May 18: Hebden Bridge to Heptonstall

I had a few places in mind to visit while I used Manchester as a base. Last night I did my research, working out train and bus times. But today didn't work out anything like I expected. 

When I awoke this morning the sky was quite clear. I decided to head to Hebden Bridge. I was going to spend a couple of hours walking around there before making my way to Haworth. Then on to Keighley and maybe take the train back through Leeds.

After putting a load of washing on I headed to Manchester Picaddilly station. When I got there I couldn't find details of any trains heading to Hebden Bridge. After checking my rail app I realised that they leave from Manchester Victoria station! I couldn't work out which train to catch to get to that station so I decided to walk. Many Manchester streets are at an angle which I must admit does my head in. I kept veering off course but luckily the map on my phone helped me get there eventually. The weather was so lovely I was tempted to stop and take some city photos but the weather report was dicey and I didn't want to squander the good weather. 

I caught the 9:16am train to Hebden Bridge. It only took half an hour.  The first thing I noticed was a canal through the village.

And then this unusual bench and, like the other day, boots being repurposed as pot planters. 

Some girls were feeding geese and goslings in a square. I took the opportunity to get some shots. 

In the main street of Hebden Bridge, the Yorkshire Soap Company was blowing bubbles from the top window above their shop. 

The village itself was very cute. Lots of grey stone buildings. 

And an open air market. 

I stopped for some morning tea from a bakery. I've noticed a particular bird a couple of times recently and one just happened to perch nearby. 

Then I set off for what I thought would be a short walk. The path was beautiful and the sun was shining through the occassional cloud. 

The pathway eventually led to this lane way. 

But it wasn't all flat walking. On a number of occasions the path lead me either up or down steps like these. 

The path followed one of the streams that fed into the river at Hebden Bridge. I decided to have a go at trying to create a misty water effect by choosing a slow shutter speed. This required me keep the camera very still. I bought a travel monopod (like a tripod but with only one leg) before leaving Australia in the hope that it would help in these kinds of situations. This was my first opportunity to try it out. The result would have been better with a tripod, but I'm still happy with it.

This part of the woods had a wonderful array of grasses and plants. 

I eventually made it to Hardcastle Crags, an outcrop of rocks that you can climb. 

From there I made my way back to Gibson Mill which I had passed about an hour earlier. The path took me back to the stream.

There were numerous weirs along the length of the stream. 

When I made it back to Gibson Mill I immediately went to the mill pond to get a photo. I had tried to get this shot when I passed the mill on the way to the Hardcastle Crags. Just as I had the shot ready two ducks landed in the middle of the pond creating ripples that destroyed the reflection. Little pests! So when I came back this was my top priority. Afterwards I had a late lunch in the mill cafe. By this time it was 3:00pm.

Then it was time to make my way back. I decided to head to Hebden Bridge but would see how things went.  I noticed how tall the streets were.

I also noticed the roots on this tree. Holding on for dear life. 

In the distance I could see the end of the park containing the Hardcastle Crags. 

As I walked towards Hebden Bridge the landscape opened up. 

For a while the path ran along side the road which was built up with this wall. I reflected on how amazing it is that people built these structures in the middle of nowhere so many years ago. 

Before getting to Hebden Bridge I decided I had enough energy left to divert to Heptonstall, a village on the hill near Hebden Bridge. It was more challenging than I had expected. The paths climbed steeply up the side of the hill. 

When I first got there and I entered the village I noticed these shoes waiting by one of the doors. 

The village was adorable. Actually, very similar to what I was expecting to see in Haworth. So finding it was compensation for not having made it to Haworth.

This little square was by a ruined church. The blossom from the tree looked just like snow. 

After walking around the village I noticed a bus that was going back to Hebden Bridge. I seriously considered taking it as my feet were getting really sore. But then I decided to follow the path back to Hebden Bridge. It took me to the edge of the village and then this magnificent view. 

The path followed along the side of the hill all the way into the valley. It was so worth the extra pain I was feeling in my feet and provided a breathtaking conclusion to my walking adventure. 

I passed by these rocks on the side of the hill. 

Every view was spectacular. 

I eventually made my way down to Hebden Bridge. 

From there I caught the 6:08pm train back to Manchester.  

Although I'd only achieved a little bit of my original plan I had a wonderful day. It was great to take a slower pace and not try to stick to an itinerary. 

This country is so incredibly beautiful. 

May 17: Llandudno to Manchester

I've been starting to feel a little gloomy at the thought that this adventure is starting to slip away. I know it's silly to waste my time with these thoughts but it's hard to break the habit. But this morning I did the maths and realised that today is day #14 in the UK and I still have 15 days left to go! That was a bit of a surprise as I mentioned in my blog that I passed the midway point a day or two a go. What a wally. It was a good wake up call and I need to make sure I don't slip into that mindset too easily again.

Today was the end of my stay in North Wales and time to move on to Manchester. I knew that check-in time in Manchester wasn't until 4:00pm so there was no point in rushing. So I had another leisurely breakfast and took my time to repack. Speaking of which, I had to expand the suitcase today. I don't really understand why though. I haven't really bought that much. Is it due to those purchases or just poor packing? I guess I'll work it out on my next re-pack. 

The weather in Llandudno was clear when I first looked out the window this morning but turned to high white cloud by breakfast.  

I checked out just before 11:00am and made the 10min walk to the station. I am noticing a slight lowering of my walking pace which is a sign that I'm starting to wind down a bit. That's good. 

I caught the 11:44am train to Manchester Picaddilly station. The train started from Llandudno which meant I could choose my seat. Unfortunately, it was quite an old train with no luggage rack. There was, however, an area with folding chairs that provided space for my luggage so that was OK.

