A grey, slightly murky morning but dry for us as we wandered off to the South of the village and the footpath through the churchyard of the 13th century St Michael's and All Angels.
It was open and a quick nosey inside revealed the surprisingly large and airy interior. Many tablets and memorials and plenty of signs of a large and wealthy parish supported by manors such as Slade, Blachford, Cornwood (now Delamore) and more.
On through the churchyard and across the field to join the Lutton Road, past the pink tree and bearing right up the fork, on up through the village and right again towards the moors, past the perching chicken flock.
Along the righthand track and Gibb Forest and there on our right the red flashes of poppies, and a memorial stone marking a blocked off access to the crash site amongst the trees and carved beech. Seven aircrew were lost in the Stirling R9329 August 1942 here whilst returning from Bordeaux. Some research sources suggest that, sadly, anti aircraft defences were the cause of the crash.
Solemnly on downhill to Quickbridge and the Sheraleer Woods for coffee break and then through the woods to Cornwood, the edge of the Blachford Estate and looping back around to a place of cold chips, and off beer.
Following an otherwise okay ish lunch some of us indulged in a snowdrop stroll around the Mount. Not such a good display as previous years but more than made up by the sale of newspaper wrapped snowdrops in the green...cheaper than chips!!!
Anne