Walking the Essex countryside

Yesterday, in beautiful sunny weather, Zero and I walked this walk. We parked at Ingatestone Hall, as suggested, and then undertook the 6.5 mile walk. We met one or two people walking their dogs on sections of the walk, but no-one else appeared to be doing the complete walks. The downloadable leaflet is very useful and accurate, making it easy to follow the walk.

The rape had grown tall, and, in places on the walk, was like a yellow sea in which we felt as if we were swimming.

Soon after this we heard a cuckoo. It was definitely a cuckoo, and not a wood pigeon.

This is Ingatestone Hall viewed from the south-east, across the rape field and through the trees. Everything had grown well, because of the rain a week or two ago.

Our lunch stop was just after walking past this scene.

The view while we ate our lunch:


The walk passes through the church yard of St Giles Church, Mountnessing. The Church was locked so we were not able to go inside. In the grave yard are some half dozen Commonwealth War Commission graves. One is that of a leading aircraft man buried in 1942, but the others all dated from the First World War.

And, at the third time of trying (or is it the fourth or fifth?), some shoes that are made for walking!

The drive home diverted via Margaretting, and a visit to the Church of St Margaret of Antioch.

After tea, kindly provided on this occasion by Zero and which undid completely all the good we had done our cholesterol levels in walking, we watched the following on Youtube.

The Inkspots singing The Gypsy and Jools Holland with Jamiroquai singing I'm in the mood for love (though this might be a better video); Vanessa Mae Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and Eva Cassidy singing What a wonderful world (though this is perhaps a better video from the musical point of view). This is the link to the Eva Cassidy/Katie Melua duet.

Do we really belong to the same generation?