Saturday 28th February 2015, (Day 6, week 8)

Good afternoon,

I hope you’re all enjoying the weekend.

Mr RR and I took another trek out along the coast path from St Ives today, this time carrying on along past Pen Enys Point and Trevega Cliff before turning inland and following the footpaths through farmland back to St Ives.  The walk was taken from ‘Walkingworld.com’ – a website all about walking with some great treks (there is a small subscription).

Enjoy reading

Julie

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Target: 1000 miles in one year.  Weekly goal 20 miles.

Total achieved so far: 170.3 miles (target 160 miles)

Achieved this week: 20 miles

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St Ives circular via Pen Enys Point, Trevega Cliff and Trowan (7.9 miles)

We came without gaiters today, just walking boots and waterproof trousers (my fault – I left them out in the rain and they were soggy!).  Big mistake……if ever there was a walk requiring protection from the mud, this was it!!

St Ives was cloudy today but with that silvery green light that only St Ives has; the horizon so hazy you could barely see where the sea and sky met.  Calm in the harbour, choppy along the rugged coast, but not cold, just a bit breezy at times.

We walked along the front and followed the road past Smeaton’s Pier and up over to the Tate St Ives Gallery.  Surfers were finding good waves off Porthmeor Beach and children, well wrapped, were playing in the sand.  The coast path passes the putting green before the view opens out towards Clodgey Point.  Looking back at St Ives the tumble of houses are bathed in that unique light.

Last time we came this way, we were mesmerised by the hundreds of gannets  (a Gannetry of Gannets!) all swooping and diving out to sea.  Today we see one or two only. Maybe they are just difficult to see in the misty distance, or maybe they’ve moved on to better fishing grounds.

The path now becomes rocky and very muddy, at times we are wading through streams cascading down to the sea below. At one point a boardwalk has thoughtfully been provided over a swamp, but most of the time we’re walking through water and mud. It is indeed a scramble of a ramble.

As we clamber up one particularly steep rocky outcrop, I think to myself that this probably wasn’t what my physio had in mind when he said, to a rickety middle aged woman with two dodgy shoulders, that she should start walking!

We’re practically alone on this part of the coast, we pass only two other walkers taking a break at an improbably placed picnic table. To our left, the land is wild, almost desolate, treeless and covered in bracken.  On our right is the sea, far below, pounding the rocks.  But the views are incredible.  Scrambling up another photo opportunity (‘steep hill’ in RR speak) we ponder the absence of birds.  Aside from the gulls, a couple of buzzards circling over the cliffs and a cormorant or two on the sea, we don’t see or hear any birdlife.  No food here perhaps, or no shelter, or just taking a day off and huddling safe in their roosts.  Who knows?

At last ahead of us we see the disused mine that tells us we’re nearing the point to turn inland, first passing a stone circle known as the Merry Harvesters on our left.  The myth is that these stones were once 13 old farmers and one maiden from St Ives caught by a local magistrate dancing an ancient fertility rite.  He immediately turned them all to stone.

Just past the mine we climb a stile and turn inland.

From here on we’re walking across grassy fields, through gateways surrounded by mud baths and over innumerable stone stiles.  My walking guide calls these stiles ‘pestilential’, a word I have had to look up. As I thought, it means ‘plaguelike, virulent, epidemic and contagious’.  Not quite the right word for these but I know what he means!  A pest is a thing that annoys by imposing itself when it is not wanted and these steep, irregular granite obstacles are certainly that.  We must have crossed about 20 of them, some with a complicated gate structure seemingly designed to increase the struggle to ascend or descend.

Finally, exhausted, we find the road back down into St Ives, just as the rain starts to fall. A short diversion to pick up some lunch and we’re back at the car, where we gingerly pull off the mud encrusted boots before heading home.

Associated artwork for Ricketyrambler by Andrew Major:

http://www.andrewmajorart.co.uk

http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/Andrew-Major

Sunday 22nd February 2015 (Day 7, week 7)

Hello lovely people,

Mr RR and I are visiting with RR junior and Ms K in Oxford, where I have to say, February is in full swing…..it’s freezing here!  Undaunted we set off this morning for a walking tour of Oxford with a printed guide called The Parks and Spires of Oxford from Walking.com; and then moseyed around Oxford for the afternoon attempting to keep warm and dry.

