The Wettest Walk Ever?
On Sunday 22nd Nov 2009 10 members of the club embarked on an 11 mile walk in the Clun area led by our very own Steve Reynolds. The weather was wet and windy and the previous day had also been rather wet. We left the Memorial Hall car park and headed in a north-easterly direction, gradually gaining height, via Stepple – a notoriously muddy stretch at best, and no exception on this day – and eventually reaching the top of Bury Ditches hill fort where we paused to admire the views.
On Top Of Bury Ditches Hill Fort
We then started to head back south-west along the Shropshire Way to Guilden Down, then north-west to Colstey where we stopped for lunch. After lunch we turned south-west via Bicton to pick up the Shropshire Way again and head south-east back to Clun. We negotiated a well and truly sunken lane without too much difficulty, but far worse was to come …..
Jo Negotiates A Sunken Lane With Her Usual Panache.
The footpath for the last mile or so runs adjacent to the River Unk, normally a pleasant little river but on this day quite swollen and turbulent due to the rain. A little further to the west is the River Clun and the two converge and meet just before Clun. We were soon faced with an enormous lake which had formed around the stile that we had to cross!
Steve Attempts To Build A Bridge While Ina Looks On Timorously.
Despite Steve’s valiant efforts to build a log-bridge, a large number of the party succumbed to the water, with little sympathy (and much amusement) from the few that successfully negotiated the obstruction. The amusement was short-lived however as we were then faced with a 200 metre stretch across a severely flooded field as we approached the confluence of the two rivers. In places the water must have been at least 8” deep, so consequently we all arrived back at the cars with wet feet!
We sat and poured the water out of our boots but everyone was in good humour at the end of the wettest club walk that I have undertaken. Not for the faint-hearted, but a day to be remembered.
Steve is no doubt in line for the ‘Yellow Duck Award’ unless someone can surpass his efforts!!
Tony Colton.