Rotary Walk

Rotary Walk

THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2017

From “The Swan”

Harborough Rd, Lamport

NN6 9EZ

Phone: 01604 686555

The walk is no more than 5km, going round the back of Lamport Hall, through Hanging Houghton and along the Brampton Valley Way. There are NO stiles but the bridleway is currently a bit muddy in parts.

There will be an opportunity to return to the Swan early if walkers do not want to go down to the railway and back up again!

Meet at 10.15 to order food but the pub will NOT be open for lavatorial facilities, so please go before you leave home!

Brian May

March Hares seen in Lamport

The wind blew cold as 13 hardy souls gathered at The Swan at Lamport to begin the March walk.  The previous day was “sweltering” so the organiser was criticised for bad planning. So what’s new?

Having dispensed the extensive H & S review, we set off across the A508 and into Lamport, John E and Brian M setting a good pace. After pausing to discuss/argue about the date on the side of a building and to wonder at the size of the bulls in the field, we turned round the back of Lamport Hall alongside an excellent example of dry stone walling.

A cross-country excursion through parkland followed, and then across cultivated fields where the farmer appeared to have forgotten to leave the bridleway clear.  Reaching the A508 at Hanging Houghton, Stan and Val Evans decided to return direct to The Swan for warming coffee, but not before Elspeth had produced a tub of marshmallow teacakes for refreshment.

The rest of the party continued through Hanging Houghton and down the road to the old Brampton Valley railway line.  Certain members of the party were astute enough to realise that what goes down must come up and there were grumblings about a future ascent.  Halfway down, we paused at a bench for the obligatory group photograph with the resident snapper narrowly avoiding a sharp descent into the ditch.

Along the old railway we trundled with another brief pitstop for more teacakes, before the moment of truth dawned and the right turn up the hill to return to The Swan hove into sight. No one ducked out and with some huffing and puffing (John) we made it to the top and back along a short stretch of the A508 to the warmth of the pub.

Diane Saunderson and Ian Harley joined us, and a convivial lunch was consumed.  Peter Davies lived up to his reputation for high standards and demanded salted butter and more bread for his (delayed) duck liver parfait.  President Brian presented the Walker of the Month trophy to Loredana Harley for reasons which were lost to me, as I was sitting with my back to him – always his best side.

Brian May