Walk 20/2008 – Wooton Wawen from Edstone Aqueduct.

Sunday 7th September 2008

Much of this walk was taken along the canal towpaths of the Stratford upon Avon canal. The paths were hard and easy terrain, which was welcome after the very muddy conditions when crossing the waterlogged crop fields and after tentatively passing through the flooded woods. Although our day turned out to be free from rain, due to the recent heavy rain it could still be deemed ‘the day of mud’. We all finished with clay ridden trousers and boots that would set into boot shaped flowerpots if left to dry for too long! But this added to part of our day’s fun.

There were plenty of colourful canal barges to view; but not many were travelling along the canals today probably due to the recent miserable weather. Some owners appear to take great pride of their water accommodation, exhibiting twee cottage and lace curtains, attractive roof gardens, with plentiful selections of different plants and lights, and some with a neatly mown lawn patch for their mooring site.

The hedgerows carried many blackberries, but most not just ripe enough to eat or harvest as they had only turned from their red stage. In addition the hedgerows carried plentiful bunches of fat elderberries – this year appears to be a fantastic crop for those wine makers. I wish I had had time to do just that, but we need to see those bottles of Sloe Gin before I dare suggest some helping hands to gather in a supply of elderberries.

We passed through quite a dense wooded area – Austy Wood. This section was very pretty with babbling brooks and many lush trees and even the momentary accompaniment of a mewing buzzard in the distance. Of great interest was a bumper crop of mushrooms at the base of an old tree, the excessive rains had encouraged the mushrooms to arrive earlier than the expected October and in a vast sized clump. Discussion was had around the collective terminology of this plethora of mushrooms and Jackie decided ‘punnet’ to be the most apt! What a laugh that caused us all.

We had Coffee on the village green adjacent to a very old cottage, probably circa 16th C at least, but we also noticed the less picturesque dead mouse adjacent to our chosen spot! As we left our coffee location we passed an extremely huge gnarled tree which must have been hundreds of years old and possibly existing during Shakespeare’s era, and we are in his neck of the woods today!

When back on the canal towpath we passed by and over several ornate cast iron and brick bridges, all the same and numbered. They were split with a gap through the middle and after much deliberation it was decided to be have been designed for the horse rope to pass through as he towed the barges in the past. Lunch was enjoyed sitting upon one of these very bridges giving us good views of the canal whilst eating our tasty lunches. This was also a peaceful time for Jackie to consider, had she passed over the canal today, and for us all to remind her that she was currently on a bridge and actually just doing that as we spoke!

We all settled our mileage and recaptured our days walking over a few beers in the garden of the Navigation Inn adjacent to where we had been walking earlier. A great day.

Report – Cathy

Pictures – Alan and Nigel M

Walk rating – Good

A boat comes along the canal as we start our walk.

A muddy path disappears into the distance.

We stop to wonder at this very old tree trunk.

There is a lot of water in the rivers after recent rain.

The walk passes through some attractive woodland.

We came across a fine display of mushrooms (or are they toadstools?) on this tree.

This bridge provides a dry place for lunch.

The marina at Wootton Wawen.

The aqueduct at Wootton Wawen.

The aqueduct at Edstone.

A barge navigates one of the bridges.

There is a quagmire to negotiate as we cross this field.

There is a stream running down the middle of this path.

A canal view.

Duck.

Another view of the Edstone aqueduct.