Now, before proceeding with the ramblings – I just have to say that I’m a little disappointed that no-one noticed my error in the rambling mileage calculations  – I’ve now corrected this and can confirm that at the end of week 7, I’m still ahead of target – yippee! (and I expect more focus from you all in the future!)

Thanks for reading

Julie

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Target – 1000 miles in one year. Weekly goal – 20 miles

Total achieved so far – 150.3 miles (target 140)

Achieved this week – 22.4 miles

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Oxford City and Parks (6.9 miles)

We left our lovely apartment (www.theoxfordapartments.co.uk) bright and early and walked up the hill to the Harcourt Hill campus of Oxford Brookes University from where we can catch the bus into Oxford City Centre.  Arriving in High Street we made our way straight to The Grand Cafe for a  hearty breakfast.  The Grand Cafe claims to be the first coffee house in England and is indeed ‘grand’.

Fortified against the cold we made our way back up High Street towards the University Church and turned right into Radcliffe Square, home of the Radcliffe Camera and the Bodleian Library.  Then across the cobbles towards Catte Street and Parks Road, passing the New Bodleian Library – now freed from its hoarding and scaffolding, which has surrounded it on all our previous visits, and looking very smart.  Along Parks Road we pass the Pitt’s Rivers Museum, also refurbished and Keble College with its intricate red brick patterning.

                                               

Then we turn into Oxford University Park and walk around the perimeter  towards the River Cherwell. The University Park is full of facilities for sporting activities, cricket pitch and pavilion, rugby pitches and croquet lawns apparently. A little research tells me that there is a famous nude bathing spot here called Parson’s Pleasure –  I’m glad to say we saw no nude bathers today, not surprisingly.  It’s soon obvious that we’re entirely out of place, sporting no lycra or iPod, we seem to be the odd ones out amidst crowds of runners and joggers.  However, we pick up the (walking) pace – after all it is freezing – and make for the lake with its tribe of mallards quacking away loudly in the hope of crumbs.

Now at this point I have to deviate from rambling to tell you that Mr RR has bought a new book.  Its called ‘A Conspiracy of Ravens’ and its a gorgeous little ‘Compendium of Collective Nouns for Birds’ compiled by Samuel Fanous and complete with 18th century illustrations (wood cuts) by Thomas Bewick.  My point is that, from now on, I will be able to keep you educated about the correct terminology for ‘flocks’ of birds.  And I can begin with mallards – ‘A sord of mallards’ is the appropriate term.  Here is one of the illustrations from the book:

Anyway, this sord of mallards were joined today by a pair of Canada geese, the first of many we saw today. Not having any crumbs with which to quiet the ducks we hurried on to walk alongside the fast flowing Cherwell, a complicated river which splits so that at one point we are walking between the two rivers.  Passing the University sports field we can see that a ‘gaggle of Canada geese’ have taken up residence.

Eventually we reach a pretty cottage right on top of the river, with a flood gauge practically in the garden.  The sluice gates are open and river water is cascading through, with the river opposite looking worryingly high to us.

We exit Oxford University Park here and cross the road to Headington Hill Park, noting the beautifully sculpted, ornate mosque on our right

and walking briefly uphill before turning and heading downhill again, admiring the snowdrops and crocus just coming into flower amongst the trees and grass. This park was originally owned by the Morrell family but is now leased to Oxford Brookes University by the city council.  It is the venue for open air Shakespeare performances and other events. Leaving this park we walk down the road, over Magdalen (pronounced ‘maudlin’) Bridge and pass the Oxford Botanical Gardens, the oldest botanical gardens in the UK, before turning into Christ Church Meadow, an area of pastureland bordered by the Rivers Cherwell and Isis (Thames), maintained by Christ Church College.  Christ Church is the grandest of all the Oxford Colleges, founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1525.

We leave the meadow by the war memorial garden

and head back into the city centre, stopping for a little essential fabric shopping on the way. Then back up to High Street and along Cornmarket Street to the Ashmolean Museum for a cuppa with RR junior.

Leaving the men to enjoy a William Blake exhibition, I then continue my perambulations of the city streets, although it is pouring with rain now and I am forced to take shelter in various bookshops along the way!  We meet up again later and eventually find our way to a bar for a glass of wine before, defeated by the weather, we catch the bus back to Harcourt Hill.

Associated artwork for Ricketyrambler by Andrew Major:

http://www.andrewmajorart.co.uk

http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/Andrew-Major

I’m Currently reading:

Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit

Wednesday 18th February 2015 (Day 3, week 7)

Hello All,

Mr RR and I had a good walk today, we thought it was going to be a short stroll and got all grumpy, but it turned out to be 6.5 miles so we were well pleased in the end!

