Day 3 Wednesday 25th March 2020

Another glorious day for walking. I'm so glad I brought the start date forward. As I, of necessity, have walked some parts day after day it's been fascinating to see nature literally "Spring" into life. We were up fairly early and Denise dropped me off just on the Worcester side of Powick village on her way to work on the 'Allotment" (or garden) at St Cloud Care Home, Callow End.

I walked up through the churchyard and out onto the fields beyond heading towards my turn-around point on The Old Hills, just outside Callow End.

The peace and quiet that people talk about since this Covid-19 took hold is not apparent on my particular walks, probably because I'm too close to still busy main roads. It is true that I notice and appreciate more birdsong than normal but the Police & Ambulance sirens, the roar of motorbikes and the thrum of heavy goods vehicles still fill the air. As I start my walks so early there are very few people out and about other than in vehicles. So I really am Solo Walking most of the time.

It wasn't long before I caught up with the Three Choirs Way, a route that connects the three cathedral cities of Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester. 


This particular stretch goes from Worcester Elgar Statue towards where Edward Elgar is buried at St Wulstan's Church, Little Malvern.

In Callow end, at the corner of Jennet Tree Lane, I walked past Stanbrook Abbey which, until recently, was a Monastery (or should that be Nunnery?), but now is a rather swish hotel. I continued along the Three Choirs Way my climb rewarded with views of Worcester to the north of me and Malvern t the south-west. I continued  downwards again and onwards to the Old Hills. Not sure why they're called that, could it be that they pre-date the 'new' Malvern Hills? Sorry, that kind of geography didn't come into my Key Stage 2 teaching!

 

The climb up to the top of the Old Hills wasn't too difficult just hampered a bit by the still soggy and boggy ground, particularly where it had been churned up by horses. The views from the top were wonderful, Worcester, the Malverns and Powick old Mental Hospital which is now part of a new housing estate.

I walked across the still busy road and up through the woods until I reached St Cloud to have my morning break sitting in the sun with Denise. I checked my Satmap 3.5 miles.


This part of the walk had taken me over an hour and during that time I had seen 1 person to hail from a distance and 2 more in the far distance walking their dogs.


Break over I headed back the way that I had come. There were a few more cars parked and I saw a mother & two children enjoying the spring sunshine. Obviously the other car occupants were off walking their dogs but I didn't see them. 

On my way back to Worcester I walked past fields that were being prepared for planting. I assumed by the shape of the furrows that they were awaiting asparagus plants. 

I do wonder who is going to plant crops as I'm sure that many foreign farm-workers have returned to their home countries. Are we Brits going to fill the gap? 

My thoughts and thanks go to the farmers who are working so hard to keep things going.

I was very pleased to find a sunny bench in Powick churchyard where I could have a brief rest and put my feet up for a moment of two. I wish I knew more about birdsong. I have found over the last few days that I can hear and enjoy their songs but I can rarely see them. Even if I do spy them perched in the budding branches I struggle to identify more than the common few that I know. 

I decided to check my Activity App and see how I was doing. 
Major Tech Fail again!! 


It was registering 0.4mls and that was after I had walked at least 6.5 miles. Glad I wasn't relying on it today!!


The route from Powick to my home could have been done on the main road but that would not have been very pleasant. Some road work is inevitable but I try to get onto paths across or beside fields where possible. so, once I had traversed Powick roundabout I took to Monarch's Way again in the hope that I could follow the Severn to within a half mile of home. 

The first problem occurred - cows! Inquisitive cows!! VERY inquisitive cows. At one point I was surrounded - but I just kept moving (moo-ving?), calmly, talking gently to them as I headed for the gate. 
I didn't turn round till I was safely through, my heart pounding and my knees definitely shaking!!


A bit of light relief after that scarey moment was when I found a football. A proper, almost fully inflated, leather football. It must have been a victim of the recent floods. I kicked it along the path for a while until I came upon a couple and their two dogs. I suggested they might like the ball which they thought their dogs might shred in minutes. I left it, with their agreement, as they were curious to see what the dogs would do!! I wonder.

It was lunchtime when I got within a mile of home and the second problem cropped up. There were many more people, singly or in two's, out for their daily exercise. 


I decided to leave the river and wound my way through the backstreets, seeing far fewer people, until I reached the safety of home. 


A good days walk and another 11.5 miles completed; that makes a total of around 40 miles in 3 days! 

Thank the good Lord for this brilliant weather.

And thank you to my nephews for not drinking too much beer last time you came round!! Cheers!!