Jo’s Monday walk : Hetton Lyons Country Park

The choices this week were another boring beach walk in the sunny Algarve, or a quick romp in the frozen north east of England.  Well, it’s no contest, is it?  Grab your scarf and mittens, and no loitering, please!  Except to feed the swans.

There’s a crisp beauty to it, as the frost nibbles at your ears and glistens on grass and fences.  Distant dog walkers embrace the morning air.

Out past the barn, I head towards the windmills, on a narrow lane.  A public footpath crosses the fields, the frozen earth firm underfoot.  Patterns abound, all etched in white, whilst solid puddles of ice line the path.

Despite the sun, the ice persists, tingling the toes, yet some of the fields are surprisingly green.  The blades whirr noisily above my head.

Fronds of bracken huddle beneath the hedge, the occasional, lucky one gilded by sunlight.  A forbidding, firmly-locked gate denies access.  No matter, as the country park lies straight ahead, just beyond the farmhouse.

The small pond is frozen solid, but most of the lake is clear and sparkling.  A path skirts the shore and the swans glide hopefully forwards.

There is a small cafe if you need a warm up afterwards.  As we drove through Hetton I saw a sign for homemade broth.  Sounded like a good idea!

I think the sign was on Market Street, but I was distracted by the mural.  Hope you didn’t get too cold walking with me.  I still have a few warm Algarve images that I may get to share with you before I go, but this is my last walk for a couple of weeks.

Many thanks for all your wonderful shares.  Please take a little time to read the following walks, especially if it’s someone you don’t know.  You may find a new friend.  There are lots this week but I’ll be in the Algarve for a few weeks, so you can make them last.  Once I get settled I hope to be back out with you again.

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Let’s start with a little stunning alpine scenery from Drake :

From a peak

And here’s a fair bit of the white stuff from Anabel too!

The Birks of Aberfeldy (and other walks)

You birders will love this!  Take a walk in the wild with Lisa :

In Search of the Endangered Slaty Becard- (and finding so much more!)

Dom hosts a regular walk feature on Wandsworth Radio.  Why not have a listen?

Walking Wandsworth Episode 6- Battersea Arts Centre

And you could munch along with Jackie while you do :

Comfort foods

“One of the most glorious landscapes I’ve ever been fortunate to have hiked in”, says Nicole :

A Magical Hike in Chile’s Parque Andino Juncal

Kathrin’s in a very happy place and I think you’ll like it too :

Hopfen am See aka my Happy Place

‘There’s gold in them there hills!”  Well, there was once, wasn’t there, Carol?

The Ten Dollar Town

You can just picture Pauline and Jack, having fun with all these folks!

Meandering in Uki Market

Lady Lee is back from her holidays.  You might be jealous!

New Year’s Eve and Day in Manila

Cornwall can still compete with most places, if the weather behaves.  In French, and English :

Hike around Lizard Point, England

And while we’re down that way, a sort of revisit, from Jude :

Garden Portrait : The Lost Gardens of Heligan Part 1

This time last year I was getting very excited about a trip to Tuscany.  Thanks for the memories, Woolly!

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk49_Pisa

This year I’m just days away from an extended stay in the Algarve.  Thanks for a lovely reminder, Becky :

There’s a pig loose

And just to thoroughly spoil you, here’s that warm beach walk I know you fancied, courtesy of Meg :

An early morning walk and an act of gross disloyalty

Lovely skies here this morning but still slippy stuff on the ground.  Take care out there!  I’ll be keeping an eye an you, and I’ll let you know when I’m walking again.  Bye for now!

 

124 comments

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  6. Brrr… that was a chilly walk Jo, I would need a warm bowl of soup at the end of that one, or better still hot chocolate with a splash of brandy 😀
    I do prefer a cold, but dry and sunny day though, to all the wind and wet we have experienced this month. I am still waiting for that Christmas walk on the beach – might be Easter by the time it happens at this rate!

