This year is 300 Years since the birth of Capability Brown, so the Club set our on the 2nd of these walks to take in the beauty of Autumn. Our last one was in August – see: www.sigbi.org/st-albans/2016/brocket/
Although the air was cold, the warmth of the camaraderie was as warm as toast!
After a cuppa at the café close to the Bridgewater Monument (pictured here) we split into 2 groups and my one went ‘the long way round’ to take in the College, Golf Course and woods. The colours of Autumn dominated the landscape, the colour of Summer dominated the sky. The chat was easy and flowing, underfoot was easy and (mainly) dry. We didn’t see any fauna but the flora more than compensated with its majestic trees covered in leaves of jewelled greens, yellows, bronzes, browns and reds. Our circular walk took about an hour and a half back to the café where we dined on hot, tasty soup and the best coronation chicken we had eaten for a long time.
Our (other) group enjoyed a shorter and more leisurely walk (to accommodate my nonagenarian dad) through beautiful woodland pausing to inspect a prehistoric barrow, wooden building, tree structure, views etc. Accompanied by constant friendly chatter – which could explain why we didn’t see any deer either! Back to the monument which Joan climbed enthusiastically, leaving the rest of us to gaze up in awe and wonder as she stepped out onto the balcony – whilst discussing the downsides of spiral staircases and reassuring ourselves that the haze that day would obscure much of the promised view.
We gave up on lunch at the Bridgewater Arms and the cafe due to crowds & cold and instead enjoyed a warming coffee & toasted sandwich & early Christmas shopping at a nearby garden centre.
That night we certainly slept very soundly, feeling (smugly) virtuous, healthy and content. Autumn 2017 at Ashridge? Bring it on!
Thanks very much to Diana for organising and writing this piece for the website 🙂
Soroptimist International St Albans and District – Women Serving the St Albans Community Since 1957