If you’ve already had a read of Monday’s post, you may be interested to know that I’ve added some of Mr RRs illustrations to the post.

Also – this is exciting – you’ll recall that Ms B and I saw a pair of crows having a loud conversation sitting on a drystone wall – well – having checked the RSPB bible (Mr RR and I have now joined) and the internet for sightings, it seems that what we actually saw were a pair of ravens – Mr RR tells me that this is a good spot! So well done us Ms B!

Enjoy todays ramblings.

Thanks for reading

Julie

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Target – 1000 miles in one year. Weekly goal – 20 miles

Total achieved so far – 138.5 miles (target 140)

Achieved this week – 10.6 miles

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Carbis Bay to Clodgy Point via St Ives and return (6.5 miles)

Today we had an errand to run in St Ives and we decided to walk along the South West Coast Path which follows the St Ives Branch line into the town. We were hoping to start our walk along the path at Carrack Gladden, the headland separating Porth Kidney Sands from Carbis Bay, but we were foiled by a lack of parking space and we didn’t have time to walk all the way from Lelant so it was a slightly disappointed pair of ricketyramblers who started the steep descent on foot, down the hill into Carbis Bay.

As we walked down – and down – I tried really hard not to think about walking up – and up – on the way back! You know how I hate those steep hills! The sign post onto the coast path told us that it was a mere 1.5 miles into St Ives – just a flipperty-jibbet of a walk for seasoned ramblers like us! Never mind, the climb up the hill over the bridge crossing the railway line and on upwards, reminded me that I might be glad it was only a short jaunt.

Reaching the top of the hill we could look back at the view across St Ives Bay to Hayle Towans and see Godrevy Point with its lighthouse. The sun was shining and the sand stretched for miles shining golden against the blue-green sea.

The coast path follows the lane between two rows of houses now, posh houses these, overlooking the bay with large landscaped gardens and fancy gates. The weather is taking no notice of the fact that it’s only February; it’s warm walking, dressed as we are for a winter stroll, so we stop to allow Mr RR to remove a layer, resting against a drystone wall lined with miniature daffodils.

 

Reaching the end of the residential lane we round the corner and pass the Hewer’s hut or Baulking House as it is known here. This was the lookout point from which watch was kept for shoals of pilchards in the bay, so that the boats could be directed to the best fishing spot.

As we walk on down over the hill into St Ives itself a robin joins us chirruping happily in the sunshine.

Also enjoying the sunshine, children are building sandcastles on Porthminster Beach, such a strange sight in the middle of February.

We walk on into St Ives and along the sea front. The tide is out and a pair of turnstones wander hopefully along the promenade, careless of the human feet just inches away.

After a quick stop for a cup of tea and a scone, we decide we have time to continue our walk along the coast path and walk up through the pretty cottages heading towards Porthmeor Beach.

On the way through the town we have to pass my most favourite gallery in all of St Ives, The Blue Bramble Gallery on Island Square (bluebramblegallery.co.uk). I’ve rarely managed to leave this little shop without buying something, so we agree that we won’t go in today. But …what is this? Suddenly I find my feet ascending the shiny clean slate steps and before I know it…….I’m in the door and having a conversation about the weather! I’ve no idea how that happened! No matter, we’re in now and so glad.

There are new displays and new artists selling here – in particular the wonderful work of Gwen Vaughan – (gwenvaughan.co.uk) – must be mentioned. Gwen works in a black clay with washes of coloured slip and her work is delightful. We are very impressed – most especially Mr RR, who, being a ceramicist himself is not so easily impressed – and sorely tempted to buy but manage to steel ourselves away with promises to return another day. If you get the chance you must visit but beware – something magic happens when you step inside!

We hurry on along the coast path, eager now to see how far we can get before we have to turn back. As we leave the town behind the landscape changes and we enter a world of large rock formations and scrubland.

We manage to get to Clodgy Point before, reluctantly we agree that we have to turn back – I have an appointment with my physio who is trying his best to help me back to my pre-rickety state.

Before we leave though we stand and watch as hundreds of gannets circle above the waves. Every now and then a group of them will plummet into the sea in a synchronized diving display, it’s fascinating to watch. Also just below us in the sea, a seal is enjoying the sunshine and a trio of cormorants float on the choppy waves.  Mr RR is very pleased that I made him bring the binoculars!

