Day 1 Shrewsbury to Yorton
It took us quite a long time to get started this morning. It was only after having a robust breakfast at the Hole in the Wall that we felt strong enough to begin.
We set off up the Dana steps and over the railway footbridge, stopping only for a few minutes to adjust our equipment.
Then onwards along the old canal and river bed
The weather has been a bit strange, sun, then big raindrops, then sleet, then more raindrops so we put on our McTorrent tartan kilts before leaving Shrewsbury.
Then onwards.
The farmers, along whose fields we strolled today, have done a great job in making easily followed tracks across fields. We passed through a folk song on our merry way as one farmer had planted oats and beans and barley.
This isn’t a picture of oats or beans or barley but Janet going through a kissing gate. These take a little longer to negotiate, as you can imagine.
We were a bit bothered that the ground might be boggy after the wet winter and spring but North Shropshire soil is more congenial than South Shropshire soil so we walked on top of it rather than four inches below it as we did last week on our way to Shrewsbury.
Having said all that about North Shropshire soil there was the occasional damp patch when least expected.
I would like to make a small complaint to my ecclesiastical chums. We became accustomed to the welcoming arms of church porches, in which to perch away from wind and rain, as we strolled to Italy. Today we were obliged to stand in the rain, Janet to eat her lunch of one chocolate egg and me to eat my hardboiled brown Sheila, by the side of a B road. The only church we saw had no porch and was stoutly barred against the passing stroller.
Our destination today was Yorton railway station. A shortish day in order to test our rainwear, packs, legs, resolve, map reading skills. All of which passed with B+.
The roaring fire in Yorton Station waiting room was a welcome sight as the wind roared and the rain descended.