When we got to Llandudno Junction a man got on with a walking frame. He sat beside me as there was space for his frame and I think it's the first time I've shared a seat on public transport this trip. He was keen to chat and had a great knowledge of places around the UK due to his own travels in his more mobile days. He was very keen to give me his tips for the places I have yet to visit and I was very grateful. I probably have more to see than time will permit, but it's good to have choices (and left overs for next time).  This did mean that I didn't take any photos of the journey. I noticed a couple of scenes I would have ordinarily snapped, but it was no great loss and a pleasure to chat with Antony. 

By the time we reached Manchester around 1:30pm it was raining lightly. I found some lunch at the station before making the 5min walk to the apartment. For the first time this trip I'm staying in an apartment instead of a hotel, mainly so I can have a bit of personal space and so I can catch up on washing. They upgraded me to a 2 bedroom apartment - I don't need a second bedroom but I assume it's generally roomier. 

I popped out straight away to have a look around and do some grocery shopping. I took my camera but the constant drissle made photography a challenge and wandering around not really fun. I decided to do my shopping and head back to the apartment to plan the next couple of days instead (plus figure out how to use the washing machine).

Manchester was selected as another regional base. My plans for the next 2 days will be dependent on the weather. Luckily I am spoilt for choice.  

May 16: Dragons of Snowdonia

One of my "must do" activities in Wales was to ride on one of the heritage steam trains through Snowdonia. The weather would have been perfect on Sunday, however limited public transport options made it almost impossible for me. I had to wait until today. Even then it involved getting on the number 5/5C bus to Caernarfon at 7:30am in order to get there in time to catch the 10:00am train.  

There were two steam railways I was interested in. One goes between Caernarfon and Porthmadog and the other goes between Porthmaog and Blaenau Ffestiniog. The route maps are at the end of this post. Rather than choose one line and make a return trip it was possible to create a kind of circuit by travelling one way on both. To complete the loop there is a mainline train from Blaenau Ffestiniog back to Llandudno.

I got to Caernarfon in plenty of time to get a ticket and find a good seat, though I had no way of knowing which would be the best side. Plus, single seats were only on one side so I didn't really have much of a choice. The weather at the start was grey and lightly spotting with rain. Not ideal, but OK. 

There was a sense of excitement as the train arrived at the station. 

The initial landscape was similar to what I've already seen though there was a lot of a rust coloured grass that was a nice contrast against all of the green. 

About 1/2 hour in it began getting more mountainous. Unfortunately the weather started getting worse. The combination of misty mountains, rain on the windows, smoke from the train and generally low light made photography very difficult.

I wasn't able to get any good shots of the really dramatic mountain tops. It would be spectacular on a clear day. 

We ran by and crossed a number of rapidly flowing streams and rivers. 

Towards the end of the first line the area had clearly flooded as the water level was coming up to the top of the fence line. 

The first trip took just over two hours. It was definitely a case of the "pensioner express" which made me feel a little bit younger than usual. I managed to get a shot of the carriage as we were alighting. 

As well as a better picture of the engine. 

And the full train. 

I had roughly an hour and a half in Porthmadog before the return trip but the weather wasn't all that pleasant. I did a quick trip down the high street. I noticed that the clouds/mist was slowly coming down the hills at the back of the town. 

Good to see the tide in for a change. 

At 1:35pm the second trip began on a different train. Again, I wasn't really on the best side for photographs of the dramatic landscape but there were other things to capture. 

Polution aside, it was quite mystical to see the train smoke occasionally wafting between the trees. 

Or when another train approached. 

At one stage the line loops over itself. 

Which gave me my best opportunity to get a shot of the front of our train in motion. 

There were a number of dramatic waterfalls down the sides of the mountains. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the largest ones. 

The second train journey took about an hour and a half. In theory that would leave 20min before the next mainline train to Llandudno. We must have been running late though and there was a train waiting and ready to depart. We needed to dash to make it because the next one was over 2 hours later. 

All in all it was a great journey and I'm really glad I did it. It's the first serious steam engine I can remember going on and the scenery was spectacular. It would have been so much better in clearer weather or combined with some walking at one or more of the stops. In summer the trains are more frequent which would make getting off to walk for an hour more viable.

May 15: Great Orme Tramway

The forecast for today was rain. And that suited me perfectly. As usual, I've been setting myself a ruthless pace on my holiday. Today is roughly half way through and I'm exhausted! I needed a slow day to recharge and rain is good for making me slow down. 

For the first time I savoured breakfast and took my time. Only then did I realise how quickly I'd been trying to get through it on the other days. Last night I was too tired to write up my blog so I spent sometime sitting down in the lounge this morning writing up the entries. After that I was feeling quite sleepy so I decided to have a late morning nap - something I rarely do. I slept for nearly 2 hours! That's unlike me so I know I must have needed it.

When I awoke I could have happily stayed in the hotel but the weather outside was OK, grey but it wasn't raining. I had been doing some reading and had found something I wanted to explore. I've seen that there is a cable car going up to the Great Orme, the rocks/hill to the side of Llandudno. I'm not keen on cable cars at the best of times. But this morning I discovered that there is a cable tram that also goes up there. That sounded OK and fairly unstrenuous, so I decided to give it a go. 

The tram takes you up in two parts. Halfway there is a cable house and you change trams. 

At the top it was blowing a gale and lightly spitting of rain. It wasn't enough to get wet, but it was enough to wet my lens when I pointed towards it. All the same, I managed to get a few OK shots. It would be spectacular up here when the sun is out. 

On the side of one hill were hundreds of names and messages made out of stones. I liked the idea - a much less destructive and more transient way of leaving your mark. 

There was a cafe at the top which was a great refuge from the wind and ideal for coffee and some cake. 

There's a cemetery up there too. 

As well as masses of this yellow flower. Unfortunately, I didn't get close enough to be able to get a good shot. The best I could get was from the tram while it was moving. 

