Field of adventure

In order to beat a headache I've been cursed with for three days, I thought it best to stay away from the computer, head out into the fresh air and get some exercise. I'm pleased to say that this tactic worked a treat - headache banished!

Fred and I took the train to Tunbridge Wells and cycled 17 miles of National Cycle Network 18 to Bedgebury Forest. It was a lovely cycle after we'd passed the traffic-congested area around Tunbridge Wells. The roads were undulating with trees in multicoloured hues at both sides; their leaves falling softly around us. At one point we came out into a large open area where we could see the forest down in the valley below. Bedgebury Forest is intriguing. It's a Forestry Commission site that has mountain bike tracks all through it. I found it refreshing to see whole families out on bicycles enjoying the forest without fear of being shouted at for cycling in the wrong place, etc, etc. I will definitely return to this forest.

We didn't spend long exploring Bedgebury since we knew we had to cycle to the next station before the sun set. So, we headed off to Etchingham via a public bridleway that threw a few challenges in our direction. The first was a gate that was firmly shut with barbed wire around either end. Fred lifted the bikes over and we went on out way. The second was slightly more disconcerting. We again had to lift our bikes over the gate, then we calmly walked through the field of cows. However, these cows were very curious and decided they would like to get very close indeed. This was the point when we realised that the thirty or so cows were bulls. We stopped and the bulls stopped. One bull nudged Fred's bike from behind. We strode on towards the gate ahead, the bulls moving out of our way but plodding alongside us. Of course, Fred had to lift the bikes over that gate, too (some public bridleway, this - and it did have a sign indicating that we were going the right way). The bulls pressed in and we leapt the gate. I think they wanted food and thought we were farmers (except for the bikes, which must have puzzled them). We had a stroke of a few bull noses and decided they were lovely beasts when seen from this side of the gate.

Onwards and much relieved we headed downhill and came across an electric fence. Gah! We rolled commando-style under said fence and dragged our bikes underneath it. Then we realised it wasn't electric. We had a good laugh about that.

We reached the station at dusk and decided that we'd had a very fine day indeed.