English Bicknor and Offa's Dyke

Wednesday afternoon, July 17.

1.30pm saw us driving out of the village to English Bicknor following the Wye River.

 Kerne Bridge over the Wye - 3 photos taken from Goodrich on a late evening walk.

Our notes for this walk had us parking in the school car park and actually walking through the school grounds on a 'Public Footpath'. I just love England's public right of way. Our schools are presently putting 6 foot high fences all around their perimeter.

I also fell in love with this school's 'green' and creative play spaces. I was hesitant to take too many photos of same.

As we entered the field, I looked back to the school and discovered this church tower watching us pass by.

Much of this afternoon walk was across farmland. Our notes gave us points to look out for rather than using signage.

Lush fields  we crossed and beautiful distant views.

Looking east.

It took us a little while to realise we needed to walk to the end of this field and turn left. A lovely man was thankfully working in his garden as we passed. [house in photo]. Our notes stated we would continue on a path between hedges. These no longer exist and it was this gentleman's conversation, about how he regularly has to set walkers straight, that made us realise where we had to go, but only after a lovely long conversation about his life and that of the village.

Continuing on .......

We were tempted to go over the style but made the correct decision to stay to the right.

These fields had been mown and hay baled. One field had very organised bales. The other randomly left in the field. Was it the same farmer? If not, how do they feel about one another? Lots of rhetorical questions were shared.

Corners of some of the fields had vegatables and corn planted. I was quite taken with the scarecows holding their guns ready to fire.

We left the fields via this path, to make our way to the Wye riverbank.

Sheep were spotted through the hedges.

A bigger gap in the hedge gave me a view to an enchanting garden.

Before reaching the Wye we passed behind an old industrial complex. It appeared that one or two of the buildings were being used to recycle or store plastics. What an eyesore. It hit home what a headache plastics are for our environment.

Disused railway bridge.

Finally a lovely walk beside the Wye.

Does this sign amuse anyone else?

The uphill, back to the village, commenced once we had found Offa's Dyke. 

Named after the Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia [757 - 796], it is a large linear earthwork that roughly follows the current border between England and Wales. 65 m wide, 2.4 m high, it traverses low ground hills and rivers.

Searching low, searching high.

Found, along with a lazy flock of sheep.

Poor ewe - twins!

The black sheep of the family.

The flock's scratching posts.

I think we may have disturbed some grouse.

Back to the narrow lanes and our village.

The hydrangeas were magnificent.

Our last kissing gate.

Light rain was beginning to fall as we walked up the final slope to our car. I didn't let it deter me from a short walk around this pretty village.

I discovered that the 'Public Footpath' wasn't just through the playground of the school.

I totally loved this rural walk, breathing in the aromas of the fields, listening to the bleating sheep and serenading but, hiding birds and gazing at the bucolic senery.

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