When it came time to come back down I made sure I secured prime seating position as determined on the way up.  

That was quite enough activity for the day. Tomorrow I'll be getting up early to attempt a steam train adventure, so I'm planning a very early night tonight. 

May 14: Llandudno sunset?

Talking to the man on the train from Bangor to Llandudno Junction, I asked if he thought I would get any good sunset pictures at Llandudno. He thought so and suggested a few spots. 

As it was already getting on by the time I got back to Llandudno (or so I thought) I decided not to go straight back to the hotel. Instead I grabbed some fish and chips to eat by the sea. The serving was HUGE - way too much for me, but very tasty.  

After that I wandered around in hope of a colourful sunset. Of course, I had no idea how long that wait might be for and it ended up being longer than anticipated. Never mind though, it was a nice way to spend the evening. Although it was quite chilly by the end. 

I started by walking back to the western side of the town to take more photos of the landscape I had photographed when I first arrived. 

Walking back to the eastern side I came across this chap keeping watch. 

Unfortunately, the colourful sunset didn't eventuate. However, in the "golden hour" it was possible to get some nice shots of the foreshore. 

This shot shows you just how long the promenade is. 

As I walked back from the end of the pier I managed to get just the right angle to show buildings on the promenade and the mountains in the distance. 

May 14: Caernarfon Castle

After Conwy Castle, next stop was Caernarfon Castle. I walked 15min back to Llandudno Junction before catching the 12:54pm train to Bangor. It had started spotting rain a little so I whipped out my jacket. It didn't last long though. 

Arriva are the train company in Wales and I've noticed that the wi-fi on their trains is always reliable and all of their trains have a catering trolley. 

At Bangor I took the 5C bus from the train station to Caernarfon as the train doesn't go there. There was some beautiful scenery on the way, some of which I managed to capture on the way back.

I arrived at Caernarfon at 1:15pm. It was only a few minute's walk to the castle but I stopped for some lunch on the way.

The castle looks small from this angle but this is the view at one end.

Like Conwy, the castle is largely ruin with a large open area in the middle.  And once again, you could access most areas and towers.

However, compared with Conwy Castle, there were a larger number of enclosed rooms and passage ways which gave you a greater sense of what it might have been like to live in one of these places.

Both Caernarfon and Conwy castles had treacherous spiral staircases with very narrow steps and only rope to hold on to. They were definitely the most dangerous I've come across this trip.

Of course, I had to climb them though. 

I noticed numerous outcrops of wildflowers embeded in the barren castle rock. A testiment to resilience.

This gull seemed to think he was king of the castle. 

A number of the towers housed exhibitions. This one traced all of the Princes of Wales. 

I didn't realise, but the weekend coincided with Castell02, which was an art project consisting of exhibitions and installations around parts of the castle. It was a showcase of 16 artists and their work produced in response to Caernarfon, the castle, its stories and people. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get to see all of them.

This was part of an installation in the well tower. It consisted of a series of crocheted water buckets joined with crocheted water coming out of the well. The hands were cast from people currently associated with the castle - workers and artisans.  Unfortunately it was too dark to get a good shot of the entire installation and I think it's probably better close up. It was lovely talking to the artist - she was so excited about the exhibition.

Another involved a guy playing very dreamlike washes of electric guitar in one of the other towers. I'm sure the installation had more to it than just that, but I thought that ambient sound made a perfect soundtrack to wandering around the castle. I think it would be great to have it all the time and was a huge contrast from the constant "pomp and ceremony" soundtrack they played at Warwick Castle.

You can read more about the exhibition at  http://www.stamp.cymru/en/project/castell-en/.

After spending another 3 hours exploring the innards of the castle it was time to move on and I wanted to get a better picture of the outside. On the water side you could see the town wall.

Getting a good picture of the entire side of the castle proved more difficult than expected. I started by crossing over the river but then I figured my wide angled lens would have worked just as well on the castle side. I was wrong and the only pictures I could get included cars in the car park. By the time I realised that the other side of the river would have been the best option it was too late to go back. 

In order to get back to Llandudno at a reasonable time I had to make my way back to the bus. I caught the 5C bus at 4:42pm back to Bangor. This bus route was really cool because there was a screen and voice announcement for every bus stop which made it super easy to work out where I was and when to request a stop.

There I had a little wait before catching the 5:58pm train to Llandudno Junction. This time I managed to get some shots of the scenery on the way.

The land on the other side of the water is Anglesey, an island on the north west tip of Wales.

As I was framing some shots on the train the man in the seat in front spoke to me hazarding a guess at the shutter speed and ISO I was going to need. As it turned out I was managing slightly lower ISO but he was close. Turns out he was a professional landscape photographer and we had a nice chat about travel photography. It was a nice interruption. He have me some tips for photographing around Llandudno too. 

Finally I caught the 6:24pm bus back to Llandudno. 

The public transport went really well today. Everything worked easy and I felt confident and not too worried about missing a connection. I had helped that I'd done my homework thoroughly before heading out. 

May 14: Conwy Castle

I didn't really feel like rushing about to catch trains and buses today but the forecast was for really good weather so I felt I shouldn't waste it. After spending a bit of time researching, I found a way I could easily get to visit both Conwy and Caernarfon castles in the one day. I have a number of travel apps and planners for the UK but recently I've found that directions in Google Maps provides the best results. They have all the UK public transport information and provide really easy to follow plans. 

When I left the hotel the sky was perfect blue but the wind still had a bite to it. Having said that, it was the first day this trip I felt able to head out without my big coat. A jumper and spray jacket should suffice (and they did). 

Even though it was a Sunday morning, there were plenty of buses to chose from to get to my first destination. Conwy is very close to Llandudno Junction but too far to walk. I caught the number 13 bus at 9:55am which would take me to within 15min walking distance of the castle.  

The castle looked spectacular on approach. 

