Symondshyde Great Wood–a 12km cycle ride

Symondshyde Great Wood lies between Hatfield and St Albans – a slow and bumpy 12 km, loopy- loop from our home.  Lazy cycling on Sunday afternoon in Hertfordshire.  Camera in handle-bag, small note-book, a pear and a banana, mobile phone and iPod.   In the good o’l faithful Ortlieb bag:  keys and purse and liquids.  No rain-gear today – it’s a first hot day in months!

Aim:  to go the nearby woods and findat least one new bridle path or lane.

Every now and again I phoned Gordon who was at home with his hand still in the healing process – and so we shared the slow 12 km.  By the way unless you wear a kidney belt, it is impossible to belt along a Bridle Path in the woods.  But that makes it all the more adventurous.

Discovered: a cool bridle-path in  Hyde Great forest. I would never have noticed it, but for another cyclist taking a sharp turning out the lane into the woods. I followed suite.  Good thing he was quicker than me, so there was no possibility that he could think he had a stalker to shake off!

A small bunch of wild fox-gloves in the wood.

Close-ups (after having to high-step over holly and nettles.
 
  
Patches of wild poppies in the left-over rapeseed fields.


And here is the freshly discovered bridle path, great for walking, horse-riding and cycling.



An Oak (of righteousness)

Just the spot to lean the bike against a tree and enveloped by the summer aroma of lavender, become quiet and taste and see God is good, very good. Always good, winter, summer, spring and autumn – 24/7.   And with the smell of lavender mine,  I love Him back.  By His great grace and His death and resurrection I am His and He is mine.    One of the very most significant blessings in my life is that Gordon my husband and I have so much in common.  After church, in the cool of the evening, we prayed together for various loved ones - in our small rectangle garden.  So precious....and a great privilege!

Here is a link to cycling between Hatfield and London - if you are keen!  And another link to cycling in London in the winter.