Health Walk Thursday 23rd June 2011

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The sky was ominous, we'd had rain just a short while ago but we set off, Maureen leading, in the dry. We had a few light showers but also shafts of sunshine and patches of blue.

Maureen had chosen CVP Walk Number 4.   All the walks have to be risk assessed for health & Safety/Insurance reasons, that's why there are designated walks.  Maureen and I plan to work out some new routes.

We set off down to the stone bridge, there were eight of us: Brian, Carol, Carole, Dennis, Helen, Jacquie, Maureen and I, Michael.

We walked south along the cycleway and walked up into Dog Kennel Wood and through Gravel Hole Wood.

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Recently joined Friends Dennis & Carol on their first Health Walk.  Here we are discussing how to differentiate between Bracken and Fern.

We walked through the wood and came out at the lake. Walking round the west side we dropped down to the picnic area and up into the wood on the right - don't know what it's called but it's next to the hold scramble track.  We came out of there and entered Cock Cabin Wood to Cock Cabin pond.

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The advance party waiting for us to catch up whilst we were admiring a Common Spotted Orchid of which there are many in the Park at the moment.  We sort of knew it wa an orchid but we had to ask Jim which one it was.

We left Cock Cabin Wood and walked towards the motorway, which, if you stretch belief a little, sounded like waves breaking on the shore.

We returned to the Barn via the Cinder Path, Maureen pointing out places where bats have been know to roost.

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Here we all are enjoying tea/coffee and biscuits - Jacquie enjoying being 'Mum' - Brian, Maureen, Helen, Jacquie, Dennis, Carol and Carole.  Moments later our peace was shattered when a hoard of school children burst into the Barn at the end of an Education Session organised by Ruth, assisted by David.