Swapping city for sea, sun and sand

Gull on guard! Overlooking Woolacombe beach in North Devon.

A MINI-BREAK over the weekend provided a dramatic change of scenery – swapping a city environment for the coastal delights of Ilfracombe, in North Devon.

Ilfracombe is a small resort dating back to the Iron Age. Hillsborough Hill, the site of an Iron Age settlement, overlooks the compact, traditional harbour. The resort is rich in history, but a recent controversy has been the gift of a statue - Verity - by artist Damien Hirst, who lives in the area.

Truth will out! Silhouette of the Damien
Hirst sculpture in Ilfracombe.

Verity is a 66-foot, stainless steel and bronze statue of a naked pregnant woman holding a sword aloft. Situated at the harbour entrance, she stands astride a pile of law books and holds an off-balance ‘scales of justice’ behind her.

The sculpture, on a 20-year loan to the town, is intended as ‘an allegory for truth and justice’ and her stance is modelled on ‘Little Dancer of Fourteen Years’ (c. 1881) by Edgar Degas.

What raised more than a few eyebrows when it was first installed is that half the statue reveals the internal anatomy of the woman, with the unborn baby clearly visible.

Unsurprisingly, it provoked heated reactions, ranging from ‘wonderful,’ ‘beautiful’ and ‘What’s not to like?’ to ‘obscene,’ ‘offensive,’ ‘disgusting’ and ‘makes me sick!’ Nothing like a bit of Damien Hirst to get the crowd going!

If anything, I found it quite ‘cartoony’- but certainly dramatic. And despite the initial hostile reaction from some quarters, it didn’t put relaxed holidaymakers off their chips or ice cream. In fact, it now seems to have become 'part of the scene' and a popular focal point – and will undoubtedly feature in thousands of holiday snapshots.

The nearby resort of  Woolacombe was a real gem. Three miles of beautiful, family-friendly sands, with gentle sloping beach, where even little kids can splash about safely in the

Scales of Justice: Detail on
the Verity statute.

sea. A haven for surfers, too!

If I’m honest, my walking was more ‘lazy mooching around’ than ‘pounding the pavements,’ but it’s good to vary your pace now and again!

A quick visit to friends who run a smallholding – and a bit more walking around apple trees and pig pens - in the rolling Devon countryside rounded off a satisfying few days.

Back home in Coventry, my regular off-road routes have become overgrown, and the predominant colours of white and yellow flowers in May and June have been replaced largely by pale purple and pink.

So even on familiar routes, the scenery is ever-changing!

For the record, I stayed with my wife at Wildercombe House, a former 19^th-century ‘gentleman’s residence’ nestled on the hillside slopes overlooking Ilfracombe. It’s now a family-run guest house owned by Barry and Anne-Marie Marsh. Very relaxed, friendly – and absolutely spotless!

I feel some more walking in Ilfracombe coming on!

Long sword of the law: Verity figure
stands astride a pile of law books.

Elegant residence: Wildercombe House, a friendly 
family-run guest house in Ilfracombe.

Relaxed outlook. Overlooking the beautiful, family-friendly
beach at Woolacombe.

Gull watch: but don't be fooled - they're only after your chips.

No head for heights? Beware the headless ones
 - they can be trouble!

Sunshine and colour: Traditional family fun
on Woolacombe beach.

Roadside delight in full bloom

Meadow flowers down the centre of the dual carriageway.

Vibrant colours on the roadside.

WHAT with Ofsted inspectors in at college, mountains of marking and one thing and another, there hasn’t exactly been time for keeping up a walking blog. 

The walking bit’s been there (time, motivation and energy permitting!), but the writing bit’s been, erm, rather lax!

But this morning I thought I’d get out and take some snaps of meadow flowers that have been planted down the central reservation on a stretch of road near where I live.

They’ve been there for a while, and I didn’t want to miss them before they started to die off. 

They’re a gorgeous sight. So my walk this today was up to the dual carriageway!

