Cold Christmas on a Sunny June Day

Several months ago at programme planning, I volunteered to organise a walk for Saturday 25th June, calling it the “6 months to Christmas Walk”. Now I needed to find a walk with a Christmas connection.

So, a few months later, we met at Stratford Station on Sunday 26th June (put back by a day due to the train strike). First to arrive were Cathy and me, soon followed by Madeline, Jill V. and Sue S. and Marian. Train tickets purchased, we boarded the train to Ware arriving at 11 a.m. and set off, crossing over the river Lea.

However, Marian had lost her phone and so retraced her steps to see if she could find it whilst we pushed on without her. We’d lost 1 person within 5 minutes, not a great start. The first mile and half were through Ware, a historic town, to the pretty little village of Thundridge, along roads, but getting the uphill walking done early on.

Reaching Thundridge we turned off the road into a wooded track next to the river Rib, passing fields filled with poppies, before turning left to St Mary’s Church. The church is better known as

Cold Christmas Church. I say church, all that remains now is the Tower, the rest of the church having been demolished. The church is reputed to be haunted and according to legend was a focus point for witches and devil worshipers, although on a bright sunny day it felt quite tranquil Pushing on, we rejoined the River Rib at a small ford across the river, where we had lunch. Checking my phone, I had a message from Marian saying that she had found her phone.

After lunch we continued alongside the river, catching a great view of a Red Kite over the fields and woods. After ten minutes we turned away right heading up a small hill to the tiny hamlet of Cold Christmas. Topicality was never my strong point, but I’d excelled myself here I think. Posing to have our photos by the village sign we disturbed a mouse/vole like small furry creature which quickly scuttled away down the lane. We continued across fields, between Diamond Jubilee woods, reaching a road and heading back to Ware, where we found a nice cafe for waffle/pancakes and ice-creams before boarding the train back home.

We’d walked about 6.5 to 7 miles, seen some lovely countryside, enjoyed sunshine, and seen quite a bit of wildlife. Anyone up for a walk to Summer Bay in December?

 Trev (pathfinder) Eley. 3rd July 2022