Wednesday 9 September - National Forest Way

There's an argument that this post should reside on my walking blog rather than here, but the walking blog has pretty much become just a record of things done in the past plus ongoing Marilyn-bagging, hence I'm putting it here.

I'm contemplating doing a continuous walk of either the National Forest Way (NFW) or the Staffs Way next year, and to decide between them (or to see whether I want to do either), I thought I'd go and do some recces. I have covered significant parts of them before, but some sections were quite some years ago.

There being no time like the present, on Wednesday Mick gave me a lift to Branston Water Park, from where I intended to cover 26km of the National Forest Way, to end in Alrewas - a location I could have reached in 7.5km if I'd just ambled S along the canal towpath, rather than turning off it to wind my way through lots of fields and past various National Forest plantations. As it went, I did cover 26km, but I veered off the Way (intentionally!) at Wychnor to meet Mick in a location more convenient to him.

The most notable thing about the outing was that I got stung by a wasp. I've never been stung by any insect before in my life, which is probably quite a good record for someone in their 6th decade. I immediately phoned Mick, because I had no idea whether I was allergic and, being in the middle of a field at the time, it would have been an unfortunate place to discover that I was. Happily, no adverse reaction happened, except for the expected: smarting and swelling, followed by days of intense itching.

Sun rising over Branston Water Park

I'm not sure whether I've ever seen one of these self-closing gate latches before. I liked the design, although arguably it is over-engineered compared to the usual two-way latches.

There was a perfectly good track going around two edges of this field, but I stayed true to the line of the RoW and took the more arduous route through the long grass. 

Good margin around this field of maize. 

Apparently, I should not have come down this track and climbed over the locked gate. I've checked the most recent OS maps in both 1:50k and 1:25k and the RoW/NFW is definitely shown as following this track. When I came out onto the road at the end of the track, the 'public footpath' finger post pointed along a path that runs adjacent (which I'd been on, until I realised that the map showed that I should be on the track).

The bit of the field that had been harvested was fine. Then I squeezed my way between rows of maize, as the field margin was unpleasantly overgrown with spiky and stingy things. 

The squirrels are loving life, pending the rest of the maize being harvested, with trails of eaten cobs heading off in every which direction. 

Lots of new gateways installed. I particularly approve of the liberal use of gravel around them all which should hopefully mean that none of them become mud and water obstacles in winter.