A couple of weeks back, we went on a little family hike around a local country park, Shorne Woods Country Park.
The park was once part of the Cobham Hall estate, before being passed on to the local council for use as a country park. There is even an old clay pit which is being reclaimed by nature now!
It’s a wonderful space, full of nature. From wildlife to plants, trees to fishing lakes, there is a lot to see. There are walking trails laid out, from the easy to proper hiking trails, bicycle paths and dog walking areas. You can ride a horse along certain trails, and there is even disabled access, and trails suitable for mobility scooters.
There is a fragrant sensory garden which is neighboured by a small pond that is used for pond dipping.
All around are beautiful wild flowers growing, encouraging the minibeasts to do what they do best, and pollinate! There are many breeds of dragonfly that were endangered, but are breeding well here!
As you walk around, you go through dense forest, as well as large greens. There are quite a few ‘dead’ trees too. Each one looks so intriguing. The kids managed to climb up a few too!
One of my favourite parts of Shorne Woods Country Park is the Fairie Ring. There is a staircase carved into one of the declines, that is around 140 steps down. Note the sign requests no cycling… as if lol!
It is a beautiful little clearing in a glen that we come to where there is a circle of wooden carved tree trunk seats that have been placed there. I have tried looking for the history behind this ring but couldn’t find anything!
And I think that my favourite sign has to be this…
To climb back up, via the staircase, the way is signposted as Cardiac Hill! And I tell you what, on a warm day, it can feel like you’re going to suffer a heart attack going up!
Another little nugget of history is the Rhododendron Walk, where couples used to come for romantic walks, or rather carriage rides amongst the Rhododendron Bushes! As they started to overtake the woodlands, the Rhododendrons are no longer there, but you can see the carriage pathway.
We spent a few hours there, walking our own trails, hopping from one to another, and there are also children’s play areas set up too, with various activities for the more traditional ‘park’ enthusiasts, with slides, and swings, and climbing frames.
During school time the park also hosts Forest School sessions where children are allowed to learn in nature. They get shown different plants and fungi, taught what is safe, and what is not, then there is a huge clearing which has been furnished with all manner of sticks and logs, and they children can climb and den build. At the end, they have a campfire, and drink hot chocolate, and even toast marshmallows!
A hand holding a flint tool, which is an homage to Stone Age flint tools that were also found there.
There is a great Eco-friendly Visitor centre there, with cafe and shop, several ice cream places dotted around too! But it is fun to make yourself a picnic and eat out in the open on a beautiful day!
It is a truly great place to visit, with or without kids!
mywanderwhy
Jan 09, 2017 @ 20:17:04
I love this. Would you take a second to look at my blog and let me know your thoughts 🙂 it would be greatly appreciated! Trying to get my works out there!!!!
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Ritu
Jan 09, 2017 @ 21:01:49
Thank you! I will take a trip over to yours too!@
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Judy Martin
Aug 28, 2016 @ 21:20:48
Sounds a great place to visit Sis. Educational as well as beautiful. love the faerie ring 🙂
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Ritu
Aug 28, 2016 @ 21:22:29
It’s a lovely place sis… 15 mins away from Bluewater😁 Come over and I’ll take you 😊
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Ann GrubbsnCritters
Aug 28, 2016 @ 13:50:29
Heheeeee… Cardiac Hill. I’m sure there’s a reason for the name! 😜
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Ritu
Aug 28, 2016 @ 14:03:40
I’ve walked back up that path…. I can confirm!
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joey
Aug 27, 2016 @ 19:53:50
Oh that’s a gorgeous place!
Lovely photos, Ritu 🙂
One of the places we like to hike has very bad signage and directions, but now we know better. Our first trip up, we had two little kids and a dog, so we chose Moderate trails. Uh. I wouldn’t call them moderate. lol Many many steps. Phew!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 20:14:12
One time we had my in-laws with us… my mum in-law has bad knees. The kids were on bikes.
We took a wrong turn and ended up.on the hardest hike ! Tool us hours to get back to the beginning lol!
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joey
Aug 27, 2016 @ 20:17:27
Ah, yes, then you know! lol
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 20:27:42
Oh yes!!! Hard enough normally but even worse with an incapacitated elder and two kids on bikes!!!
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Sue Vincent
Aug 27, 2016 @ 15:05:45
It looks gorgeous. I looked it up online after you had mentioned it, intriued by the name. The local villages here form part of the Schorne parishes, named for Sir John Schore who was rector at North Marston in the early 1300s… and associated with a miraculous healing well that is still there and with conjouring the devil into a boot! https://scvincent.com/2015/04/06/dear-don-xxiii/
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 15:12:40
I’ve just been to have a read 😊
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Sue Vincent
Aug 27, 2016 @ 15:17:08
So I see 🙂
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 13:44:38
Ha!!! And you changed your theme!! YAY!!! Very cool!!! What theme did you choose? It looks wonderful and I love the neutral background!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 13:49:18
Hey sis thanks!
