Following on from Saturday’s Half Marathon, I decided to get out most days for a walk. This is most important if I am to take part in next Saturday’s Twelve Hallows Walk.
After a recovery weekend, I managed to get up early enough to take the dogs out for a couple of miles before work then a mile to the pet shop to meet the other half from work.
Another rest day (lazy) on Wednesday but come Thursday and I arranged to meet Sue at The Griffin to where I would walk.
I picked the, almost, direct route via Coleshill Parkway and Whitacre Heath. There is a more direct route which I did a week or so ago but this was very overgrown.
Just after Coleshill Parkway, at three miles, I passed Tarmac Hams Hall Rail Terminal (that’s what Google Maps calls it) where I spotted a Class 66 diesel moving around so I had to take the obligatory train photo.
From the trains, I made my way to Nether Whitacre via the edges of Hams Hall walking alongside the River Tame before crossing it and the, soon to merge, River Blythe which consumed the Cole about a quarter of a mile upstream.
Emerging from a field onto Station Road in Nether Whitacre, I soon spotted a stripey horse. Technically it was a plain horse with a stripey blanket. As we drove past this earlier in the week, Sue had commented on it so a photo was in order.
Not every day do you (almost) see a zebra !
After about half a mile, I left the main road, taking Hogrills End Lane to cross over the railway before taking a footpath through Colin Teall Wood to follow the Nuneaton railway line.
The railway was crossed then followed with Shustoke Reservoir on my right.
After another mile, I left the path alongside the railway and followed another river this time – The River Bourne.
This short river rises somewhere near Ansley Common and flows for ten miles before being swallowed up by The Tame. Amazingly, this little waterway is what fills up the four hundred and sixty million gallon Shustoke Reservoir !
The Bourne looked very tranquil as it flowed slowly under the tree canopy.
All too soon, I had to leave the river to fight my way through some dense foliage before a clear cut track through a field led me to The Griffin’s car park.
I had arranged to meet Sue here at half six and I was about ten minutes early.
After a short sit down outside to cool down a little and not waiting for Sue, I made my way inside.
First pint was plain old H20 with ice (technically just more H20) before tucking into a pint of Oakham’s excellent Green Devil just as Sue turned up.
Friday’s mileage consisted of a couple of doggie walks, firstly with Misty and then Gabby – another 2.6 miles.
Not a lot but ticking over.