We have spent the last few weekends exploring Norfolk and avoiding the city centre crowds, we didn't really need anything and with the heat of the summer gone then September has been very pleasent for bike rides and general outdoor things, not much gardening has been going on but that is all about to change. However there comes a point where work shirts need to be purchased and we had to source some borax to improve the ecoballs.
We headed into Norwich to attend the Japanese Day at the forum which was a tenting and also really good fun. We watched a sushi demonstration and got to eat some too, and 'he' was lucky enough to actually get his food at Wagamama while in actual fact they forgot mine which I wasn't too impressed with. I do think that Wagas is a great place to eat but the Norwich franchise is appalling and i seriously recommend that people try Shikis if they are after a traditional Japanese menu.
The lunchtime hiccup was forgotten once we got on our bikes and headed 11 miles out of the city to South Burlingham for afternoon tea with family. The ride was glorious and fairly traffic free, cyling through Brundell, Strumpshaw and Lingwood I realised I had never ever visited these villages. After tea and cake and looking at wedding pictures we headed home through reds and oranges, it was a truly fabulous sunset and I wished I had my camara with me.
Stopping at Thorpe St Andrew by the river we ate fish and chips watching the sunlight fade and as the houseboats started up their woodburners a pall of pale smoke weaved across the river. Cycling slightly more slowly home we made it just as the light went completely - looking on the map we worked out that we had in fact cycled 25 miles!
Showing posts with label Bike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bike. Show all posts
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Green Build
The dawned bright and dry and after getting up early to make the picnic we set off for the 10.45 to Sheringham from Norwich station with our bicycles. The train was very busy & we were pleased we had booked our bike reservations yesterday.
Getting off at Roughton Road we were struck by the incredible peace of the station (the platform is effectively a bridge over the road), and checked the map before heading off to Felbrigg. We met up with family when we arrived and toured the event discovering a HUGE tomato, owls made from milk bottles and after checking out the norfolk food stall we decided it was lunchtime and sat down to eat some cheese rolls, pepper crisps, homegrown tomatos, fresh fennel tabbouleh and REALLY delicious cakes!
Post lunch we investigated the owls and after discovering the bird box stall we decided to make some bird boxes for £3 each. Then we asked some pertinent questions at the Edwards cob tent (we both love cob/glass deisgns) see http://www.edwardscobbuilding.com/, and spoke to a lovely person on the NNDC pledge tree who is currently building her own house and had useful ideas as to how we could get the land we want to live in. We saw recycled wooden kitchens, picked up some really fun cardboard cut outs which I'll post the link up for when I pick up the leaftlet http://www.mini-scrapbox.co.uk/.
Pedelling back to the station I was struck by the surrealness of the platform, I put a few ladybirds who were in danger of getting squashed on some bramble bushes and 'him' was so struck by teh quiet he stated that it was this kind of quiet he wanted. There were birds singing and I suspect roughly twice an hour the silence would be broken - but it was a glorious day out and definately a tenting. Coming home we tok the last of the tomatoes for dinner and I think we'll have the last of the carrots tomorrow.
Next week - foraging!
Pictures to follow :)
Getting off at Roughton Road we were struck by the incredible peace of the station (the platform is effectively a bridge over the road), and checked the map before heading off to Felbrigg. We met up with family when we arrived and toured the event discovering a HUGE tomato, owls made from milk bottles and after checking out the norfolk food stall we decided it was lunchtime and sat down to eat some cheese rolls, pepper crisps, homegrown tomatos, fresh fennel tabbouleh and REALLY delicious cakes!
Post lunch we investigated the owls and after discovering the bird box stall we decided to make some bird boxes for £3 each. Then we asked some pertinent questions at the Edwards cob tent (we both love cob/glass deisgns) see http://www.edwardscobbuilding.com/, and spoke to a lovely person on the NNDC pledge tree who is currently building her own house and had useful ideas as to how we could get the land we want to live in. We saw recycled wooden kitchens, picked up some really fun cardboard cut outs which I'll post the link up for when I pick up the leaftlet http://www.mini-scrapbox.co.uk/.Pedelling back to the station I was struck by the surrealness of the platform, I put a few ladybirds who were in danger of getting squashed on some bramble bushes and 'him' was so struck by teh quiet he stated that it was this kind of quiet he wanted. There were birds singing and I suspect roughly twice an hour the silence would be broken - but it was a glorious day out and definately a tenting. Coming home we tok the last of the tomatoes for dinner and I think we'll have the last of the carrots tomorrow.
Next week - foraging!
Pictures to follow :)
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Foraging by Bike (Not really a gardening post!)
We went on a bit of a cycle ride today..
35 miles!
We decided to get out for the day and explore some of what Norfolk has to offer using the old Marriott's Way line from Norwich - Themelthorpe - Reepham - Aylsham then Bure Valley Cycle Path from Aylsham - Buxton - Colishall - Wroxham. This was definitely a tentings expeditiona to get out and enjoy the countryside and I am pleased to say it was really fabulous.
Starting out at half ten (the result of a few beers the night before) we joined the Marriotts Way proper at Halfords Roundabout at ten to eleven, a bit later than planned! We were amazed at the clearness of the river at the first crossing and only the fact that we were meeting someone further west stopped me from some serious poohstick fun. Cycling on we quickly left the traffic and at twenty past eleven we stopped for a drink on the bridge before drayton to admire the conservation work on Costessy meadows.
We then had quite an adventure of getting the bikes up and down on and off the old railway to navigate gaps where the line had been built on, this didn't pose any serious problems but care did need to be taken on eth stony slopes up and down from the trail. The stretch through Thorpe Marriott was really a wide tree lined avenue, the feeling of being in a forest with the ghosts of trains going past seemed more real here and all the way through to Attlebridge where the line came to an abrupt halt opposite a campsite set up in the old station. The map we had was the OS 134 25000 and not detailed enough for us to realise we had to go slightly north, then west to rejoin the trail, signage wasn't good at this point.
Coming up through Lenwade there was a real feeling of landscape conflict with wide open lakes next to massive industrial sites with vast gantries and enormous waste tailing's. Pushing on we stopped for a drink and to meet up with my cousin at WHitwell Station just before the "Themelthorpe Curve" . By this point we had almost cycled halfway and my legs were really beginning to tire, after another couple of miles on reasonable track we stopped to eat lunch in a field, the tomato's I had picked from eth greenhouse this morning were delicious in our rolls. Although it was indeed warm in the sun, there was a cool breeze and most of the railway was covered in green making the cycle way something ever so slightly mystical.
Moving through Reepham we came off the trail for a few meters before cycling a very diferent landscape up to Aylsham, the ground was much sandier and we could tell we were crossing between river valleys rather than up or down one. Looking around the hedgerows were groaning under the weight of sloes, berries and rosehips (AKA sloe gin, sloe vodka, rosehip syrup & bramble wine) and had I been better prepared I would have brought much more back with us. Getting to Aylsham my cousin left us and we took a slightly reduced pace around Aylsham before suddenly arriving at Tescos where we stocked up on more liquids.
We then started on the Bure Valley, we just missed a train as we were leaving and kept hoping for another to pass us but as the miles were eaten up this seemed unlikely, I used to live at Burgh and we paddled the river from Dunkirk in Aylsham to Mayton Bridge for my hen day so its a stretch i know very well. I spent much of this section looking for familar buildings and really enjoyed the totally different perspective we got from being high on the embankments. We crossed the mermaid and looked down on its clear waters where fish could be seen basking, and we admired the little station at Buxton. There were lots of butterflies and dragonflies and just past Haubois we saw a train - wow they move!
Soon after we stopped for a breather, although the Bure Valley section was shorter we were quite tired and so I collected bramblebries and he sat in the shade and watched me! We decided to then really push on to try and catch the 16.27 from Wroxham back to Norwich, riding the bikes back up from the station was done cautiously as we were both a bit saddlesore by this stage!
