Aynho Long Walk: 17 December 2015

Ten walkers set off today, in brief glimpses of sunshine, through the village via the black path and Little Lane to Station Road and Millers Lane. Once we were off the tar we found the concrete slabs on the track were quite slippery underfoot. Fortunately no one fell as we continued towards Souldern Mill. We skirted round the ford as it was quite deep, and took the path that curved round the fields. We took the tunnel under the motorway and emerged on to Station Road by the railway bridge. Along the road to the left we passed the Great Western, observed a surveyor on the bridge, and took the track down to the far side of the canal. The moorings were almost all taken, but there were very few birds on or around the water and no traffic traveling on the canal. The path was quite muddy but the real mud was waiting in the farm yard at Souldern Wharf where the ripe smell of cow dung added to the atmosphere. It’s a long steady climb up Wharf Lane into Souldern village, but we made good time and took the path opposite the manor. Aynho Park house was barely visible through the mist in the valley. We soon reached the track which crosses the stream into Belcher Brothers’ fields. A flock of sheep eyed us suspiciously from a distance as we crossed their field. From there we climbed the next field, followed the path under the tunnel and were soon back at the pavilion with our refreshments. 6.4 miles in two hours.