Spring Walks

Feeling a little bit at a loose end, I decided to take advantage of the dry weather and go for an explore. There is always something so beautiful about the spring, maybe it’s the vivid green of the new leaves after so many months of bare trees and rain, or perhaps it’s the crocuses and snowdrops flowering beside the road. Whatever it is, the lengthening of the days and the (fractionally) drier days are uplifting even if the plot is still several feet of water.

On my walk today, I headed across to Haslington, a beautiful little village just outside Crewe via the field footpaths. There were so many flowers out on my way, I found myself regularly stopping to admire them. I particularly love hedgerow flowers, especially hawthorn which bursts into flower before throwing out its leaves.

Once I ambled through Haslington, I found a little wildlife area which I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore before. The paths lead alongside a little river, surrounded by rolling fields on one side and houses on the other. Sitting by the stream in the sunshine, I watched the horses in the field opposite. They were busy eating grass and seemed completely uninterested in my presence.

When the sun went in, I headed homeward. It was a slow amble, through the centre of Haslington with a short pitstop at the Coop to pick up a drink. The walk home using the main road isn’t usually very exciting but all along the hedgerows were flowers and in a field, one lonely mallard looking confused. The field was flooded, creating a temporary pond which had lured him down. As I walked further, I spotted another footpath and decided to have a look. The path led away from the road and turned right before disappearing. As I turned the corner, movement caught my eye. A little cluster of rabbits had dived for cover. It’s a sight I used to see regularly as a child but it’s a rare sight in Crewe.

I didn’t have my wellies on and without a path I decided to head back to the road. I dithered about extending my walk to try to find Hungerford Road Allotments. They are close to our site but it’s location has always been a bit of a mystery. I walked down several roads before spotting it at the bottom of an alleyway. Their site looks to be a similar size to ours with a very grand gate entrance with Hungerford Allotments on. Pleased with my discovery, I walked back home just as it began to rain.

Just what we need, more rain!