A Summer Walk along the Green Way

I've travelled far and wide on my Nice Days Out but sometimes it's nice to explore somewhere a little closer to home.

So one sunny weekend in June my sister and I went for a walk along part of the Green Way, a local walking route that runs between the villages of Bray and Cookham, via the town of Maidenhead. We started our walk in Maidenhead and headed towards Bray.

The walk got off to a slightly un-promising start, with a slightly menacing bank of thistles and sightings of such urban delights as abandoned shopping trolleys...

 

 

... and (weirdly) what looked like an old and rusting milk float!

 

Everything was gloriously overgrown though, an absolute riot of green which looked wonderful in the summer sunshine.

It wasn't long before the urban faded away and nature took over and we were walking through veritable tunnels of overhanging trees.

  

We passed a few other walkers - and were passed by several cyclists - but as you can see from the photos this was a beautifully peaceful place to walk. I did a lot of standing to take photos and then scurrying to catch up with my sister who had walked on ahead (going for a walk with a blogger can be very dull!).

 

There were a couple of side paths to explore, but we kept to the main path that passes along the edge of Braywick Park.

Everything was clearly signposted, with maps and information boards at regular intervals so you could see your location and read about things like the local wildlife.

There was also some fab woodland art along the way, carved from old tree trunks.

At one end of the park, there's an area of rough grassland that was a former landfill site. What a pleasure to see (and hear) it reclaimed by nature (there were lots of chirping insects, always a lovely relaxing summer sound!).

 

We walked along the edge of the grassland then arrived at the Dell, a local nature reserve.

My photos really do not do justice to how gorgeous this place was. Small but absolutely overflowing with wild plants and flowers.

 

 We wandered round the Dell for a while, ooohing over the loveliness...

... then headed back, retracing our steps back down the shady tree-lined paths and soaking up all that relaxing green goodness along the way.             

A perfect Sunday walk!