My Country Walks: December 2021

The Final section of the Diamond Way from Bledington to Moreton-in--the-Marsh. Our route took us through Daylesford, Adlestrop and Evenlode. This was the day after Storm Barra had passed through. We started from Bledington in the rain and for a while the going was difficult because of the muddy ground. An easy flat walk with no real hills. About 10.5 miles with 752 feet of ascent.

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This shows the complete route.

Bledington in the rain

Some large puddles to navigate around

Past the Daylesford farm shop and then the equestrian centre.

The Daylesford estate is highly manicured and with this rather unusual horses head sculpture in on of the field.

From the old Adlestrop railway station which was closed as part of the Beeching cuts - on the seat is the poem by Edward Thomas

Yes, I remember Adlestop -
The name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedley. It was late June

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.
No one left and no one came
On the bare platform. what I saw
Was Adlestrop - only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,
And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,
No whitless still and lonely fair
Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

And for that minute a blackbird sang
Close by, and round him, mistier,
Farther and farther, all the birds
Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire