Our Amazing Countryside

So did you guess?

Yes I was doing one of the walks for my forthcoming book to be published in October 2018. I was doing the walk from the campsite in Easthope to the lovely town of Much Wenlock. Only in the UK would there be such an unusual name as Much Wenlock. It reminds me of a story or joke I heard a long time ago.

An American was so fascinated with the unusual and strange names of places here in the UK that she took a tour of the country noting down names of places she encountered. When asked about her experiences she replied that it was all very interesting but there were a lot of places called "Loose Chippings".

The views of the countryside especially on the walk over the fields to the town were incredible. As
stunning as anywhere in the world. Every few steps I would pause and do a 360 degree turn admiring the magnificence laid out before me. (The photographs do not really do justice to the stunning views).

The delight I felt was tinged with sadness. This is such a small country so the amazing countryside is a finite commodity. If we don't use it, appreciate it and protect it NOW, before we realize it, it will be gone. The Green Belt is crucial. So here are some suggestions.

Once a month do a walk in a new part of the countryside.
Once a month support the farmers; go to a farmers' market or buy locally produced goods.
Join or make a donation to the CPRE Campaign to Protect Rural England www.cpre.org.uk

One thing I have learnt from my research is the enormous variety of countryside that is available for us to explore and how magnificent so much of it is.