The gloomy weather of the last few days with its constant moisture in the air had passed and now it was just grey and chilly. I was expecting it to be muddy, however even parts of this surprised me. It was not helped by the fact that both Wellies were now leaking.
I am still limited in how long I can be away from home, so opted for a local walk looping around the local villages. It would start down the usual path to Kirdeford, before looping below the village and around to come up to Crouchlands, then another loop to get to Plaistow before returning across the fields.
I set off down the parish boundary route, btu cut back to the Wephurst path after meeting the first mud wallow. Turning back to the boundary path past the reservoirs. Along this through Barkfold to Normandie stables. Now along the road to the edge of Kirdford, before cutting across the playing fields to an entrance into the graveyard, and aroudn the church.
Across the road and down the side of the Half moon to reach the footpath out the back of their garden. A small zigzag through the residences beyond the pub and into the scrubland behind the houses.
Into the fields leading up to Parsonage Farm, then along the road to Staples Hill. Then along the footpath to Beal House farm. The footpath here is beside the road, but is very overgrown. Through a small wood (attached to a house) and along the back road past Hills Green farm.
Along a byway (accessed down beside a house, and through Little Slifehurst Wood. This was fairly solid up to Thornhouse farm, however beyond it was flooded on the track and overgrown beside it.
This became even more degraded as it approached the junction of By-ways below Crouchlands ponds. After the junction I followed the farm track - far better maintained - up to the ponds. There I turned into the woods and through towards Roundwick Copse.
Through the woods on slightly better paths, before turning towards Plaistow and past Swear farm. Across a field and into Red copse, where the marked path turns back towards Rumbolds farm, however I followed an unmarked, but well used path deeper into the copse. I was following another person, so assumed it was OK.
The path was well used and meandered through the copse and into Sparrwood hanger, at one point I left the path and crossed a stream and went off-piste, before finding the path once again. This then merged onto a bridle path where it crossed a stream.
Out into a field and then through a horse field onto Rumbolds lane. Up this into the village, before turning onto another byway leading into Rumbold wood. This was the worst mud bath of the walk. I followed it out onto Rickman's lane, then over the lane and down the side of a house into the sheep fields, meeting up with one of the usual returns from Plaistow.
