Winter Walk Report 2017

Winter Walk 2017

Cally's Report

Photographic record from Paul, Jane, John and Susie

Photo: Bystander

The 'visit Holland' website tells me that mud walking (in Dutch: wadlopen) is an exciting and adventurous way of acquainting oneself with a water-based landscape. It tells me that participants wade through miles of mire, thigh deep brown mud and channels of waist high water. Broads wadlopen, as practiced by EACC, isn't as extreme but it was a good taster and I don't think many of us will be signing up for the genuine WaddenSee experience.

Mud notwithstanding, it was a very pretty walk out along the bank of the upper Bure through riverside woodland as far as Hautbois where the landscape opens out to traditional grazed meadows. The path follows the meander of the river and the group was spread out, so there were good views from the rear of the party's linear passage through the landscape - like watching the sails coming down the Bure from St Benets when you can't see the river.

The EACC pop-up tea stop was a welcome sight in the layby where you cross the Mayton Road and Jo did us proud with teas, coffees, cakes and biscuits - and a drop of Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold as extra fortification. We crossed the road on the new bridge, but 50m further on is the original bridge (as surmised by Anthony) which dates back to 1500 and has little seats tucked into niches under the parapet - shame I didn't read that before the walk really as we could have looked at them! We swapped to the west bank of the Bure and continued past the 15th century moated Mayton Hall , with its jetty to the original course of the river, on the left, and the later 16th century Little Hautbois Hall to the right.

The water meadows continued, on increasingly sandy soil which was welcome, almost as far as the confluence of the river and the mill stream which are spanned by the railway bridge. A number choose to take the railway path directly on to the station, whilst the remainder crossed Buxton Common up to the mill and then through the village to the station.

I had been worrying all week about the timing and that we would miss the train - making it a long walk back and £112 worth of tickets wasted! - but we had sufficient time, although (sadly) not quite enough to pop to the Black Lion. The Bure Valley Railway train arrived in a puff and hoot of steam and there was much excitement as we clambered into our carriages (reserved with a sign for the EACC Walking Group - we've never been called that before!) for the journey back to Coltishall. The speed was barely cycling pace, it was noisy and coal smokey, the seats were small and hard and the fellow passengers - well, what a grubby lot! But it was fantastic and was all over too soon!

So we made our way to the pub and took over the restaurant in the Recruiting Sargeant and all warmed up over beers and lunch. It seemed like everyone had remembered to bring clean shoes to change into except me, so I trailed mud all over the carpet just to show I'd been there. Did I mention the mud?

Cally Smith (Social Secretary)