It was a lovely day which was even better for my cousin being able to join us for part of the route and we also managed to find a whole tub of bramblebries - or blackberries to the uninitiated, these were intended for a blackbry and apple (from mums garden) crumble but after resting for a bit there was no way on earth i was fit for cooking. I shall instead cook them for supper tomorrow evening - a reminder of our day on the railways.
35 miles!
We decided to get out for the day and explore some of what Norfolk has to offer using the old Marriott's Way line from Norwich - Themelthorpe - Reepham - Aylsham then Bure Valley Cycle Path from Aylsham - Buxton - Colishall - Wroxham. This was definitely a tentings expeditiona to get out and enjoy the countryside and I am pleased to say it was really fabulous.
Starting out at half ten (the result of a few beers the night before) we joined the Marriotts Way proper at Halfords Roundabout at ten to eleven, a bit later than planned! We were amazed at the clearness of the river at the first crossing and only the fact that we were meeting someone further west stopped me from some serious poohstick fun. Cycling on we quickly left the traffic and at twenty past eleven we stopped for a drink on the bridge before drayton to admire the conservation work on Costessy meadows.
We then had quite an adventure of getting the bikes up and down on and off the old railway to navigate gaps where the line had been built on, this didn't pose any serious problems but care did need to be taken on eth stony slopes up and down from the trail. The stretch through Thorpe Marriott was really a wide tree lined avenue, the feeling of being in a forest with the ghosts of trains going past seemed more real here and all the way through to Attlebridge where the line came to an abrupt halt opposite a campsite set up in the old station. The map we had was the OS 134 25000 and not detailed enough for us to realise we had to go slightly north, then west to rejoin the trail, signage wasn't good at this point.
Coming up through Lenwade there was a real feeling of landscape conflict with wide open lakes next to massive industrial sites with vast gantries and enormous waste tailing's. Pushing on we stopped for a drink and to meet up with my cousin at WHitwell Station just before the "Themelthorpe Curve" . By this point we had almost cycled halfway and my legs were really beginning to tire, after another couple of miles on reasonable track we stopped to eat lunch in a field, the tomato's I had picked from eth greenhouse this morning were delicious in our rolls. Although it was indeed warm in the sun, there was a cool breeze and most of the railway was covered in green making the cycle way something ever so slightly mystical.
Moving through Reepham we came off the trail for a few meters before cycling a very diferent landscape up to Aylsham, the ground was much sandier and we could tell we were crossing between river valleys rather than up or down one. Looking around the hedgerows were groaning under the weight of sloes, berries and rosehips (AKA sloe gin, sloe vodka, rosehip syrup & bramble wine) and had I been better prepared I would have brought much more back with us. Getting to Aylsham my cousin left us and we took a slightly reduced pace around Aylsham before suddenly arriving at Tescos where we stocked up on more liquids.
We then started on the Bure Valley, we just missed a train as we were leaving and kept hoping for another to pass us but as the miles were eaten up this seemed unlikely, I used to live at Burgh and we paddled the river from Dunkirk in Aylsham to Mayton Bridge for my hen day so its a stretch i know very well. I spent much of this section looking for familar buildings and really enjoyed the totally different perspective we got from being high on the embankments. We crossed the mermaid and looked down on its clear waters where fish could be seen basking, and we admired the little station at Buxton. There were lots of butterflies and dragonflies and just past Haubois we saw a train - wow they move!
Soon after we stopped for a breather, although the Bure Valley section was shorter we were quite tired and so I collected bramblebries and he sat in the shade and watched me! We decided to then really push on to try and catch the 16.27 from Wroxham back to Norwich, riding the bikes back up from the station was done cautiously as we were both a bit saddlesore by this stage!
It was a lovely day which was even better for my cousin being able to join us for part of the route and we also managed to find a whole tub of bramblebries - or blackberries to the uninitiated, these were intended for a blackbry and apple (from mums garden) crumble but after resting for a bit there was no way on earth i was fit for cooking. I shall instead cook them for supper tomorrow evening - a reminder of our day on the railways.
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