Proper Autumn. Another WI walk.

Tonight we light our first fire of the season. However glad we are in spring to feel sun on our faces, this pleasure is surely eclipsed by the first flicker of flame in the wood-burning stove. How late in the season it is to light the first fire, but what a season it has been. Until this week we have enjoyed our regular WI walks in sun and warm weather. This week, out came the fleece.

We meet near the pub in light drizzle and are reassured that the weather is set to improve. Someone has been listening to those Met office reports (remember, they gave us "barbecue summer").

With a light heart then we head off to the car-park at Blickling Hall, he start of today's walk, led by Clare.
To the mausoleum. Very apt in this mournful weather. But we are not down hearted.

It is the start of a new National Trust initiative to get people walking. While we do not need encouragement I am sure that lots do. The visitor centre is closed, as we are keen and rather early. However, they are lovely folk at NT and the staff throw open the doors and hand out complementary maps that just happen to cover part of our walk. It gets us off on a good start along a new footpath cut into the parkland, off the beaten track.

 We might be the first people to take advantage of the new route and six of us are able to walk abreast, chatting as we go. This is such a social way of walking.

Most of the chat is about the usefulness of weather forecasting as hoods are up to combat the slightly more robust drizzle. "It is due to get better".

Soon we get to our first point of interest, The Mausoleum. We are too early for the little pop up cafe that should be open later in a tent at the site. But we seem to have it to ourselves. No other walkers or visitors yet, Obviously they saw the forecast. Estate workers are here and the door open, but this is an outdoor day, I will come back another time to visit with the dead.

Now we head off towards the Tower, now a holiday cottage, but apparently it was once used as a viewing platform for a day at the races. The site, high up surrounded by open ground within a woodland area, it would have been a perfect vantage point. The perfect place for mass entertainment.

The walk leads into the woodland and Clare leads us along one of many interlocking paths.

It is damp and gray but very beautiful. The overall green-ness of the surroundings are punctuated by shots of red berries, golden bracken and the rich yellows and browns of true English Autumn.

The glorious damp and decay of the year is echoed in this fallen tree. I feel a piece of embroidery coming on.

We spot a herd of friendly cows.

They spot us.

We move quickly on.

It is still raining but the last 15 minutes of the walk are a revelation as we have come full circle without our realising it, and much more than an hour has passed without our noticing the time. Suddenly the hall and Blickling church are in view, but from a point of view we have not enjoyed before. The walk is full of surprising vistas and perspectives.

And no sight is quite as good as that of the tea room.

The steam is coming off our waterproofs as well as the tea. The scones are up to expectations.