Weather wise it has been a lovely weekend. Both Saturday and today have been warm with blue skies and a light breeze blowing through making sure that walking isn’t as hot as it could be. Yesterday we went for a walk in the afternoon that took us through areas of Brentwood we hadn’t explored before. The journey took a few hours and saw us heading parallel with the train line west through a park and then some regenerating woodland. We looked over a farmers fields and walked over a dead mole and through brambles that were growing over the path. Having explored the trails we headed up the hill away from the train line and then turned to follow a path that continued west. We came across a group of travellers camping on the edge of the parkland and were seen on our way by a barking terrier tethered to a tree. We then came across the western end of Vaughan Williams Way as it exited the town and headed into the countryside.
Close up on a poppy
Early afternoon over the poppy field near Brentwood
We had decided to head towards the Nags Head pub on London Road so we turned North onto Mascalls Lane and walked along the verge, stopping every now and again to get out of the way of cars. We investigated the adjacent fields, looking East over Brentwood as the vegetation allowed and also walking through the field of poppies and windflowers to the west. It was getting hotter as we ran across the rail bridge that separated the town from the countryside (we had to run as there was no pedestrian path and we had to hurry while there was no traffic). Back in Brentwood it was an easy walk down to the Nags Head where we claimed a table outside and relaxed with pizza and cider. The Nags Head would be the perfect pub if only it wasn’t hemmed in on two sides by busy roads but still the food and service is very good.
Having eaten we finished our drinks and then walked back home, taking a stop to get ice-cream at the most disorganised corner shop I’ve ever visited. It looked like someone had decided to open a store a few years ago and then never found the time to tidy up over the years with boxes lying around and shelves looking like they had been stocked randomly. The ice-cream was cheap, cold and tasty so I guess I mustn’t complain. We got home and stopped briefly before heading to the station for the short train-ride down to Romford where we looked for boxes (none suitable) and then went and saw a movie (Spiderman 3, OK I suppose). And that was our day, a mostly relaxing affair with a bit of walking thrown in for variety.
