Dear ladies,
We are just back from Sheila’s circular walk from Upton House car park via Sun Rising Hill, with lunch to follow at the Rose and Crown at Ratley. Just a fairly short walk with only one stile to clamber over, easy walking over stubbled fields, with a new crop just beginning to develop and there in the middle of our way, a brightly blue-flowered borage plant just demanding to be admired and applauded. Despite the warmth of the sun, a stiff breeze kept us moving as we walked over this field, then another and then after a further short wooded walk-way a wide-open vista beckoned us forwards towards the view of plains down below Sun Rising Hill. A fabulous vista of fields, hedgerows, pastures, dwellings and one busy road far below us, the sun beating down and the air crisp and sweet on our faces. It must be added that a few baby clouds were playing tag in the wide blue yonder but their presence offered no threat to the beauty of the vision we encountered. The vista was the object of much photographic activity and then we had to read the helpful map and the poster on the Battle of Edgehill, the first major confrontation of the English Civil War and take photos of course, climbing over an extra, unplanned stile but, it was well worth the effort for the greater benefit of the morning ‘s walk.
Returning to Upton, we drove to Ratley and the Rose and Crown for a most delicious lunch in this stunning village location and historic pub with Civil War connections..
Warmest thanks to Sheila for an excellent WI walk and pub lunch event. Here’s a few photos of our morning’s excursion…
the one stile to clamber over…
Margaret Halstead.