It turns out the flowers weren’t the easiest things to photograph – with road lanes and traffic either side (with the inevitable tooting of a car horn now and again!), and there was more of a breeze than I’d anticipated. But there were enough blooms ‘within reach’ to get some shots and I’ve popped some on here.

Millennium Way

On a different note, I also met Roger Shrimpton recently. Roger is involved in the Millennium Way walk, and takes pictures for its website.

The Millennium Way – billed as ‘a gem of a long-distance path,’  takes  in 100 miles of ‘diverse, delightful and historic’ countryside in the Heart of England. The route extends from Pershore, Worcestershire, in the west to Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire in the east.

The route has been cleared and waymarked over a number of years by enthusiasts from Solihull 41 Club, together with other 41 Clubs, to make the route accessible to a growing number of walkers and ramblers.

You could do the whole walk in one go – if inspiration (and a hearty breakfast!) strikes – or via 44 circular walks, ranging  between about three and 10 miles.

So if you fancy a leisurely stroll or two in the very centre of England this summer, this could be the route for you. To find out more, click on this link:  Millenium Way. 

For me, I’m afraid, it’s going to have to be the dual carriageway and back to the grindstone! Never mind, at least I had chance to enjoy some delightful wild flowers, despite the passing traffic!

Above and below: flowers add a splash of
colour to the carriageway.

  

Once you're wet you can always get wetter!

Natural learning: the outdoor classroom at Foundry Wood, Leamington.

IF there’s one word to describe the weather recently – as if it needs saying – it’s ‘Wet!’ I tested out a theory a few days ago. It was pouring but I reckoned that once I’d reached ‘saturation point’ I couldn’t get any wetter. So, what the heck? Brave the rain and go on the walk!

Have you noticed how water has the knack of finding its way into places you never even knew existed? To cut a long story short, my theory was (perhaps unsurprisingly) rubbish! I reached saturation point and beyond. It was more swim than stroll!

But it wasn’t cold and, oddly, quite enjoyable. Refreshing, in fact!

Field and woodland tracks have become overgrown as plants thrive in the rain and relatively mild
weather, and now it's a case of wading through almost 

Going green (and white): Not too bad, 

but the cow parsley is slowly taking over!

shoulder high nettles, cow parsley and the like; which, actually, all contribute to giving you a soaking if they’ve been rained on!

Yesterday, the sun was out and the walking was far more leisurely as I ran a photo day attended by  two lovely photo enthusiasts, Janet and David, at the Foundry Wood community woodland in Leamington Spa, 
Warwickshire. Volunteers have worked hard to make the site accessible by creating paths and facilities for all to use.

Now the woodland is open for workshops, conservation and educational activities. Pizza-making using a real stone oven is popular, the first ‘Gig in the Woods’ was held there last month (April), with acoustic folk singer Eleanor Brown, and yesterday’s event was the first of a series of photography workshops as part of the woods’ programme.

The outdoor classroom was great and although the woods are relatively small, there are plenty of  pictures to be taken. I like the sculptures and evidence of craftwork dotted among the trees.

We spent a day thinking, talking and doing photography!

Thankfully, the rain held off - so we didn't even need to worry about getting saturated!

Art in nature: Children's craft work in the trees.

All fuelled up: Wood store at Foundry Wood community woodland.

Log trio: On a wall of the open classroom. 

Al fresco treat: Stone oven used for
 making pizza.

Cool shade: Some walkers may find their 
way blocked, while for others (below)
the advancing plant life provides 
a comfortable resting spot!

Wood appeal:  Above and below, beautiful patterns, 
textures and colours in a weathered log.

How sitting ducks became a moving target!

Sunlight helped to brighten the normally shadowy river.

YOU'D think sitting ducks would be an easy target. And so they are – unless you just can’t get your camera out quick enough! Yesterday four male mallards had congregated lazily on the river I walk alongside. A ‘pretty picture,’ I thought, and a change from snaps of plant life. I had my camera in a rucksack, but I’m afraid it was a case of more haste, less speed. By the time I’d fumbled with the fastenings, faffed with the zips, and tangled with the camera strap, the ducks had gently disappeared from view.

