Another pleasant walk with Richard Challoner, who has now clocked up 34 miles with me since last summer. By and large, we followed the route of the Epping Forest Centenary Trail – my first long charity walk back in June 2005.
Despite the rain (and getting lost on a golf course), we managed to reach our goal - Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, the finest Tudor building in this part of the world.
posted by Simon @ 3:18 PM
Another series of treks around lovely Leytonstone, on behalf of those charming folk at Electoral Services. Yes, it's time for stage 1 of the canvassing process again. From this year, the canvassing districts have been cut in half, so there is less walking involved - but just as little fun as there ever was...
posted by Simon @ 8:16 AM
I spent my last morning in Sheffield wandering around the town centre, clocking up just enough miles to reach my 250 for the year. Had I known how late the train would be, I could have notched up a few more.
The most pleasant surprise for me was the fine 1897 Town Hall. I knew this building well in black and white, as we had used an old photo of it in Inventing the Modern World, the book I wrote for the Science Museum back in 2000.
At the other end of the time scale is the massive Park Hill estate, completed in 1961. Set on a hill overlooking the town, this was one of the boldest embodiments of the ‘streets in the sky’ approach to modern housing. It had few admirers among those who had to live there.
posted by Simon @ 8:14 AM
A pleasant walk around parts of south Sheffield in the fine company of Vivienne Hemingway, taking in a section of the Sheffield Round Walk.
The first highlight was the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, a perfectly preserved knife and scythe works from the 18th century. For historians of technology out there (like me), Abbeydale has the oldest surviving crucible steel pots in the world.
Further south we joined the Round Walk. From this point on, I had trouble keeping up with Vivienne's brisk pace. Fortunately, there were fine things to see and pleasant places to stop at regular intervals. The next highlight was Beauchief Abbey, a Premonstratensian house founded in the 12th century. This was a local industrial centre, with mining, iron smelting and several mills on the nearby River Sheaf. The tower of the abbey church is the most impressive survival.
After a series of attractive woods, we came to the Bishop’s House, a superb Tudor house from c.1500. Despite its name, it never housed a bishop, but it is a lovely building well worth visiting.
posted by Simon @ 8:12 AM
I took a rare trip to the north of England to fulfil a long-held dream to see Spurn Head on the Yorkshire coast. A sand and shingle spit jutting out three and a half miles into the Humber estuary, Spurn Head is one of the most unusual and fascinating places in Britain. 
Spurn Head is formed from material washed down from the Holderness coast further north. At the northern neck of the spit, the ruins of the sturdy coastal batteries from World War I testify to the power of the sea.
Spurn Head is growing to the south, but is steadily being pushed westwards. It is only 50 yards wide at its narrowest point, but it has a distinct interior further south, and its lush vegetation provides a haven for a remarkable number of birds.
Spurn also has many interesting man-made features. Perched at the end of the busy Humber Estuary, it was was a dangerous spot for shipping. The Low Light, situated on the sheltered western side of the spit, was completed in 1852.
The Low Light proved inadequate after a few decades, and the High Light was built towards the eastern side in 1895. Now disused, both lighthouses survive to this day.
posted by Simon @ 8:10 AM
A return to one of the most attractive medieval towns in Britain, and one of my sister’s favourite places. Tewkesbury is famous for its incomparable abbey, its fine alleyways and the magical Baptist Chapel and burial ground, and has a generally enchanting atmosphere.
posted by Simon @ 8:09 AM
A pleasant return to these two towns with my sister, exploring some of the lesser known nooks and crannies.
posted by Simon @ 8:08 AM
A very enjoyable stroll around Hay-on-Wye with my sister. This medieval market town is now famous for its many bookshops. Happily, after decades of collecting, selling, writing or editing books, I was able to do without them for a day and did not enter a single shop. We avoided most of the tourists and concentrated on the pleasant walk alongside the Wye and the medieval buildings. 
The castle with its 17th-century additions dominates the town, and looks in need of some restoration work. The parish church was heavily restored in the 19th century, but feels impressive inside. Most untouched of all is the Norman motte nearby.
posted by Simon @ 8:07 AM
