Sandwich and the sea

On Sunday feeling the need to do something we haven’t done for a while we headed down to Sandwich for a long walk. It’s just over an hour from us, and that might seem a daft thing to do just to go for a walk, but we were both looking forward to being somewhere we’d not been before, or not been for many a year if we’d even been there before. The Kent Ramblers site have a number of walking routes, and while there were some closer to home, the call of the sea must have been calling us - and so we followed their Walk 67: Sandwich and the sea, by the time we finished a nearly nine mile walk (or fourteen kilometres).

It’s been a while since we’ve followed a walking route, and with my troublesome toe still not quite fixed but not interfering with walking, we were both looking forward to it. We’ve done some walking holidays in the past in Portugal and in France - the sort where you walk to your next accommodation while your luggage is transferred by road, but not for a while.

We set out from the Gazen Salts car park easily finding the start of the route and the first metal bridge. Though like all of these walks we’re keen to get onto the next written instruction and begin to doubt ourselves wondering if we’ve gone too far, or missed a turning. Rarely we have, but even so it’s always a topic of conversation, along with the picturesque scenery.

We passed many families returning along the path above, some on foot, some on bikes and some with dripping ice creams. We’d chosen to walk on Sunday as the weather looked the best that day, and it definitely turned out to be a warm, but not too warm, one. The path soon opened up into an open field with a clear indication of our route ahead.

Metal bridges featured several times on this walk and on each I think we paused to take in the fauna and the reflections in the darkness of the water, just breathing in the nature.

There were regular markings and reminders we were following one from the many network of public footpaths, something we see less of where we live but take for granted across the countryside. This walk led us across a golf course - a first for me, which was also a second for me later in the walk when we crossed another - and that too was clearly marked as the walk directions said it would be.

We walked past some small thatched buildings, and across the fairway having first checked for passing ‘traffic’ and exited the course on the road running parallel to the beach. And as you’ll see not only did we get to see the sea, we were also treated to some pretty spectacular skies and cloud formations.

Heading back inland and across the second golf course of the day we were now heading towards another footpath, following a short way on the road. It was here MOH asked why we were walking along the road, and here we realised we’d not turned where we should, thankfully it was less than 20 steps or so to get us back on track - and once again that track was clear.

The walking notes warned this might be overgrown, and they weren’t wrong. As the path continued we were walking through longer grass with purple fronds at the top, it was quite the sight and not something I’ve seen before. We walked past fields of now flowering asparagus crops, and at one point to get to a kissing gate we had to navigate some stinging nettles. With shorts on, this was trickier and more painful than if we’d had our legs covered more, but we were soon on our way again.

We opted to do the longer route and so turned left and headed past the hay bales and alongside the stream, crossing another metal bridge and then shortly after an unattended level crossing. We’d seen (and heard) a couple of trains in the distance as we walked and realised the direction we were heading. Safely across the railway we were soon admiring the hedgerow sloes and hawthorn berries, and smaller than usual blackberries which were starting to ripen.

We headed back into Sandwich along the City Walls, which would also make a great short stroll, and were starting to feel the distance we’d walked. We were also hungry, so plans were agreed to fix that. The city walls brought us right back to the Quayside where the route directions start, and from there we headed to the Drill Hall which we’d spotted when we set off for a stone baked pizza and a beer - both of which were very, very welcome and a good end to the day, along with the 20k steps we clocked up on our way!

All in all it was a fabulous day out.

In search of veg

You know how it is when you’re a bit summer veg-ed out? I mean it’s been great to eat so many lush peppers, crisp courgettes, sweet sweetcorn and many and varied salads, which always taste better when the weather’s great, but I’m a bit summer veg-ed out. So feeling the need for something different, I decided to set out and try a new green grocers and to combine that with a walk to up my steps.

I even took the long way round and headed through Charlton Park. My plan was to stop off and explore Charlton House on the way back, but after being drawn towards the cafe and its elusive clientele I changed my plans.

The cafe wasn’t open sadly, but that’s a good reason to walk this way again surely? The path led me on towards Charlton House, a Jacobean building originally a residence for a nobleman associated with the Stuart royal family, then later a wartime hospital, then a museum and library and now a community centre. It’s also where we got our first and second Covid jabs during lockdown.

When we were there then we popped our heads around the garden gate, noting that there was a garden and most likely more there than we could see at a quick glance. It’s taken a while to get back there, and we were right. There is a lot more there and the Amnesty International Peace Garden opens daily.

I was quite taken with the sculpture and the ‘froth’ of plants that greets you as you enter the garden which aims to be ‘a place for quiet reflection and contemplation’ and which opened in 2006.

The paths continued to lead me through the garden, wandering around the beds. There’s plenty of places to stop and pause, and to sit and enjoy the space. There’s also signs throughout the garden explaining the watering strategy during the current drought, and which reiterate the importance of putting the right plant in the right space.

Even though many of the plants are perhaps browner than they would usually be, there’s still colour and texture in the space along with some great trees.

And while this is a fabulous space, it wasn’t getting me the veg I came out for. So while I could have stayed and enjoyed the space for much longer, I was off in search of veg. Inside the local green grocers I found more summer veg, but also the start of autumnal squashes. I left with more courgettes, sweetcorn, a cauliflower and an onion squash - and a resolve to seek out some new recipes and ways of making the most of the summer veg while it’s still around.

And the bonus was, I’ve found a local garden and a cafe to come back and visit.

A few days away...

At the end of last week once MOH had finished work we jumped into our already loaded up car for a few nights away, heading to a small village just outside of Melton Mowbray. The check in instructions were quite precise, check in closed at 7pm and there were no exceptions. Eek.