In my defence, they were ‘floating’ rather than ‘sitting!’ and so were actually moving . . .Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I did manage to get a couple of shots of the (duckless) river though. Normally the water’s rather dark and grey because of overhanging trees and bushes, but on this occasion sunlight was hitting the surface, creating a bright patch in shadows. I actually tip-toed out on some stones in the river to get the pictures. I must admit, it induced a sense of vertigo. The water rushing past your feet makes it feel as if you’re moving, which meant balancing on a rock around a foot square was a weeny bit difficult.

If the picture at the top of the page looks as if it was taken from the middle of the river, that’s because it was!

Missed the ducks - so snapped
the nearby bridge instead!

Incidentally, getting back to the bank again was another ‘challenge’ – but a hop, skip (sort of) and quick jump across the swirling water did the trick! Safety note: please don’t try this unless you take your life in your own hands! I don’t want to be responsible for someone floating off because they read in a walking blog that it’s fun to balance on a little stone island in a fast-flowing river!

This morning I avoided the river and my usual field because it was raining. I don’t mind walking in wet fields, but the tracks were quite muddy yesterday after a previous downpour. They’d have been even more like a quagmire today, and I didn’t fancy following up wobbly river stones with slippery mud-tracks!

So I stuck to one of my urban routes, and pounded the pavements instead.

And guess what? No ducks!

A single thread of spider's web looks as if it's holding up the leaves.

Sunlight illuminating nettles and creating interesting shadows,

The beauty of leaves picked out by the sun.

Low bridge? Will the snail shell follow the snail under the twig?

Glad I decided not to be a lettuce!

Hawthorn blossom brightens the scene

I MUST admit, it’s been quite a tussle this weekend between my ‘lazy bones’ and my ‘lively bones.’ My ‘lazy bones’ just wanted to roll over and have extra sleep, lounge around on the sofa, mooch about without having to do warm-up exercises, pound the pavements and generally exert myself.

Beautiful splashes of red and yellow
from the broom bushes

My ‘lively bones,’ however, were telling me to get up, get out, make the most of the sunshine and stop being such a lettuce. Well, the lettuce insult did it, and the ‘lively bones’ won the day.

I’m also reading iconic choreographer Twyla Tharp’s book The Creative Habit, in which she describes how she wakes at 5.30am and heads across town for a workout at the gym – every day! Well, I thought what’s good enough for Tharp is good enough for me; in a slightly modified form, of course, and certainly without the finesse!

I’ve recently discovered a route alongside a river bank and around a field near where I live that’s become my favourite walking ground, at least for the time being. I’d actually tried it some time ago, but it was so densely overgrown I had to turn back.

Even an 'ordinary' dandelion
has its appeal

Lately, however, it’s been clear enough to explore, and I’ve found myself following the river before taking to the criss-crossing tracks in the fairly ‘wasteland,’ and usually deserted field with, up to now, its dead and gnarly vegetation.

At this time of the year, bluebells, snowdrops, hawthorn, broom and other bright and colourful plants are beginning to splash gorgeous colour into the scene. I’ve popped some photos from the walk on here. Even just getting out and seeing these 'wonders of nature' is enough to give you a boost.

I think I did more picture-taking than calorie-burning today (I turned the cardio app off while 'snapping'), but thank goodness I didn’t just roll over this morning and become a lettuce!

• I notice that Good Housekeeping magazine (GH), who promoted walking in a feature recently, have followed it up with another double-page spread extolling the benefits of the activity and carry four case studies showing different ways in which walking has benefited people.
• GH supports Walk the Walk’s Moon Walks and Sun Walks, which help breast cancer causes.  There’s a Moon Walk in London next week ( May 10) on a Rockabilly theme. It’s sold out, but the organisers are still looking for volunteers, and other events are coming up.

Below, more pictures from my 'field' walk: