enjoyed the good weather in some lovely Chiltern countryside.

Gwyndaf John