Not Inhaling A Wasp*

I didn't feel up to hiking so decided to take my daughter's track car along the single track lanes of The Rodings to Pleshey, one of the smallest villages in the country and home to the remains of a motte and bailey castle with one of the largest mottes in England.

I drove slowly and gingerly as the car is lowered and has a low-slung exhaust. Not suitable for off-road in the slightest. As it happened I met hardly any other cars, which was lovely. The odd farm vehicles I encountered were able to manoeuvre past me firmly hugging the metalled surface with ease. I didn't take a map or use a satnav, I just looked at a map before I left, noted a few way points and kept the sun behind me as I used to when ferrying my children to parties and play dates in The Rodings. 

Unfortunately I couldn't explore the castle area as it is by appointment only. :( I've noted the date of an open day in September.

There are some quaint and ancient houses lining The Street. The windows of one had white blinds firmly pulled down. A row of old cyclist models were placed on a ledge. Looks like they've been there some time. That's not a casualty, as in the Olympics road racing but a very large dead and bleached wasp, or even a hornet.

*Inhaling a wasp is the cycling term for grimacing whilst climbing. :)