After almost missing the start of the walk, the Equinox walking group set off at 8 am for a walk through sweet chestnut and beech woodlands at King's Wood just north of Ashford in Kent. Having never ben there before, it was a joy to explore the ancient woodland with it's dappled light, open pathways and birdsong.
Our leader, Andrew, surprised us all with tea and cake along with some moments for meditation along the way. At 9.24 am we marked the solstice with some quiet time to ourselves. The sun filtered through the trees on what was going to become a very warm day, 28 °C. Although we finished the walk by 10.30 am it was well worth the early start and gave time for other adventures of a watery kind.
I discovered that nearby there was an opportunity for some wild swimming so what better than finding a second special place on the same day. That was a weir near Olantigh just north of Wye. I parked up the campervan and walked across the field to the Great Stour River where there was a spot to get into the water. It was about waist high, cool but not cold. And I had it to myself. Well, almost. The fish came up to my hands and feet whilst I sat in the shallows with the clear water flowing quickly past. Dragonflies were abundant on the stems of the grasses whilst the sound of the weir wasn't far away.
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