Early May BH Weekend Walking

My car was being (successfully) serviced and tested on Friday May 4th, and whilst that was being
done, I went on a c. 9 mile circular walk in NE Oxfordshire / NW Northamptonshire - from the village
of Souldern (near to where I used to live) - Aynho - Kings Sutton - Twyford Mill and Wharf, and back
via the Oxford Canal tow path (and helping a narrow boat lock through against a crosswind).

These sites give a feel/sense of the countryside (and pubs)
http://owls.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/OWLS/Home/
http://www.whitehorsekingssutton.co.uk/contact.htm
http://www.aynho.net/
http://www.waterscape.com/oxford_canal

It was clammy and chilly to start, but the sun broke through after lunch. The White Horse at Kings
Sutton (see the photo of the church above) had a reasonable pint of Brakspeares Best, but the
food was so-so.

Stopping for tea on the way back south to London, east of Oxford, I saw friends at Stanton St John,
whose farm includes a big Pick Your Own operation. I saw the asparagus beds, and the newly
planted ones and new irrigation and then stopped for tea, with a generous helping of fresh
asparagus.http://www.local-food.net/directory/display.asp?id=192
and http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/ecodev/VillageDetails.jsp?Name=Stanton%20St%20John


The car service was fine, but the clutch needs replacing - but should be ok 'til that gets done next
week. It'll be expensive, I'm sure, but I suppose after 133K miles, and 12 years, not so bad going.

Saturday was an early start to drive down to Sussex, but my left heel was very painful after Friday.
I've been hobbling a bit until muscles have warmed up after some walking. In fact this persisted all
weekend, although is now reasonably OK.

There was no apparent physical reason - maybe it's down to a trapped nereve, it was that sort of
pain, rather than anything else (or being out of condition, overweight, etc).

I joined my stepfather in Robertsbridge, where they live,
http://www.villagenet.co.uk/esussex-iron/villages/robertsbridge.php
http://www.urban75.org/london/robertsbridge.html
http://www.salehurst-pc.org.uk/home.asp
to go to Winchelsea (no longer that near to the sea, the English Channel (or French Manche), for
what was more of a stroll from the town down onto Brede Level and across and up to Cock Marling
- led and with frequent stops and information by a member of the Romney Marsh Trust
http://www.rmrt.org.uk/, the Winchelsea Archaeology Society
http://www.winchelsea.net/community/arch_society.htm - some real fascinating elements to think
about, from Roman (or perhaps pre-Roman) to present day.
Well worth going back for a longer walk, but there's no longer a tea room now, but still a shop for
icecream.

The third walk, on Sunday, was rather disappointing - overcast, hazy, even misty, so no views, and
we didn't really get up onto the South Downs. This was a 10 mile circular from Berwick Station
(on the Marshlink rail line from Hastings to Rye and Ashford
http://www.southernrailway.com/main.php?page_id=101).

I'll be putting a few snaps up on the web.