It’s actually the same theme but I changed the background, introduced an image header and changed the font!
Oh and moved some of the widgets around!
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 15:54:53
Yes, I noticed the thingy with the widgets. The same theme and a completely different look! Perfect! I love it!!! Congrats, you did that wonderfully!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:03:08
Changed the colour again now!!
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:18:47
Ha, check!
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:19:41
You know what? I just love that color 😉
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:20:56
I changed it originally ally on.my Surface. Went on.the PC to tweak it and got more colours to play with!
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:24:43
Oh, you have so many choices with the premium package too. It is awesome! The color you are having now is the same I have and it fits so very well your wave photo! It gives eveything such a warm touch! I love it!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 17:33:20
Thank you sis…. it’s my kinda colour palette
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 19:52:11
As I said…. kindred spirits 😘
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 20:12:32
We are !!!
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 20:45:11
💖💖💖
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 13:43:22
That is a beautiful park and I love the idea of the Rhododendron path. Such a shame it is not the same anymore! Thanks for sharing, Sis!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 13:47:52
Thank.you sis! It is a lovely park 😊
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 15:53:48
I love such places!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 15:54:10
😊always great to explore!
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:17:18
And so full of life with the vividly growing plants all around!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:20:04
It is truly glorious, especially when the flowers bloom 😊
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 16:23:08
I can imagine that very well! There is a huge bontanical garden in Pasadena. You can walk there for hours. They have severals sections with different gardens and all so beautiful. What you posted reminded me of that garden!
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 17:32:48
💐🌸💮🏵🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷⚘🌲
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Erika Kind
Aug 27, 2016 @ 19:51:50
😃😃😘
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jlfatgcs
Aug 27, 2016 @ 12:31:19
Beautiful photos! What a lovely place.
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 12:33:27
Thank you! It is a wonderful place 😊
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Chris White
Aug 27, 2016 @ 10:58:10
Sounds and lookslovely. Cardiac Hill though …. how quaint.
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 11:19:00
Exactly! The name gets me every time!!!
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kphoenix1
Aug 27, 2016 @ 03:57:28
Amazing photos! Looks like something out of a movie. Beautiful.
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 08:58:24
It is a beautiful place 😊
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susieshy45
Aug 27, 2016 @ 03:23:19
Ritu,
Love the new design of your blog !
And also the descriptions of this new place- new to me.
Keep sharing !
I can understand how you are losing all the weight this summer- hiking and biking.
Susie
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Ritu
Aug 27, 2016 @ 08:57:44
Thank you Susie! I felt it was time for a change!
Yes, I’m trying to be more physical this summer, hopefully it’ll rub off on my normal school life too!!!
Shorne is a wonderful park 😊
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The Poetry Channel
Aug 26, 2016 @ 22:13:58
Looks like a great place to enjoy nature and art. I would disagree about the kids part 🙂
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Ritu
Aug 26, 2016 @ 22:23:15
Ha! (Un)fortunately they come as part of the deal… but to be honest if we weren’t trying g you occupy them we wouldn’t have half our adventures!
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The Poetry Channel
Aug 26, 2016 @ 22:41:51
Been there 😁
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Ritu
Aug 26, 2016 @ 22:47:49
I still have some few years to go!!!
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Southern by Design
Aug 26, 2016 @ 21:51:55
Some very stunning photos! Looks like an amazing place.
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Ritu
Aug 26, 2016 @ 22:03:07
It is a lovely place, and literally on our doorstep, around 10 minutes drive away!
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Southern by Design
Aug 26, 2016 @ 22:33:09
Wow! That’s even better 🙂
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Ritu
Aug 26, 2016 @ 22:36:30
I know! Well living in Kent, the Garden Of England, there is always amazing places to see!
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Southern by Design
Aug 26, 2016 @ 23:00:04
That’s awesome! My cousin lives near and works at Cambridge.
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Ritu
Aug 26, 2016 @ 23:02:40
You know…. I’ve never been to Cambridge! I’m born and bred Birmingham, married in Kent!
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Southern by Design
Aug 26, 2016 @ 23:04:37
I know England is a big place, I hope to visit him in the future!
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Ritu
Aug 26, 2016 @ 23:05:36
Thing is…it’s not that big really but there is so much to see!!!
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Southern by Design
Aug 26, 2016 @ 23:07:40
Well, I’m a HUGE history buff so the idea of visiting and seeing lots of historical sights excites me!
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Ritu
Aug 26, 2016 @ 23:09:48
Yeah, history…now there’s LOADS of that here!!!
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