Walking: Wytham Woods
Oct. 27th, 2019 03:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
white_hartI've been struggling lately, for a variety of reasons. Partly it's because work has been ridiculously busy; I've been working longer hours than I can really manage on more than a very occasional basis, and have been left exhausted and drained as a result, with no prospect of much of a let-up in sight. Partly it's because the nights are drawing in and my brain doesn't respond well to the reduction in daylight. And partly it's because the weather has been wet and grey and miserable and we haven't managed to get out for a Sunday walk in weeks, and I've missed being outdoors and spending time in nature.
Happily, today was actually sunny. I felt the need of some hill-climbing, or what passes for hill-climbing round here, so we drove over to Wytham and walked a five-mile circuit in the woods.
Lots of other people had obviously had the same idea, and it was busy enough that the main car park was full and we had to park in the overflow, but after we'd walked down into the village we left them behind and headed along the path towards Botley in glorious solitude. The climb from Botley car park to the viewpoint at the top of the hill proved to be just what I needed, and by the time we got to the top I felt more human than I had done in weeks. It got busy again as we got back towards the car park, but following a side path rather than the main paved track got us away from people again. Sometimes I find the woods a bit dull and wish I'd picked a more varied walk, but today they were absolutely delightful.
Happily, today was actually sunny. I felt the need of some hill-climbing, or what passes for hill-climbing round here, so we drove over to Wytham and walked a five-mile circuit in the woods.
Lots of other people had obviously had the same idea, and it was busy enough that the main car park was full and we had to park in the overflow, but after we'd walked down into the village we left them behind and headed along the path towards Botley in glorious solitude. The climb from Botley car park to the viewpoint at the top of the hill proved to be just what I needed, and by the time we got to the top I felt more human than I had done in weeks. It got busy again as we got back towards the car park, but following a side path rather than the main paved track got us away from people again. Sometimes I find the woods a bit dull and wish I'd picked a more varied walk, but today they were absolutely delightful.
