Green Green Grass

Posted bynickletjogPosted inDiary

LETJOG PEAK No 1: Pavis Wood, Hertfordshire (244 metres)

Walk Date: Friday 17 March 2023

On a short diversion to the Canal I encountered this heron at close quarters

Along with many I often obsess in seeing new places, but there are other worlds out there to be discovered just by altering one’s habits and perspective. Until the last few days I hadn’t realised that I live within easy walking distance of Hertfordshire’s highest point (and indeed that of Buckinghamshire), nor had I fully appreciated that my home, at around 140 metres of elevation, might be termed as being in the Chiltern foothills. Dreaming, as always, of mighty mountain ranges, I might be stretching the point a little here, but if nothing else I’m hoping that my new LETJOG Peaks challenge will give me a heightened sense of understanding when it comes to England’s topography.

A rather wet 16 miles today . . .
. . . with an aggregate 1,018 feet (310 metres) of climb, to the summit of Hertfordshire

So, to get my LETJOG Peaks challenge started, what better way than to begin with Hertfordshire’s summit? To achieve this initial goal I set off from my front door early on a particularly grey morning, down the hill to Berkhamsted’s high street. The photos tell the story best.

Berkhamsted High Street, following the Bulbourne Valley, dates from Roman times, when the thoroughfare formed part of Akeman Street linking Watling Street near St Albans to the Fosse Way in Gloucestershire – over the centuries, and certainly before the building of the A41 bypass in the early 1990’s, the road has continued to function as one of the principal routes through the Chilterns from London to the Midlands and beyond – the photos show The Crown and the Kings Arms pubs, that along with the nearby former Swan Hotel formed a trio of historic coaching inns; as for the Bulbourne river itself, after rising near Cow Roast the stream now plays second fiddle to the Grand Union Canal (opened in 1798), and indeed to the main West Coast railway line that was built in the 1830’s
Berkhamsted Castle is just a short stroll from the High Street – the motte and bailey fortress dates originally from the 11th century and is reputed to have been the location where William the Conqueror accepted formal control of the country before advancing to London, following his victory at the Battle of Hastings
A rusty relic in Northchurch
The path out of the valley over the rolling fields and woodlands of the Chilterns
After Wigginton my path followed the line of Grim’s Ditch, part of a network of prehistoric linear earthworks of unknown and possibly differing functions that run across many central parts of southern England
Approaching the top of Hertfordshire, a small herd of deer
And within two and a half hours of leaving home I made it to the summit of Hertfordshire! Pavis Wood itself is an attractive ancient woodland, dominated by the beech trees for which the Chilterns are well-known, as well as oak and ash. The actual peak is lost within the trees, and it has negligible prominence given that some immediately neighbouring parts of Buckinghamshire are higher: another walk for another day!

As I arrived at Pavis Wood, mid-morning, a particularly cold rain shower blew in. Cowering under a completely leafless ancient beech tree, the rain dripping through my hair as I struggled for my waterproofs, I wondered, even at this early stage, why I had ever embarked on such an all-encompassing challenge. Five minutes later, with the shower abating and nibbling on a cereal bar, I noticed the smell of the rain on the fallen leaves, and the lingering autumn colours on the floor of the woods. Amongst the caw of some crows and the shrill calls of a thousand starlings overhead, a lone woodpecker started its staccato search for grubs in a tree somewhere distant, and I wondered why I had ever doubted my venture. Just at this particular moment, soaked in the woods, I became the highest person in all of Hertfordshire. Back to the value of perspective!

Starting out on my route back home, Cholesbury Camp, just over the border into Buckinghamshire, is an impressive 15-acre oval-shaped Iron Age hill fort, now a scheduled ancient monument that is easily accessible and merits a visit
The remnants of the four ivy-clad corners of Marlin Chapel over the fields to the south of Northchurch stand several hundred metres distant from any other building save for one smallholding: built from local flint and dating originally from the 13th century the chapel is sited on the intersection of two paths that still exist today
In a ‘secret’ location right on the edge of Berkhamsted a bluebell wood in waiting – with far fewer visitors than the popular areas on Ashridge, these woods are the better places to explore when the blooms open from late April into May
This green green grass, looking across to Haresfoot Farm, is indeed close to home: many horses graze in the fields around this part of the county, and over into Buckinghamshire, and I have had to take two diversions today to avoid some of the more playful animals

And finally, a big thank you to everyone who has contacted me since I announced my LETJOG Peaks plans – I have been overwhelmed with positive messages and offers of walking and social companionship, and of accommodation from Kent to Cumbria, Cornwall to Suffolk, and many places in between. Thank you all, and I look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible on my travels.

After leaving Berkhamsted there are no shops of cafes on this route, although there is this refreshment point for dogs at Hastoe

Today’s Blog title ‘Green Green Grass’ is taken from a recent song (2022) by Hertfordshire-born singer/songwriter George Ezra. One of my favourite contemporary artists, I could just as easily have gone with the title of his first single ‘Did You Hear The Rain’ from 2013. George and I have something in common, having both completed the Land’s End to John O’Groats walk in Summer 2021! We almost met, around halfway, in The Cheviot Hotel in Bellingham, Northumberland, where Rachel and I stayed on my walk: it transpired that George and his entourage had taken ale there an hour ahead of our arrival, before they crawled off to their tent. I’ve seen recently his brilliant TV documentary following his ‘End to End’ walk, and it certainly brought back some very happy memories.

Must fly now!

3 thoughts on “Green Green Grass”

  2. Hi Nick
    A great start. It made me wonder what a heron symbolizes, as you saw one at the very start of your challenge. Courtesy of Google I can now tell you! Here goes:
    Noble stature Calmness Solitude Longevity
    Intelligence Tranquility Flow Stability
    Self-determination Self-reflection
    Self-reliance Tactfulness Good luck.
    With that lot you cannot help but have fun and a great time!!

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