Walk 12 Hoby to Ashby Folville

Monday 26th May

Wet...wet...wet.  Three words that best sum up our little stroll on the Bank Holiday through to Ashby Folville.  Add to those three words: cows; horses; beer and chips and you pretty much have the walk in a nutshell.

Initial start at Hoby was dry if pretty dark.

Even at this stage it would be best not to ask what Rob is holding in his hand, all might be revealed later.

Off to a brisk start towards our first meeting with cows, but first a shed in Hoby...

The weather and the cows were already beginning to close in as we staggered onwards while Rob searched for the first of eight caches.

The cows around Hoby were certainly pleased to see us, crowding in to examine what goodies we had.

Eventually we managed to shake them off and were able to set off for Frisby On The Wreake, but not before, for the very last time, crossing the Melton-Leicester railway line

and then into buttercup filled meadows.  Here I am still in the "dry" stage of the walk taking a bit of a breather,

before staggering onwards to Frisby under a glowering sky.

still heading towards Frisby and the first pub of the walk (possibly).  But first, do I smell 'orses in the air? Well you cannot beat a refined nose for spotting things, and it seems at least one horse had designs on our sandwiches as well.

Once through Frisby (and without stopping at the pub) the path turns South taking us up out of the valley and away from Melton Mowbray.  As that happened we began to get the first real spots of rain (or drizzle) that would be our companion for the rest of the walk, and it got darker still.

 
Passing by something that was well past its' use-by date, we came to the A607 that needed crossing, and then we were off into more, and much muddier, fields with corn "as high as an elephant's eye"

before another game of "Where's Wally".

Now, if you have been paying attention you might just remember this photo of Stanley on the third part of the walk outside Hallaton:

Here is my contribution to the "wet as a dog" photos:

and

Still, a damp coat can always be dried with a quick race around a field (possibly).

The stick in Rob's hand is now seen to be a "dog cam". Here it is in operation just outside Gaddesby.

By now it was beginning to get a little damp and muddy with boots and paws clogging up with sticky clay.

Still the crew decided, heroically, to not stop at the pub in Gaddesby (some muttering about not sitting in a bleeping beer garden in the bleeping rain with a wet bleeping dog).  Instead we pressed on to our end point at Ashby Folville, although there was still time to play one more game of Where's The (Other) Wally.

And really (at least in terms of images) that was it.  By then it had got wet, slippery and muddy and the human contingent were not looking at their best:

And that was that...straight into the The Carrington Arms [nine chips out of ten for the pub, I am told] for the humans, and into a nice dry place for me.  

So, a difficult walk to rate.  In the dry probably a five muddy paws, but today I'll give it three. 

And now the technical bit:

With the walk cut short, the GPS track shows that we wandered for a mere 6.45 miles, that makes 101.52 miles walked so far. 

 Next time: An iron age hill fort, two pubs and with Owston in sight we will quite amazingly come to The End!  Here's hoping the weather is better when we complete in July.

c. Pip The Dog 2014