Beside it is the walled town of Conwy. 

The castle was pretty much a ruin with information placed at points of interest. Still, it was well preserved and you were able to walk just about anywhere, including nearly all of the towers. 

As you'd expect, the towers gave a great view of the surrounding area. 

There were some internal areas still enclosed.

You could tell where the floors would have been inside the cavernous towers. 

It was a great experience and certainly would have been an impressive structure in its heyday. Speaking of which, the castle was one of a series of castles built by Edward I to suppress the Welsh after England invaded.

I spent about 3 hours walking around the castle which was just enough. After that it was time to move on to the next one. 

May 13: Pontcysyllte (Pont-ker-sulth-tay)

I awoke at 5:55am to what sounded like someone rustling in the room next door. When the sound didn't stop I realised there must be another explanation. It was the wind blowing something on the scaffolding at the front of the building. It had been raining overnight and was just grey and windy now. I headed down to breakfast at "opening" time in anticipation of a weekend crowd.

Last night I tried to do some planning. Although on paper all my destinations are accessible via public transport, sometimes when you get to the detail you realise things might not work out. My ideal plan wasn't going to work so I had to come up with alternatives. 

Today, the decision was to visit the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Getting there would take some time and this was going to be a day trip. 

I started by catching the 10:08am train to Llandudno Junction where I then caught the 10:25am Birmingham train to Ruabon. On the way we passed what looked like a massive castle built into the side of the hills. Why had I not seen this place in my research? When I checked tonight I discovered it was actually a manor house built in the 19th century to look like a grand castle. Imposter! Not so interested now. 

At Ruabon I caught the number 5 bus to the town of Trevor where it was only a 15min walk to the aquaduct.  

I had to admit when I first saw this sign I only noticed the part at the top and did think it was a bit discriminatory to only allow Anglo Welsh parkers. It was only later that I realised Anglo Welsh was the name of the business. Oops! 

Next I came across the canals that connect to the aqueduct. 

And then the aqueduct itself.  I've seen it on TV and it was built in 1805 so that a canal system could cross over the valley of the Dee river. It's 307m long, with 19 arches up to 39m high. It's near Llangollen which is in the mid-north west of Wales.

And of course, barges float across it, high above the river below! 

With greats view of the surrounding country. 

In the distance was another engineering feat, a viaduct for trains. 

I'm not usually very good with heights but surprisingly this didn't bother me. Maybe it's because I was more worried about falling in the canal as people tried to pass each other on the narrow foot bath. 

After walking across the aqueduct I was on a mission to get a side on view. The options were limited from the immediate area around the aqueduct. 

So I started walking towards the small bridge I had seen from the top. It didn't take long to get there but the large trees in the valley obscured most of the aqueduct. So I tried walking the other direction. I walked almost to the railway viaduct but unfortunately encountered the same problem. I really wanted to get a shot that showed how wide it was, but had to settle on this one.

On my walk to find a view I came across this bright fungus. 

And an avid wildlife photographer pointed out to an uncommon duck he had seen. I would never have noticed as it was over the other side of the river but I was able to zoom in and get a decent snap. 

In all I spent a couple of hours walking around the site. When it was time to return I caught the 3:10pm bus back to Ruabon, the 3:38pm train to Llandudno Junction and the 7:26pm train to Llandudno. I must admit I think I could easily have fallen asleep on the train. But I didn't and instead got this shot of Conwy Castle which is near Llandudno Junction. I will be exploring it at some stage while I'm staying here. 

When I got back to my hotel room the sunlight was just right to illuminate the massive wind farm off the coast. 

May 12: Llandudno (Chlan-did-naw)

I chose Llandudno as a base for the Welsh part of my journey because it's central to the places I wanted to visit and seemed like a reasonable spot in its own right. 

The hotel is on the promenade overlooking the sea.  

The sun was valiantly trying to peek out from the clouds so I went for a quick stroll around town. There were some people on the pier but I imagine it would get much busier here on the weekends in summer. 

It provided great views back to the beach and coast. And it was a great spot to pause for a drink.

Llandudno is sort of on a peninsula and it's possible to walk to the other side. Along the way I could see the houses perched on the side of the mountainous part at the end of the peninsula. 

The view on the other side of the peninsula is just as beautiful.

All of the official signage here is in Welsh and English. At the station, the train announcements were made in Welsh first and then English. 

My hotel room is a sea view room. Unfortunately they're doing some major extension work requiring scaffolding at the front of the building, but that doesn't prevent me from still getting a clear view of the sea as you can tell from this picture. 

Tonight I will read through all the pamphlets I have accumulated to plan my activities over the next few days. I'm looking forward to exploring. 

May 12: Oxford to Llandudno

Today it was time to move on from Oxford and the Cotswolds to my new destination - North Wales. 

I woke up early to pack after a really restless night from an uncomfortably warm room. The morning was grey and it had rained overnight. After breakfast I spent some time downloading timetables for the trains and buses I would need in Wales - just in case the wi-fi at the next hotel was not as good as this one. 

I got to the station early to catch the 9:39am to Birmingham New Street station. The scenery at the start of the journey was very familiar but misty.

At Birmingham I changed to the 11:25am train to Llandudno Junction. From Birmingham to Wolverhampton the scenery was all industrial. But after Wolverhampton the country returned, eventually becoming hillier.  

By the time we reached Chester it was raining lightly. Shortly after leaving Chester we reached the coast of the North of Wales at Flint. 

As well as this curious "beached" ship. 

The train had wi-fi, which was excellent because my daughter Emily emailed me to tell me she had just won Best Documentary at the South Australian Screen Awards. Modern technology immediately allowed me to then share the wonderful news from the other side of the world! 

From Llandudno Junction I had a 20min wait before the final 10min train trip to take me to Llandudno itself. 

All together the journey took nearly 5 hours. The Birmingham to Llandudno Junction part was particularly slow because it had so many stops. There may have been a faster route but this was heading through country I hadn't seen before so I didn't mind.

May 11: Castle Combe

When I awoke it was another blue sky morning, but the weather report was saying that it wouldn't last. I had hoped for a more relaxed start to the day but realised that in order to get to my planned destination while the weather was still good I would have to set out early.

Today's destination was Castle Combe. Not a castle, but a small village on the way to Bath from here. I know of it because it has somehow managed to remain relatively untouched from its medieval beginnings and is particularly picturesque. 

To get there would involve catching the 8:13am train to Didcot Parkway and then the 8:41am train to Chippenham. When presented with the huge array of fare choices I opted for the conservative option which finished up being very expensive. I think I diddled myself there. 

On the train I noticed how tired I was feeling. It's been go go go for the last 8 days and I'm beginning to feel it. I will need to slow down a bit. 

By 8:30am it was starting to get a bit cloudy. I reached Chippenham at 9:13am to connect to the bus which was due at 10:00am according to the timetable I downloaded a couple of days ago. However, when I got to the bus stop there was a notice with a change in times. Luckily it was just a delay until 10:16am, though that means I could probably have left Oxford a little later. 

The bus arrived on time with only one other person on board for the whole trip. When I arrived, the village looked exactly as I expected and picture post card perfect views were around every corner. 

Though I really wish they could find a better place for those two wheelie bins! 

As I walked to one end of the main street I noticed a foot path heading up the hill. I decided to follow it. 

I could tell where I was from the church tower. 

Beneath the trees was a sea of white wildflowers. 

When the path rejoined the road I was greeted with these words of warning. 

The bus back to Chippenham wasn't due until 12:39pm which was actually quite good because it meant that I had to slow down and take things in. I began to look at the village in another way and pick out some of the finer details. 

I noticed the pattern on this guttering. 

The bus arrived on time. By this time the village was quite busy with tourists. I assume they had all driven there or were part of tours. The weather had held out too with patchy cloud and occassional periods of sun.

On the way to the station the bus went under this impressive via duct for the train. Incredible how solid it looked. 

I had a short wait for the train back to Didcot Parkway at 1:55pm. This time the fare was a lot cheaper which reinforces my belief that I stuffed up this morning. From there I caught the 2:49pm train to Oxford. 

After returning to the hotel I decided I had enough time to go shopping for replacement walking shoes. I located an outdoor gear shop and purchased some more more suitable shoes. My feet are thanking me already. 

Tomorrow morning I leave Oxford for my next destination. It's been 5 nights but I feel I could definitely see more if I were to stay longer. Oh well, a different adventure awaits. 

May 10: Burford

This morning when I woke up the sky was blue for the first time since I arrived in the UK. I had plans for another trek in the Cotswolds, so wasted no time getting to breakfast. As I was getting ready to leave I noticed that the soles of my boots had almost worn through! Too much walking. I will have to get some new ones but my other shoes would have to do today. 

I needed to catch the 9:00am 853 bus to Burford. Well, technically I wanted to get off a little outside Burford near Little Barrington. My plan for the day was to follow two walking maps I found online.  

My first challenge was to find the bus stop in Oxford. I found it online OK but when I got there it wasn't marked. After a little bit of concern I noticed the bus arriving. As I boarded and requested my stop the bus driver was also a bit confused. He doesn't drive this route often and wasn't familiar with the stop. Luckily the lady behind me was after the same stop and had additional information. So off we went.

The bus trip took just under an hour. Here's the map for the first walk.  I got off the bus at #1.

I located the foot path and got on my way. 

The walk took me through Little Barrington and then to Great Barrington. Both had typical cottages and buildings for the area. 

It's been a long time since I saw milk delivered at all, let alone in bottles. 

As with the other day, the walk took me through all sorts of terrain. 

After my walk around the Barringtons the main part of the journey took me along a quiet country lane to Burford. The walk took about an hour and I only encountered one car. The lane way wound through hedges and occasionally opened out to beautiful views of the surrounding farmland and the River Windrush meandering along side it.

And I encountered quite a bit of wildlife. 

Even though I only encountered one car, there were a number of bike riders enjoying the sensational weather. Speaking of which, by this time it was definitely t-shirt and sunscreen weather for me. 

After a delightfully leisurely walk I arrived in Burford. Another picturesque town. Unfortunately, all the car traffic made it difficult to get a good photo to do the town justice. 

After a quick wander down the main street I grabbed some lunch and headed off on my second walk. 

Although this is intended to be a walk from point #1 to Burford via one of two alternative routes, I decided to walk it as a loop. I started at Burford and walked towards #2 then backtracked through #5-7. 

Throughout the day I noticed a lot of airforce traffic. I assume there must be a base nearby. 

This walk followed the River Windrush more closely.

Near Swinbrook there was a mill. 

Shortly after leaving the mill I encountered a young chinese girl also looking for the way to Swinbrook. You can see her up ahead in this photo. We chatted for a while and walked together until we successfully made it to Swinbrook. 

Swinbrook was another quaint village. I continued further to Asthall. On the way there the footpath went through a field with cows. A sign said to beware as the cows can be protective of their young. As I passed a herd, one was keeping a very close eye on me and started "tapping" a hoof. I passed by as quickly and calmly as I could.

Of course, Asthall was yet another quaint village. 

From there I had to backtrack to Swinbrook before heading north. I was following the footpath described in my directions until I came across this field. The directions indicated to walk across it but it was fenced off. The fencing appeared recent and temporary. It also appeared electrified! I found another way instead. 

Along my alternative route I encountered more beautiful cottages. 

Before entering Widley Copse.

The other day and today I've recorded fragments of birdsong. It was particularly beautiful in these woods. I'll try to post some of the recordings when I get a chance. 

Out the other side of the woods I needed to walk across field after field of crops. Luckily there was a very clearly marked path to follow. In the distance I noticed an animal on the path. When I zoomed in I discovered this guy. 

The lines of crop were so regular. 

A bit more walking got me to Fulbrook and then back to Burford. By this time my feet and legs were aching. Not as badly as the other day, but bad enough. I came across the Cotswold Arms and decided to rest my feet while enjoying a well earned pint. 

From there I just needed to find the bus stop. I passed more of the beautiful streetscape. 

When I got to where I thought the bus stop should be, it only mentioned the 233 bus. Confused I set out to find help. I asked a passerby who confirmed that the 853 stops there also. Phew! I double confirmed by asking the lady who was also now waiting at the stop. She was lovely and we had a chat up until the bus arrived. 

I got back to the hotel shortly after 6:00pm and straight into a nice hot bath. 

May 9: Warwick Castle

After yesterday's trek I was seriously concerned that I wouldn't be able to walk today. Luckily, when I woke up I was feeling really good. All the same, I decided it would be smart to have an easy day today before attempting another trek tomorrow. 

Warwick Castle was on my "to see" list and seemed like the best option. Since I didn't have the energy to write yesterday's blog last night, I did that first before heading to catch the 10:15am train to Banbury. From there I changed to the 10:43am train to Warwick. 

The castle is 15min walk from the station. The part of town I walked through had a lot of tudor buildings. 

The main entrance way to the castle appears to have been excavated into the rock in places. 

The castle is more or less intact, thanks to a number of restorations over the years. 

Soon after arriving I realised that this would be different to the other castles I have visited. It definitely had a "castle theme park" feel without being too tacky. It certainly didn't distract me from the history and interest of the place.

From the top of the walls I got a great view of the surrounding countryside. 

On the grounds outside the castle there is a peacock garden with a number of fine specimens making their presence known. 

Inside the castle there were a number of themed displays as well as restored state rooms. The Taussad Group bought the castle in 1978 and you can see their influence in the figures used to bring some of the rooms to life. 

The library contained a massive library of what appeared to be genuine books. Quite a collection. 

A number of the ceilings were exceptionally ornate. 

In the afternoon there was a "birds of prey" demonstration. Various types and sizes of birds swooped over the heads of the crowd. I tried to capture some shots, but it was incredibly tricky. 

This one was a baby condor. 

The final demonstration for the day was the "firing" of an actual trebuchet. This one fired a projectile nearly 300m. 

On the way out I visited the mill pond and this ruined bridge. 

I walked back to the station to catch the 4:42pm train to Leamington Spa. The plan was to change there for the Oxford train. While waiting on the platform I was getting a little anxious that my ticket might no longer be valid. It was an off peak ticket and it was getting late. In Adelaide you can't use off peak tickets past a certain time in the afternoon but I haven't been able to find out if the same applies here. I decided to check. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to check with the ticket office, the 5:00pm train had left. I had to catch the 5:38pm train instead but at least I put my mind at ease. 

Today was a very relaxed kind of day. Especially after yesterday where I felt under a degree of pressure to get to each destination by a certain time. 

May 8: Moreton-in-Marsh to Broadway

I have lots of photos to share in this post. I walked close on 20km yesterday and my body isn't happy with me. Last night I felt I may have pushed myself too far, but luckily I'm feeling OK today.

But back to the beginning. I was up early to avoid the breakfast rush. The service here is fantastic and I filled up on a hearty breakfast to give me fuel for the day ahead. It was a grey morning but I expected that to clear. After spending a bit of time making plans and downloading timetables I made my way to the station. On the way I passed my first squirrel of the trip. But he was too nimble for me to catch with my camera. 

I bought a Cotswolds Discoverer pass which is a really cheap way to get unlimited train and bus travel within the Cotwolds. Unfortunately you can't use it until after 9:00am so my enthusiasm to get to the station was somewhat wasted. In the end I caught the 09:24 Hereford train to Moreton-in-Marsh. 

I visited Moreton-in-Marsh on my trip last year but only on my way elsewhere. This time I saw a bit more as I made my way to the start of my walking trail. 

In the Cotswolds, as with all of England, there are public footpaths which are signposted walking trails through the country. They're really easy to follow and, as you'll see from the photos, they take you through all types of terrain.  I found some great maps of the footpaths in Moreton-in-Marsh. You just need to keep following the markers.

The start of the journey took me through some beautiful wooded fields. 

I came across this little farmhouse early in the walk. 

The winding paths enticed me onward. 

In Kent I saw huge expanses of bluebells but didn't manage to photograph any. I made sure I captured the few I saw on this walk. 

After about an hour of walking I approached Blockley.

The buildings in the town were of the typical honey coloured stone of the region. 

I stopped for lunch in a little cafe before continuing my walk. Between the fields there were usually gates but sometimes there were stiles like these. 

As I headed out from Blockley towards Broad Campden I reached this field and my one and only lost moment. The field is quite steep and when I reached the top the gate looked different and had no markers. Every other gate so far had been clearly marked so I worried that I might have headed in the wrong direction. So I walked all the way around the perimeter of the field looking for another exit. When I got back to the start I came across a group of walkers coming down the field who confirmed that the gate I first encountered was the exit after all. And when I got through there were markers just past it!  

I passed another farmhouse on my way. 

Just under an hour after leaving Blockley I reached Broad Campden. I visited this little town last year and it has some beautiful little cottages. I didn't take many photos as I had taken so many last year.

From Broad Campden it was only a short walk to the larger town of Chipping Campden. I wasn't the only walker. 

Walking through the streets of Chipping Campden to the centre of the town, I came across some more beautiful houses. 

Finally I made it to the main street. It's hard to get a picture of the street without cars but I managed this angle. 

I took the Cotswolds Way out of Chipping Campden on my way to Broadway Tower. This bird house high on the side of a tree caught my attention. 

As I reached the top of a hill outside of the town I came across this man leaning against the wall painting. I first saw him from the other side. I would have liked to take a portrait photo of him but didn't have the courage to ask. I settled on a more anonymous shot later on. 

From Broad Campden I started to encounter sheep on my journey. And usually very vocal sheep. 

There were some stunning views from Dover Hill. 

This letter box was a flash of red in an otherwise verdant green lane way. 

Then more beautiful vistas. 

Sometimes the foot path went around the edges of working fields. Other times it went right through the middle. 

Or through woodland. 

Towards the end of my journey, when my legs were cramping and aching, I reached one of my destinations - Broadway Tower. The tower is a folly, meaning a building constructed for no particular practical purpose.

Despite feeling that my legs might give away at any moment I couldn't resist the urge to climb to the top.

And the view made it worth the pain. 

From the tower it was just over another mile to my final destination - the town of Broadway. 

And through fields of sheep. 

Broadway is a beautiful town. Had I reached it earlier (with fresher legs) I would have loved to explore but my legs and back were really in a lot of pain. My plan was to catch a bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh but I had about 45min to wait. I headed in to the Lygon Arms for a well deserved pint and a rest for my legs. By this time it was coming up to 6:00pm. 

As I waited for the bus I noticed this fellow "hanging around". I assume he was lost and waiting for his owner. 

I caught the bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh. I had planned to catch an earlier bus which would have connected perfectly with a train back to Oxford. But early on I realised the walk was going to take longer and I made the conscious decision to maximise the walk rather than rush to meet a schedule. The downside was that the bus I caught did not connect with a train and I had another hour to wait. In need of some warmth and comfort I stepped into the Redesdale Arms for a lovely Steak and Ale pie for dinner.

When I finally got back to the hotel in Oxford I immediately slipped into a long hot bath to smooth my well earned aches and pains.  After a grey start the weather had improved. For much of the walk I was comfortable just in t-shirt without my jacket. I even caught a little bit of sunburn when the ferocity of the sun caught me by surprise.

Finally, here's a map showing the towns I visited. 

May 7: A quick walk around Oxford

It's not my intention to spend too much time in Oxford. I'm more interested in venturing back into the Cotswolds. So after my arrival it was this afternoon's task to see what I could.​

First task was to check in. The hotel used to be the Oxford prison.

My room is in the annexe which is nice and bright. 

My room is top right. 

Opposite is the main part of the hotel. I'm glad I'm not over there - they don't appear to have much in the way of natural light.  I'm sure they'd be nice in side though.

Then I headed out with my camera. Early in my walk I came across a canal/stream with a long line of barges docked. 

They appear to be permanent residences - with postal services! 

From there I wandered into a part of the city that appeared to be residential. This building caught my eye with it's bright red window frames.

Of course there were the obligatory tudor buildings too. 

Soon I was in amongst the university part of the city. 

I popped into the Divinity School to admire the architecture.

While wandering I happened to look up and noticed people looking from a vantage point at the top of one of the buildings - a tower! I had planned to wrap up my walk but instead I sought out the tower with renewed vigour. It belonged to St Mary's Church. The steps are probably the narrowest I've encountered so far.  I'm surprised they didn't ask me to sign some kind of waiver.

But the views were worth it. 

On one side I could hear a violin. This guy was patiently performing down below. 

After the tower it was definitely time to get back to the hotel. However, my journey was abruptly interupted when I stumbled across a crew filming. By the clothes it looked like it was set in the late 50s or 60s. After witnessing a short scene I continued on.

All around Oxford there are bikes "parked" against buildings. I hoped the owner of the owner of this one was a doctor. 

As I approached the hotel I noticed one last building. The angles of the building below the spire appealed to me for some reason. 

Time to start planning my days of walking and exploring further into the Cotswolds. 

May 7: On to Oxford

Even though I didn't get back from Singing with Nightingales until nearly 1:00am I wanted to get up and out fairly early this morning. The alarm woke me at 7:30am after a solid sleep and I headed down to breakfast. 

After my first repack for the trip - everything still fits in the suitcase - I headed to the station to catch the 10:43am high speed train to St Pancras station. From there I caught the Circle line to Baker Street followed by the Bakerloo line to Marylebone Station. Being a Sunday morning, neither of the tube lines were busy and there was no trouble getting my luggage on or off. Although navigating from one line to the other at Baker Street was a bit tricky - up and down stairs and through a maze of walkways. Finally I was able to get on the 12:35pm train to Oxford after pausing for a quick lunch. 

The train took about an hour. After the cool grey skys of Ashford, Oxford greeted me with blue skys and scattered high cloud. By mid afternoon it was even t-shirt temperature. 

My pre-prepared map isn't correct as the train I caught went through High Wycombe instead.

I've chosen Oxford as a base to further explore the Cotswolds, this year from the east. I had considered staying in the middle, but didn't want to be constrained to one area.​

As with Kent, there are more places on my wish list than I could possibly fit into 4 days. I'll just see how I feel each day. 

May 6: Singing with Nightingales

From the warmth of a hotel room I headed out. Free of expectations, because how can you form an expectation of such an unlikely event?

We met by a campfire at a farm outside of town. Green Farm, on Church Lane, Shadoxhurst - every part of that address conjures up images to me. 10 or so people, some strangers, some known to each other. Me, feeling my usual social awkwardness but managing to keep conversations alive. Added to the guest numbers were Tom the ornithologist, Clara the musician, Martin the owner of the farm and his wife Emily, and Will - I'm not sure of Will's official role other than to be adorably passionate about all things nature.

After greeting, we headed out on a dusk walk through the woods, Will quizzing us about every tree and encouraging us to adjust to the sounds of the birds, Tom separating and identifying each bird by their song. We walked casually, anticipating the return journey we would make under the cover of darkness.

