Keeping the old legs moving

I think my legs are starting to seize up, need to do more walking. So this morning I went for a local walk for just over three hours. I have passed this bench before, it's on the edge of a field about half a mile from the road, so not many people see it. Someone has laid a bunch of flowers underneath it. Now I have no objections to this sort of thing, you see them on the roadside after an accident, but I do wish they would remove the wrapping and just leave the flowers. End of daily grump, take the wrapper home with you.

It was a lovely sunny morning, me wearing the latest fashion in sunshade.

This is funny stuff to walk through, it's a biofuel crop, big clumps of very tall grass. Although the wind was quite sharp walking along the bridleways, there was no wind in the middle of this. It would be lovely to set up camp in it, you could hide and no one would know you were there. I shouldn't really have been in it but it was lovely and cosy.

Coming back along the River Trent I walked under this pylon.

Then looking the other way the cables disappear towards Yorkshire.

There is a new footpath from the top of the hill, down to the river. The Burton Heritage Group have been uncovering a Tank Ramp which was built at the beginning of WW2, and was in use up untill 1948. Then it became overgrown and forgotten. I decided to take a look at what they have been doing. The bank is very steep and steps have been cut into the ground, the path has been constructed with sleepers, and a handrail has been added. You can see the river beyond the trees.

Half way down there is a sign.

Then I came across the machine they have been using to clear the ground. They have smashed through a hell of a lot of woodland, the destruction is terrible. Maybe it should have been left hidden.

Oh my goodness, look at my boots, about six inches of mud stuck to the bottom, makes them very heavy.

This is the ramp, a big slab of concrete. All this was hidden under years of bramble growth.

They have made a clearing, sown grass seeds to make a lawn, and put some picnic tables and chairs around the edge.

I am not sure how long it will stay like this though, once the youngsters find it they might decide it looks a good place for a rave party and a bonfire. We can live in hope.