Dear readers

Something strange is happening in my world.

Last night as I sat studying an OS map and contemplating tea and cake in M&S while waiting for the car to be serviced today, some words suddenly popped out of my mouth:

‘We could always go for a walk while we wait for the car’ I said.

This is unprecedented, I’m not sure what’s happening to me……

Enjoy the ramblings.

Julie

(P.S:  I forgot the camera again today – all photos are Mr RRs)

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

Total achieved so far – 143.4 miles (target 140)

Achieved this week – 15.5 miles

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Hayle Estuary, The Towans and Phillack (4.9 miles)

So we did……we left the car to be serviced, walked straight past Marks and Spencer and followed the path up over the A30 and along the main Hayle road turning right to walk alongside the estuary with its reed beds and marshes.  The tide was out and the river bed was buzzing with birdlife (do river beds buzz?  Anyway – you know what I mean).

We saw dozens of wigeon – you may remember that we have previously been confused about the duck population, however, we are now fully signed up members of the RSPB (something strange really is happening to me!) and we have the book!  These were definitely wigeon, with their little wedge shaped bright yellow patch on their heads, foraging in the weed. We saw a flock of lapwing (love these!), shelducks, redshank, a curlew, an oyster catcher and a heron (another favourite!) sitting regally in the middle of the river.  And then we saw a solitary little squat grey bird with a short beak, we had to consult the book – a grey plover!

As you continue along the banks of the river you enter the George V Memorial Gardens, a subtropical garden completely maintained by volunteers.  It’s stunning in Spring and Summer.  Not much going on at the moment but the volunteers are hard at work pruning and tidying.

Coming out of the gardens we crossed the road to North Quay, which has been recently redeveloped to provide moorings for boats and will eventually have waterside cafe’s and restaurants and easy access to the beach as part of the Hayle Redevelopment Masterplan.  We walked down onto the beach and round the corner away from the estuary, taking a look across at Lelant Church on the opposite hill,  before ascending onto Hayle Towans via the South West Coast Path.

Hayle Towans – (from the Cornish ‘tewyn’ meaning sand dune) – includes the area from Mexico Towans to Gwithian, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.  We’re heading for Mexico Towans – no idea why it’s so called – following the coast path across the dunes with the sea on our left and Godrevy lighthouse ahead.

At Mexico Towans we head inland, climbing a high dune for an excellent view of the area and a discussion about which way to go.  We can see Phillack Church ahead so we follow the path out of the dunes and through the houses to the church, then down over a steep hill – on which someone has thoughtfully provided me with a chair, in case I was thinking of climbing back up the hill!

At the bottom of the hill we’re back at the estuary and a short walk across the road and round the corner finds us having a quick cuppa before reclaiming the car!

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