Back in St Ives the surfers are now out in force on Porthmeor Beach and the town itself has become very busy with visitors enjoying the half term sunshine. Up over the steep hill out of town, not stopping too often to catch my breath and along the track to the railway bridge. Down over the hill to Carbis Bay and then that steep, steep hill back to the car, two ponies being escorted up ahead seem to be making light work of the climb – I would pay real money for a ride!

Associated artwork for Ricketyrambler by Andrew Major:

www.andrewmajorart.co.uk

www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/Andrew-Major

 

I’m Currently reading:

Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit

Sunday 15^th February 2015  (Day 7, week 6)

Hello,

I hope you’ve all had some glorious sunshine today too!

This is walking day 26.  There have been 25 other walking days before this one – I may eventually get them all on-line.  Thanks for reading.

Julie

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Target – 1000 miles in one year.  Weekly goal – 20 miles

Total achieved so far – 127.9 miles (target 120)

Achieved this week – 20.3 miles

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Long Rock to Marazion via Marazion Marshes and return (4.2 miles)

What a glorious day, my oh my, plenty of sunshine and spring is in the air – I’m convinced.

Today we had a stroll from the car park at Long Rock, along the cycle path beside the railway track to the outskirts of Marazion and crossed the road to enter Marazion Marshes, where we had a wander about before heading on in to Marazion for a cup of tea.

The bright sun reflecting off the calm waters of Mounts Bay was in our eyes as we set off along the busy track. The neglected and derelict land, with half built or abandoned buildings on our left was a sharp contrast to the stunning views of the beach ahead and the bay on our right. We approached the Marshes stopping for a squint at the reed beds to see what was around and spying several rabbits, a couple of swans and an egret immediately.

Marazion Marshes is an RSPB maintained sight, contains Cornwall’s largest reedbed and hosts hundreds of species of plant, animals, insects and birds. Next to the protected marsh we can climb a low stile and enter the site, tramping over wet ground towards the lake and following grassy tracks between the reed beds. Along the way we catch sight of a small brown bird flitting through the trees, a reed warbler we think, although a look at the internet later reveals that Cetti’s warblers have been seen here only yesterday.

(Photos courtesy of Mr RR – you will come to know that I am always forgetting my camera!)

Leaving the marshland we walked on along the road into Marazion traversing the length of the village before finding an open café where we had tea and excellent cinnamon toast.

We return along the same route, the sun still shining. While we’ve been away a small flock of oyster catchers have come to pick over the grass for worms and two large geese have landed at the edge of the water – difficult to identify, we first of all think they are Barnacle Geese, but another search of the internet reveals that these are probably hybrid geese.

Well hello!

This blog is the story of my walking.  Let me tell you about it and why I’m rambling on here.

At the end of last year I had surgery on my shoulder, following which I was pretty inactive for 6 weeks or so.  Then one day early in the new year, my physio said that the best thing I could do now was to walk.  Walking gets your arms moving (it also distracts you from the nagging pain!).  The very next day my Country Walking magazine plopped through the letter box announcing the 2015 ‘walk 1000 miles in a year’ challenge.  For some reason, I instantly announced to Mr RicketyRambler that I was going to do this – walk 1000 miles in the next year.  ‘Ha!’ he replied. ‘That’s about 20 miles a week, every week’.  ‘Ha ha’ said I.  ‘I will!’  And so it began.

After the first walk, I decided I had to keep some sort of record otherwise a) I would be tempted to overguestimate the miles walked (a bit like calories but the other way round) and b) no-one would ever believe I’d done it!  So I wrote a diary of the walk and sent it to Mr RR and our offspring, Ms RR and the Messrs RR and also to my lovely friend Ms B.  All were enthusiastic and have been very encouraging, so – to make it easier to access, I’ve decided to make the diaries into a blog – and here it is!

Why ricketyrambler?  Well, first, it’s really difficult to find a blog title that someone hasn’t already got and second, when I looked up ‘rickety’ the meaning was so right: ‘aged’ ‘imperfect’ and ‘dilapidated’ is exactly me!

Anyway…..feel free to read (or not) and comment.  Also – please remember that these posts are just my ramblings, they are what I remember of each walk, what stuck in my mind, what interested me.  In no way should they be used to plan your own walking – if you want to walk one of these walks – do it safely – get a map, wear the right gear, watch the weather and then have fun!

Thanks for reading.

Julie