I decided that instead of getting a lift from Lydbury North to Netley Barns, I would walk. When I saw that it was about 17 miles I decided to walk some of the way. Duncan and Rita fed me up with a huge cooked breakfast in readiness and I popped to the Lydbury North Community shop where I bought a few emergency rations of chocolate.
At midday I set off from Bridges on my 8.4 mile journey. I strolled past sheep lying in the shade of trees, past cows suckling their calves, past hidden cottage and along narrow lanes with thick ancient hedgerows. I was just thinking that things coldn’t get more peaceful and beautiful when I cam e across the Shropshire Off Road Club’s bank holiday weekend gathering!
Why would anyone think it was a good idea to build something akin to a moon buggy and drive it full pelt into a mull-filled ditch and then get a crowd to pull you out. The revving noises shattered the peace and I was glad to start my ascent onto the top of Long Mynd.
All I saw was a few walkers and the odd cycling club (with Brummie accents!). The hedgerows were full of blackberries, the air was full of bird song and the sun was out. On top of the Long Mynd I stopped at a signpost marked Buckley Nap and pulled up some bracken to keep the flies at bay.
After a chocolate snack I descended the hill on a narrow road which ran down the edge into the Severn valley. My feet had started to ache now. It was 2 hours after I had set off and I was hoping above all hope that Picklescott had a pub. My initial enthusiasm when seeing the sign for “the Glass and Bottle” was checked when I read on the door “Closed until further notice”. Another ancient pub bites the dust. What a pity.
As I wandered increasingly wearily through the Shropshire lanes towards Dorrington I had no doubt that of the walkers on the Long Mynd today I was probably the only one wearing Jaeger trousers and blouse, new work shoes she bought in Bournemouth a few weeks ago and carrying dirty undies, pyjamas and a laptop.
I eventually made it 4 hours after setting off, my belly full of chocolate and blackberries but my head filled with the sights and sounds of the Shropshire countryside. What could be better?