Saturday 29th June ‘24. DH, RW, PCL, DL, CH & Albus
Just the five of us today so a local ish walk around and through Gillingham, starting from the Thorngrove garden centre. It was a bright warming morning as we all got ourselves ready to go, but of course before we set off there had to be a bit of banter. Unusually, especially with Trevor sunning himself on the Costa del Spain, it was Richard who was on the receiving end this week for his leg coverings. There was much debate about them being in trend (or not) and also many questions about their mid calf length. Had they been full length at some point and cut off? Or were they standard knee length ones designed for a seven foot six giant, of actually a pair of Richards recycled old school trousers? So many questions with few answers, so with the majority in short sleeve shirts apart from Chris who was clinging onto his coat in case it got cold, we all donned our floppy hats and picked up our sticks ready for the off.
Todays route was a mix of a couple of previous walks with a few new sections thrown in. We headed off down the long driveway and just before the enterance gateway we passed through a pedestrian gate on the left side of the track. Albus was immediately let off his lead and was pleased to be the loan dog today with no little Maisie on hand to give him to nip at his heels and give him the run around. We passed through a small section of wood and straight into a face full of Harris fencing stretching around another residential development on the fields to the rear of the Meadows nursing home (There goes our view from our potential retirement home)! The estate is being marketed as the Romans Quarter development, and there followed a brief dicscussion about the origins and use of the word quarter. Not only the meaning for 25% of something but also an area within a city, accommodation for troops and the rear legs of a horse, Clearly this was not a budget build as rather than the usual big black weighted feet for the adjoining fences, which tend to crash over in strong winds, there were large 4 inch posts which had been sunken into the ground for each and ever panel to be secured to. We made our way around the edge of the development and then into a large field with an obligatory lone tree in the middle, which we skirted around to the gate in the far corner.
A short pathway lead us through to a small residential area on Lydsford Lane. About half way up on the right side we came to the small pub, formally The Buffalo, which most of us have passed the sign at the end of the lane for but perhaps have never been in. The place has recently changed hands and undergone a total makeover and renaming. Clearly someone with a passion for our canine friends, and named after somewhere we have all been, two large stone hounds sit either side of the front door into The Dog House!
We made our way across the main road and down by the side of The Old Brewery and through the short stretch of houses before heading through a gate and into fields again. Last time we walked this way it was very muddy in the gateway but this time all nice and firm. The view to the hills of White Sheet down ahead of use reminders us what a great scenic area we have access to for our weekly walks. At the next road we turned 90 degrees to our right and along a short track before making our way around the edge of a field full of young maize. At the far corner we crossed a small bridge over the River Stour and onto a foot way around the residential area of Peacemarsh.
We stopped for the obligatory lollies under the shade of a large tree and then took the road into the town centre past the rather grand cemetry gates, where we paused under a dog sign to remember Solo, Phil trusted companion of the last 16 years. We crossed the main road and cut into the bottom end of the old busy high street before taking a narrow track which lead us up to the Waitrose customer car park and then out to and across the main road once more.
We then headed down the side of a small estate and into a large field, with the sewage works in the far corner, to which we took a winding path around the edge of the field. There was then an option to head a bit further out but general consensus was to quit whilst ahead and head back for breakfast. As such we turned up the track, through the roadworks and back up the long drive to the garden centre and Secret Cafe.
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