If only someone had told the London traffic. We arrived with fifteen minutes to spare in the end, but the traffic put a few spokes in our plans along the way - with delays on the M11 which we were able to route around, and then on the M1 which we weren’t able to. And it wasn’t even Friday night, when the traffic out of London is notoriously bad.

Our plan was to explore around Melton Mowbray, potentially visit Pie Fest (spoiler: we didn’t get there in the end - but what a place to hold such an event!), and explore we did. Here I’ll share some of what we got up to in and around Melton, the countryside around and our discoveries along the way.

DECORATIVE BRICKWORK AND AN ORNATE GARAGE IN MELTON MOWBRAY

A TRADITIONAL MOSAIC TILED SHOP DOORWAY IN MELTON MOWBRAY

Melton Mowbray had a nice feel to it, and we obviously stopped to buy a pork pie and also some local cheese. I mean if you can’t buy a pork pie in Melton Mowbray, then where can’t you buy one! We wandered around, stopped for lunch and found ourselves at the cattle market but too early for the brewery I’d heard about to be open.

We also took a look around Bingham, East Bridgford and Whatton - all of differing sizes, with Bingham being the largest which again had a nice feel to it and a market square with an interiors shop that had plenty of lovely things, all of which I resisted.

Another of our discoveries and another place we stopped for lunch was Southwell, which I was surprised to learn had a cathedral, or rather a Minster. It’s a small place so having a cathedral was unusual, until we learnt that it also had an Archbishop’s Palace alongside it. It was a lovely spot and had been undergoing a programme of restoration, with an exhibition in the newly completed Chapter House. The photographic exhibition was of cathedrals around the UK, many of which we’d visited on previous trips and many which we hadn’t visited at all.

THE MINSTER AT SOUTHWELL

THE EXHIBITION IN THE CHAPTER HOUSE

There were a set of modern sculptures by Jonathan Clarke depicting the Stations of the Cross - interestingly people were encouraged to interact with the sculptures, touching them (gently) as well as admiring them. I really liked these in a way I hadn’t expected, and it was great to be able to fully explore and admire these.

ONE OF THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS BY SCULPTOR JONATHAN CLARKE

In the Archbishop’s Palace it was the decorative ceiling that really caught my eye, that is until we came out and I saw the decorative detail around the Minster’s doors.

THE DECORATIVE CEILING IN THE ARCHBISHOP’S PALACE, SOUTHWELL

ORNATE STONEWORK AT THE MINSTER IN SOUTHWELL

We’d heard about a large garden centre close to East Bridgford and decided to take a look around there too hoping to get a cake there too. And it was so much more than a garden centre - it was one of those giant ones, with everything. This artwork, which we were also to spot another version of during our stay, caught both of our eyes - it’s the type of artwork that every time you looked at it, you’d see something new.

We had our cake - for me a home made supersized battenburg and for MOH a squidgy chocolate creation. Remembering we were heading back to the car for an unknown amount of time I sought out the loos, well you knew I would right? The loos themselves were perfectly functional and clean, but it was the ‘Ladies’ that really stood out. Very Audrey Hepburn-esque, don’t you think?

After plenty of food and cups of teas we decided to explore our surroundings on foot. Parking in one village, we set out on a circular walk taking in the next village along. On the way out of Elston on our way to East Stoke we took an off road path and then bridleway, and it was everything you’d expect a country walk to be. The route back was more along the bigger road, which while cars were considerate wasn’t quite so tranquil as on the way there. Though we did walk past a wooden sculpture than probably most driving past would miss.

BLACKBERRIES, NOT QUITE SO LUSCIOUS THIS YEAR

WALKING ALONG A COUNTRY PATH BETWEEN ELSTON AND EAST STOKE

WALKING TOWARDS THE RIVER TRENT

We wandered through the village of East Stoke, which while small has plenty of history hosting a battleground from the War of the Roses. Not that you’d know it from the quiet country lanes which were amazingly still quite green.

FERNS AND A BRICK WALL

And here’s that sculpture I mentioned before - it’s quite unusual:

AN UNUSUAL CARVED SCULPTURE OUTSIDE ONE OF THE HOUSES WE WALKED PAST

On our last day we headed over to a cycling cafe - Caffe Velo Verde - for lunch and a look around. It was well equipped for passing cyclists and for those on four wheels - and the food was tasty too. For cyclists there were locks and places to clean cleats, as well as a charging point. We ate cheese toasties and shared a spicy sausage roll, and I’m pretty sure MOH has this earmarked for future visits as a place to stop.

As we were close to Belvoir Castle and its Engine Yard, we stopped there for a quick wander around the shops. It’s a place we’ve been too a couple of times before and it never fails to disappoint. This time we went into a shop we’d not been into before, and I discovered a new artist to look out for. The pouches and mugs by Katie Cardew were great, loved the colours and loved the designs.

And how many different coloured guggle jugs? One of these is definitely on my list, I just don’t know which colour yet.

Back at our holiday accommodation, we had another surprise when this peacock stopped by for a visit. We saw him once, but heard him more often at first mistaking his call for a rather loud cat. Given how the hosts and their dog went about their business, unlike MOH and I who were in awe of the bird, we take it that it was affiliated with them in some way.

I was surprised by the size of his claws, and was very happy to keep my distance. When I next looked out and he was wandering between the parked cars, I took that as my cue to come back inside. He was still about, but out in the lane, when we went out for dinner and we both laughed as he wiggled and waddled at speed away from us (but mostly because we were in the car and not on foot!)

We packed a lot into a few days, but it was oh so good to have a change of scenery.