Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Posted bynickletjogPosted inPreparation
Woodland snowdrops

A wonderful winter day greeted us yesterday: myself and friend Mark, setting out early in the chill from the village of Frogmore, three miles south of St Albans. Our start point was determined by a car service in the local garage, and the consequent improvisation of a scenic route back to Berkhamsted led us down some paths unknown to us both whilst providing new perspectives linking some familiar places viewed usually just from the road.

Our arcing 19-mile path is shown by the dark blue line that depicts an unwitting semi-circumnavigation of Hemel Hempstead, with Frogmore in the extreme south-east corner and Berkhamsted in the west – St Albans is the large built-up area to the east

Our route took in some scenic sections of the Ver Valley Walk, the Hertfordshire Way and the Chiltern Way, as well as a short stretch of the Grand Union Canal towpath and a great many connecting lanes, tracks and footpaths. Walking until dusk, and with two much-needed refreshment stops, we certainly made full use of the short winter daylight. Hopefully these photos will give some flavour of the fruits of our exertions.

Early morning sun on the River Ver, just outside of Frogmore
Teasels and cattle
A rather boggy section of path along the Ver water-meadows, where a restoration project is ensuring the survival of a diverse range of grasses, rushes and sedges that support in turn the unique biodiversity of the chalk stream habitat
St Albans Abbey, built from 1077, seen here from Verulamium Park . . .
. . . and a stretch of the city’s Roman wall, close to where Watling Street entered the London Gate, dating from the first to third centuries AD
Back along the Ver Valley Walk as we headed northwards from St Albans . . .
. . . with a tantalising glimpse of Gorhambury House
At Shafford Mill, ‘Bathing and Fishing Prohibited’
A fiery hedgerow . . .
. . . and another glorious riverine vista
Approaching Redbourn we crossed the Nickey Line, a 9-mile pathway along the course of a former railway linking Hemel Hempstead with Harpenden
After a stop for a coffee and snack in Redbourn we crossed the M1 Motorway . . .
. . . ahead of a wide open section of rolling farmland
A late lunch at The Crown & Sceptre in Briden’s Camp preceded our descent into the Gade Valley . . .
. . . past Gadebridge Hall
The footbridge over the Gade chalk stream . . .
. . . beside the watercress beds . . .
. . . and past some neatly-coiffured grasses
Lengthening shadows on our final mile . . .
. . . as the sun set on a wonderful day’s walking

I have a local map on which I mark first journeys on new paths, and today’s walk will certainly necessitate some significant marking-up after a memorable day on the trail!

Roadside sculpture on our way down Bullbeggars Lane into Berkhamsted

Today’s blog heading borrows from Elton John’s 1974 hit ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, off his eighth studio album ‘Caribou’. The lyrics were penned by Elton’s long-term writing partner Bernie Taupin, and the original recording features backing vocals from Beach Boys Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston, along with Toni Tennille (the original backing vocals by, amongst others, Brian Wilson, Cat Stevens and Dusty Springfield, were deemed sub-standard – it must have been an interesting discussion advising that erstwhile crowd of their failure to make the cut). Although the single only charted at Number 16, Elton’s 1991 version of the song, recorded as a live duet with George Michael, went on to top the UK singles chart.

3 thoughts on “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”

  1. Interesting route Nick. Love the burning bush photo. From the map it looks like you were just trying to keep as far from Hemel as possible! Hope you and Mark managed to find enough to talk about, I know you both naturally struggle for conversation.

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