Shouldn’t running be easy? Humans have long legs which are an adaptation to enable us to run to chase prey or escape danger, so shouldn’t running be easy? But although I have been a runner since childhood and somehow need to do it, distance running has always been hard work: in fact I think that running up hill is one of the hardest forms of exercise. I have long suspected that people who become long-distance runners are mostly bad at ball games: after all, if exercise
Read more →[singlepic id=527 w=320 h=240 float=left] Tuesday was the only day in this week of a mild October when the weather forecast was good, so I cleared the diary and drove southward under grey skies, negotiating some deep puddles. An hour later, there was intermittent sun as I parked at Burford Bridge, near Dorking. Here, beneath Box Hill, are the stepping stones over the River Mole, which are now 17 concrete steps at regular intervals across the stream that have gained some local notoriety. They form a
Read more →[singlepic id=468 w=320 h=240 float=center] I am collecting images of the North Downs and doing research for a book to be entitled ‘North Downs Landscapes’ that will, hopefully, be published next year. So far I have walked from Farnham in Surrey to Rochester in Kent (in instalments) and visited a number of settlements. I still have the southern bit of the Surrey Downs, around Leith Hill, and the big section running through Kent to Folkestone and Dover to visit. The concept is to structure the book
Read more →Ancient castles, churches and settlements rub shoulders with high-tech modern architecture: people have lived in this gentle countryside along the River Wey for a very long time. Roaming through this Downs landscape, you encounter living history and remnants of the past at every turn, whilst high tech businesses and fast roads point into the future. So far in my exploration of the North Downs, I have covered most of the northern section, from Guildford in the west to Rochester in the east. I now realise that
Read more →I was camping in my little light-weight tent overnight under an oak tree behind The Vigo Inn and slept reasonably well till 6am when I decided to get up: the sun was sparkling through the dewy grass, the birds were singing, and the pub wasn’t offering breakfast. I struck camp and packed my gear, and was striding through the gate and on my way within the hour. The North Downs Way (NDW) continued just a few yards from the pub, passing down through a wood that
Read more →Day 1 of this latest exploration of The North Downs, collecting photographs and researching for a new book,, North Downs Landscapes. I walked 22 Kms through some beautiful countryside, starting at the magnificent Rochester Cathedral and Castle. The route follows the Medway, and in the afternoon is a stroll through some lovely woods and flower meadows up on the Downs ridge. The walk ends at a music pub where I camped and enjoyed a few pints.
Read more →[singlepic id=349 w=320 h=240 float=centre] I love the idea that I can go for a walk somewhere lovely and take photographs, and regard it as work: doing something you love as your occupation is definitely the way to go! But it has been nearly a month since my last North Downs expedition and blog, and the reason for the gap is mostly bad weather: it’s been a soggy, cold May. Even on nice days, the wind tends to come from the north, so rather than beginning
Read more →It’s a bright sunny Sunday, and the spring seems to have really arrived with temperatures high enough to leave the coat at home: what a relief! My next bit of location for research for my proposed North Downs book is Guildford, the County Town of Surrey which sits where the River Wey cuts through the hills. Guildford is a major road and rail interchange so has grown much larger than Dorking, and has it’s own cathedral and university. Guildford also has an 11th century castle which
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