Walking Group 1
We walk in the mornings of the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month, normally meeting at Homebase at 9.20am and leaving promptly at 9.30am. Sometimes we travel up to 30 minutes away by car before meeting up to provide a variety of walks.
This is a very sociable group and we walk at a steady pace for about 2 hours, generally 4 - 5 miles. We take it in turns to lead walks.
Our walks have taken us in all directions, to Gaurlford, May Hill, Marcle Ridge, Haugh Wood, Malvern, Upton, Kempley and Hereford to name but a few. We do try to match our walks to the seasons so a snowdrop walk, a bluebell walk, a daffodil walk etc. Obviously we have to do a Haugh Wood walk with its butterfly trails when the butterflies are flying.
During Lockdown members been managing to keep walking but individually rather than as a group. However now the rules are allowing it we are currently meeting physically. We are walking in groups of max 6. Everyone who wishes to join a particular walk books in advance and is allocated to a group. We have up to four people who will have reccied each walk and who each lead a group.
The groups do not intermingle and we follow social distancing guidelines. We are not sharing cars.
A similar system operated during those period between the lockdowns when it was permitted. We had lovely walks to Redmarley, Haugh Wood, Much Marcle and Ross-on-Wye as well as local walks in Conigree Wood, Frith Wood, Wellington Heath and Falcon Lane.
Our Much Marcle walk took us through the church yard where we stopped to admire the 1000 year old yew tree. Although it is more than 30 feet in diameter social distancing could have been a problem if we all wanted to hide from the rain! We then visited the grounds of Hellens Manor and admired the recently erected standing stones. The poetry on the stones caused some head-scratching and debate but made an interesting diversion.
Three of us (and Sandy the dog) while recceing a walk in Frith Wood stopped to admire the new seat in memory of Chris Johnson which has been erected at the top of Bradlow Knoll. What a fitting memory to such a well-known and admired local figure!
We are all looking forward to walking together again in larger groups as soon as we can!
At the start of the Pandemic we were at full capacity so not able to take new members.