Woodland Path
A frustrating walk today. Started out in soft sun whilst I walked the 3 miles through Witcombe Woods from Cooper's Hill (site of the annnual lunacy of 'cheese rolling'). Emerging from the woods after having taken just one b&w shot but having earmarked a few more for the return journey I was reminded of my disappointment at the far point of my last walk. There is what is best described as an amphitheatre between Crickley Hill fort and the promontary known as The Peak - approaching 3 miles apart. The performance in the amphitheatre is the constant, unvarying heavy traffic on Birdlip Hill as it strains and grinds its way up about 250m and whose noise seems to be focused up to the top rim where the Cotswold Way meanders through yet more beautiful Cotswold countryside. Being a purist I had to complete the additional 2-mile round trip to the Air Balloon pub where I left off last week rather than just avoid it. Hopefully there are no more such intrusions along the way. Local roads and traffic are ok but this was too much.
I started the day with high expectations that the weather would be fine - so when the steady rain began just after the halfway point my spirits dropped. The rain was more than I was happy to cope with for the images I'd earmarked for the return - so I was scuppered. Two lessons learned today - although it's not as if I hadn't thought I'd learnt them before.
- Don't defer taking a picture - do it there and then.
- Don't trust the weather forecast.
But the walk itself was as always a pleasure, even in the rain - except for the traffic interlude.
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