Return to the fireplace and delicious warm food. Will spoke more and Tom introduced us to the story of nightingale and the long journeys they have taken to be with us tonight. Clara sang, in Catalan and English, with accordion and guitar. A sweet yet strong voice reaching out as the darkness drew nearer. Fire keeping us warm as the temperature dropped.

Then it was time to venture out again. But this time into the total darkness. This time to be greeted by only one song - the nightingale. Wrapped in warm blankets we walked silently across fields, through gates and woods. We began to hear the songs around us in the distance but we didn't stop. Eventually we reached our destination. Our bird was in the thick undergrowth. Safe and brave. Aware of us, despite our best attempts, but too determined to sing his song of love to be distracted.

We settled down and listened. Another was nearby, competing in song.

After a while, Clara began her duet, mimicking and contrasting the bird song. Starting softly and building until she was as loud as her partner only metres away. We sat and listened, in awe, in dream like silence, in the shared communion of a special experience.

When the time eventually came to leave, we quietly rose, gathered ourselves and began the long walk back. Reverent, feeling privileged and thankful. Leaving our friends to continue their song long into the dark night.

(Here's video from an earlier performance)

May 6: Knole (oh deer)

I had trouble deciding what to do today. I had a number of options but most had a downside I wanted to avoid. Yesterday I purchased a National Trust membership so I decided to consult their book for ideas. I settled on a visit to an estate known as Knole just outside Sevenoaks. 

Being the weekend, it was busy at breakfast but I managed to get through fairly quickly and head to the train station to catch the 10:02 direct to Sevenoaks. From the Sevenoaks train station it was a 20 min walk up a hill to the estate.

As soon as I arrived I came across a number of herds of deer. Luckily with my telephoto lens I could get some good pictures while keeping my distance. 

The grounds were expansive. Over 1,000 acres. I only covered a tiny fraction of them but the terrain was still varied. 

The "house" itself was suitably grand. My membership allowed me free entry. 

And there was (another) tower to climb with great views from the top.

In the middle of the building were a couple of courtyards.  As you can see from the photos, the sky momentarily cleared from the overcast it had been most of the morning.

Inside, a number of the rooms had been restored so I had a wander around. Unfortunately, photography inside was not allowed. The interior was very ornate with massive works of art everywhere. 

After a light lunch I headed back to Ashford. I wanted to buy some wet weather over pants for Singing With Nightingales tonight. The forecast is a bit ambiguous but we have been advised to be prepared. 

On the train back to Ashford I managed to take some more photos of the Kent countryside. This is typical of the farm houses I saw today. 

When I got back to Ashford I figured my best bet for the wet weather gear was the local "designer" outlet. It's a massive oval shaped collection of stores. 

Luckily, among the label stores there was an outdoor shop with what I was looking for. 

So now I'm all prepared. All we need now are the nightingales to show up! 

May 5: Bodiam Castle

I took the train to Hastings. On the final approach to the station we passed hills of 3-4 story houses perched up high. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo. I need to get to Hastings in order to catch a bus to Bodiam where there is a ruined castle I wanted to visit. I think castles will be a major feature of this trip.

As I waited for the 349 bus I noticed that everyone getting on the other buses were using contactless cards. I didn't see anyone pay by cash. This made me a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to get a ticket so I asked someone and they confirmed that you can pay by cash. Phew! When the 349 bus arrived I purchased a return ticket to Bodiam.  The bus took about an hour with 1/2 of the trip travelling along narrow roads edged with hedgerows. 

When I arrived, the castle was peeking through the trees. After purchasing my ticket from an extremely friendly assistant I started to explore the grounds and the castle. 

Bodiam is quite distinctive in its compact design and intact moat. 

You can walk up the stairs inside the towers, though the steps were ridiculously high. The top gave a great view of the Kent countryside. 

They also gave a good view of the ruins inside the castle. Unlike Dover, there were hardly any intact spaces. 

I started to get a little fixated by photographing the outside world through the empty windows, gaping holes and doorways.

Walking back across the bridge to the castle, another visitor noticed the very unattractive fish in the moat. 

I had a while to wait before the bus back to Hastings, so wandered around the tiny town on Bodiam and the beautiful surrounding Kent countryside. 

I started to worry when the bus was over 10 min late. They don't run very frequently. Just as I was trying to figure out what I'd do if it didn't turn up, it arrived and took me back to Hastings before a final train trip back to Ashford station.  

The walk back to the hotel was grey and very cold. I even needed to get out my hat and gloves for the first time to keep me warm. But, once again, that's not really a complaint. I don't mind a bit of cold.

It was another fun day of adventure in beautiful countryside.

May 5: Rye

I slept solidly again last night apart from waking up around 3:30am. Actually, the waking up is a good sign because that's what I tend to do at home - so I must be adjusting well. Actually I haven't experienced any jet lag to speak of at all. 

After another good breakfast and some planning I headed back to the station. The weather was grey with some blue patches. I think it had rained again overnight. 

My first destination was a little town called Rye. I've seen some photos and thought it would be a quaint place to visit. 

On arrival I was treated by yet another city gate. 

I wandered around the narrow streets with many Elizabethan and medieval buildings before reaching Mermaid Street which is by far the most picturesque. 

After some morning tea in a tiny tea room I headed to the main church which was advertising climbs to their tower. 

The stairs to the top were definitely the steepest and most narrow I have ever experienced. At one stage I could only proceed by walking side ways with my camera bag in front of me. Luckily the views were worth it. 

It was incredibly gusty at the top. I wondered how these birds could be so calmly perched in that weather. 

After the tower I made my way back to the train station past the river. The tide was out, which seems to be a recurring theme for me.  But it did make me giggle at the sign. 

I only had a short wait at the station before my next train to Hastings.