Shop Run, Kirdford

I am still on medical duties, and need to be around home, and with the large volume of rain that has fallen over the last few days everywhere is wet with large puddles. I woke to it still raining, however there was a period of dryer weather just before lunch. Since I was out early on Saturday I had missed the usual bread run, so this was an opportunity to get out and back before lunch. I planned to walk down to the village shop in Kirdford and pick up a loaf (and some more pain killers).

I set of along the usual path to the next village - down past Orchard Cottage, then past Wephurst Park (avoiding the large mud swamp of the direct path with a diversion along the border path before working back to the original.). Still on this path past Holland's Heath copse and the farm of the same name, here the stream was in spate with the pond weir gushing. Around the dog training field (on a flooded and muddy path) and past Lakelands farm, into Great Common. Here I met the most churned up paths of the walk -  and it required some judicious free ranging amongst the brambles to each side. Over the waterlogged football pitches and down the dryer path behind the new houses.

So to the shop for a loaf, as well as a small cake (for later), and some painkillers.

The route back I debated just walking along the road, however it would be challenging to face the speeding traffic, so I went back along the outward trace up to the fields behind Lakelands farm. Now I determined to try the tracks towards Crouchlands farm, so crossed the ploughed fields to reach Mackerel's house and then into the common of the same name. I knew the path through here was raise gravel so would be dry, then onto the farm track to Lanelands - this was rutted, however there was a dryer side bank. At the houses the track changed into a gravel lane up to Crouchlands farm. Then down the drive to Rickman's Lane, and a zigzag to Foxbridge Lane. Back to Ifold along the lane, with a slight diversion into Corner copse, then along Plaistow road to the shop and down the drive to home.

The rain had held off, but all the paths are seriously waterlogged.