St Ives Woods.

At last a lovely blue sky and the chance for a walk in the St Ives Estate. Of course I walk here every Thursday with the ladies but today it was Chris and I who were walking. We haven’t had a proper walk since the Chilcombe Bottom walk we did at Christmas in Bath. We did attempt one in the big freeze earlier this month but had to abandon it due to the ice underfoot.

The sun was gorgeous but there was a cool wind but we were soon warm as we ascended behind the cricket field to the path which enters the lower woods that can be seen from our house. We nearly always walk here just above Low Park, not part of our Thursday circuit. 

We stopped here because we’d just heard a Woodpecker somewhere to the left of us. We didn’t see it sadly though it was very loud but I thought the stark winter trees themselves looked good against the blue sky. 

On to Betty’s Wood, growing fast after its devastation some years ago, something Chris always likes to monitor. Walking above the Aire Valley, some of which is more visible due to the tree felling to eliminate disease, where you can look towards Bingley and across to the Leeds-Liverpool canal and the 5 Rise Locks.

Back past the golf club and a coffee stop of course at the Ivy kitchen. We did reminisce about sitting outside here on plastic bags on the frosted benches with a take away coffee during Covid walks. Strangely it was in the local TV news when we got back that it was 5 years ago today that the first case in the country was found in a hotel in York!

A good morning, let’s hope this is the first of many such walks in improving weather.