Aynho Long Walk 29 Oct 2015

Seventeen walkers set off today in spite of the rain. In fact there were occasional slight showers when we set off down Green Lane. The byway was very muddy in the vehicle tracks so we kept to the grass at the side. We passed through Lower Walton Grounds and crossed the footbridge. Once we had crossed the stream our track was completely hidden under a red and gold carpet of maple leaves for about a hundred yards. At the tarmac road we took the narrow footpath beside a house into the fields beyond. The path up the field towards the copse at the top was lightly ploughed and quite muddy but on the other side of the copse the path was not clear and the ground full of puddles so we walked round the top of the field and down hill towards Kings Sutton keeping to the edge. This led us to rejoin the path through to the village. We crossed another carpet of leaves on the green and continued down to the path along the far side of the village. At one point we had to scramble though some churned up soil at the edge of the building site, but the builders waved us through. The rain was now continuous and heavier. The wind had picked up and as we began the return we walked directly into it. We skirted the village next to the railway and crossed the road to the path down to the sewage works. The wind and damp ensured a particularly pungent smell until we were past the source. From there we battled through the rain and up the hill back to the pavilion. It was particularly welcome to shake off the wet and have a warm drink. The Kings Sutton Loop of 6.25 miles was completed in just over 2 hours.