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Photos 2nd November 2008

Today was my 5th time as the fearless leader. Thanks to the 4 people who came and joined me today on another pleasant JWalk. If you wish to see a map of the planned walk route then please click here.

To start with it was just Mike, Louise, Abigail and I. We made our way to the start point and we had just set off at 11AM when David came bolting from behind, having almost missed us. Good job he caught us. We waited for him to get his boots on and then off we went. First we descended to the ridge bottom and walked along the ridge base path to the outskirts of Dunstable in patchy light rain / drizzle. Despite the weather it was quite pleasant and the clouds were capping the top of the ridge, making it seem much bigger than it was. On the left was a deserted London Gliding club. Shame the weather prevented any glider activity. Even in the light rain Pascomb Pit was almost as stunningly beautiful as when I test walked in good weather in September. I managed to take a few pictures during gaps in the drizzle. Mud was not as bad as expected given the previous day's heavy downpours. Wind also lighter than expected.

After reaching Dunstable we about turned and carried on up into the clouds to Five Knolls at the top of the ridge. So quite spooky and foggy up there. Looking over the edge was almost into nothing but white, but the houses of Dunstable and the trailers and buildings of the gliding club just visible from the top. The windswept hawthorn bushes and trees looked very atmospheric as they loomed through the fog. Half way to the visitor centre the cloud lifted above us a bit and we got a good view down to the valley and London Gliding club below. After what seemed like a never ending gravel path over the ridge top (the cisitor centre looks much closer than it is in its prominent position) we duely arrived for lunch and a pleasant rest.

Most of us grabbed a very tasty veggie burger and chips, made use of the facilities and had a good look around the gift shop. Abigail and I couldn't resist buying some Kendal mint cake. She got the white one and I bought a bigger selection of white, brown and chocolate covered mint cake. Yum! Meanwhile outside the cloud descended again and it was thick fog when we resumed the walk.

We crossed over the main road and walked around Kensworth Quarry to Codings Bank. There was a surprise in store for us here. In the test walk it was a nice peaceful field in the middle of a countryside valley. When we got there though it was full of vintage cars driving a trials course, testing their skill and grip on steep slopes. Interesting to watch but a shame the peace and quiet of the countryside had been interrupted. Meanwhile the weather had dried out and we saw no more drizzle. We carried on, following the Whipsnade Circular Walk route markers. We crossed the Isle of Wight Lane at Nash Farm and headed over Whipsnade Heath. Then a short roadside walk took us into Whipsnade itself.

Once in Whipsnade we soon found Old Hunter's Lodge bar / restaurant and the entrance to the Tree Cathedral. We decided the bar would be a good place to return to after the walk. It looked pretty with a thatched roof outlined with red lightbulbs. Quite fetching in the dropping light levels. The Tree Cathedral is as described. Someone planted hedgerows, bushes and trees in the shape of a cathedral. It included an East Chapel, main corridors shaped like a cross, and a 'dewpond enclosure' which appeared to be a dry grass pit surrounded by a raised rim (much like an impact crater). After a photo shoot at a bench in the East Chapel we exited via the dewpond enclosure and resumed the walk.

After a brief sortie in the wrong direction we soon set off in the right direction along a path in a line of trees between two fields. At the end of the path we cut left across a grass field and rejoined the Icknield Way path. It was in a gully and there was a stream flowing down the middle of the path! Didn't stop us from progressing along the path and over some puddles and mud patches to reach the end of the walk and back to the car with a good half an hour or so to spare before darkness.

We decided to go to the Old Hunter's Lodge where some cups of tea and coffee, and sharing some desserts (that chocolate cake was delicious!) in what looked like an old fireplace finished the day nicely. Then an event free cruise home to catch up with an extremely eventful Formula 1 Grand Prix finale!

Now feel free to enjoy the photos I took below. If anyone else wants to submit pictures then please do send them to me and I will add them and credit you accordingly.

External links: Wikipedia: Dunstable and Whipsnade Downs | London Gliding Club | Wikipedia: Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

PascombPit1.jpg	Dunstable.jpg	FiveKnolls1.jpg	JWalkersAtFiveKnolls.jpg	FiveKnolls2.jpg	RidgeTopFog1.jpg
Approaching Pascomb Pit.	Climbing up to Five Knolls on the ridge top in cloud. Looking behind us to Dunstable rooftops looming out of the fog.		Abigail, Mike and Louise at Five Knolls.	More spooky fog shots from the ridge top.

RidgeTopFog2.jpg	RidgeTopFog3.jpg	PascombPit2.jpg	LGC.jpg	RidgeTopPath.jpg	QuarryPath.jpg
More spooky fog shots from the ridge top.		Pascomb Pit from above.	London Gliding Club from cloudbase.	Following the Icknield Way path to the Chiltern Gateway visitor centre.	Fog shrouded path around Kensworth Quarry.

MoreFog.jpg	OldHuntersLodge.jpg	TreeCathedralBench.jpg	EastChapel.jpg	TreeCathedral.jpg
The view into the quarry obscured by the fog.	The Old Hunter's Lodge in Whipsnade where we returned for tea and cakes after the walk.	The Tree Cathedral. Mike on a bench in the East Chapel, looking to the entrance from the bench, and looking down one of the main corridors of the cathedral.

Photos 14th September 2008

A few pictures from the test walk in much better weather so you can see what the Dunstable Downs actually look like in clear air.

LGCFromAbovePascombPit.jpg	DunstableDownsPanorama.jpg	DunstableFromAbovePascombPit.jpg
View from same location as PascombPit2.jpg. Pascomb Pit in bottom left corner.	2 shot panorama from above Pascomb Pit, looking towards the Chiltern Gateway visitor centre visible on the horizon.	The view of Dunstable without the fog!

LGCK21.jpg	VisitorCentreApproach.jpg	SmallTortoiseshell.jpg
London Gliding Club glider in flight.	Kites flying in front of the Chiltern Gateway Visitor Centre.	Small Tortoiseshell butterfly nectaring on flowers in Whipsnade.