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  7. Hi Jo I’ve been busy with visitors recently so not online too much – will gradually catch up but just saying hi and hoping you are well despite the cold! Beautiful set of photos and at least the sun was shining! Stay warm 🙂

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      1. Yes all ok Jo just been rather preoccupied with my dad’s visit all good but a lot going on! Also got my elder granddaughter’s 5th birthday this week so helping out with that. Hope to get back into the blog more in a week or so. In meantime enjoy your time in Leeds and will catch up again soon xx

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  9. You picked a lovely day for walking Jo, and there’s so much to see. The sculpture was a surprise sitting out there on it’s own. The bracken and the little pond are my favourite photos and I love the bright blue skies. There’s still time this winter, but we haven’t had any really hard frosts like that yet, brrrh it’s too cold for me. x:-)x

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    1. I was out with the Monday walkers, Gilly. It’s not a place I’d think to go myself and we were oh, so lucky with the weather. The last 2 have been cancelled so I’ve had to amuse myself. 🙂 🙂 I’d much rather a day like that than warmer and grey.

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  11. Pingback: Monheim am Rhein: A walk through my home town

  12. Fabulous photos Jo. A winter/spring walk in the north looks perfect to me. As long as you’re wrapped up its wonderful. Far too hot here in NZ at the moment.

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    1. If we manage too hot for 2 days in the year in the UK, that’s an event, Jonno, but I’m not good with the heat of an Algarve summer. The grass is always greener so it’s good to appreciate what you have. I’d love a look at NZ, in any weather. 🙂 🙂 Thanks a lot for your company.

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  13. Your beach walks are never boring, but I have been longing for a jaunt on a cool winter’s day and so I enjoyed this virtual one with you. I am amazed at how blue the skies are. I grew up in Chicago which is known as the grey city given the color of its skies for the 9 month long winter there (seems like :-). When I moved to NYC, I was treated to bluer skies, but I spent many more hours in my office than I did in the parks enjoying them. Totally worth stopping for the swans, even if that let the chill deep in.

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    1. It was a rare, and so, very much enjoyed, blue sky, Lisa. The combination of frost and blue is quite magical and oh, so different from my Algarve blues. I always wanted to see Chicago but I have to say I’ve seldom heard anything good about its weather. Then again, people don’t sing its praises up here much either 🙂 🙂 Good to have you along with me.

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  15. You captured so much of natures most beautiful gifts in your photos – ice patterns in puddles,frosted golden brakken and ice crispy greens and that stunning chilly blue sky. Great walk!

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  16. I love to walk on a crisp beautiful winter day! I chucked at the first shot of your swans Jo. It looks like they are looking at the ice forming on the pond & I pictured them saying, “what the heck is this crap?”

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  17. I LOVE this post. Just what I needed on a steamy morning. All that beautiful ice detail, swans, and a blue blue sky. That last shot of blue sky mural against blue sky sky is a gem. Thank you for braving chill. Are you really taking a break from Monday walks? Enjoy the peace of the Algarve, after what sound like a very busy few months, and pack a few antipodean hugs for idle moments.

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    1. I can’t remember what a steamy morning feels like, Meg, if I ever knew. 🙂 I don’t mind ‘fresh’ so long as the skies are blue, and yes, I feel a break coming on. 🙂 🙂 We will get WiFi set up over there, for the chilly evenings, but I really don’t want to be tied to it. Filling my idle moments with hugs sounds like the ideal pursuit. If I’m not too lethargic I’ll return some. 🙂 🙂

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  19. As long as the sky is blue, you can take me on any walk, Jo! Yes, looking at the photos and joining you for this walk makes me cold, but so does, gazing through my current window or making my way from our room above the garage to the main living area in another part of the house downstairs. For this quick jaunt, we have to brave the real outside New England temperatures. Luckily, the warm stove welcomes our frozen bodies and hands, once inside. 🙂

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  20. What I love best about this walk Jo is that I can enjoy all the beautiful scenery without feeling the teensiest bit chilled. 🙂 Aren’t the swans gorgeous, especially against the dark blue of the pond. Enjoy your time in Portugal.

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