In Tolkien's Footsteps

Yesterday, we went on a walk around Hurst Green, Stonyhurst College and by the Hodder and Ribble Rivers called the Tolkien Trail. This area of Lancashire is Tolkien country where he spent time while writing The Lord of the Rings. His son was attending school at Stonyhurst which was a Jesuit seminary back then.

The walk was a lovely ramble through the 'Shire' beginning in Hurst Green, skirting around the beautiful buildings of Stonyhurst, past Hodder place and then following the edge of the Hodder River until it connected with the Ribble. I could see where his inspiration for the Shire came from, leafy lanes, winding paths through the woods, the stroll alongside the river. We had a picnic lunch at the edge of the Hodder and I could just imagine Tolkien with his notebook on a sunny afternoon looking at the same view and adding in hobbits, elves and other creatures.

It was a good day for a walk, too windy to be out on the tandem (40 mph gusts are a bit much!), but the fleeces blocked most of it. When we were 8 miles in to what was described as a 5-mile walk, we realised that someone had some 'measurement challenges'. I couldn't figure out why I was tired and why my feet hurt - it was only 5 miles and I'd walked 6 on Sunday with no problems (and more hills!), what was going on? Steve measured the route when we got home and, sure enough, 8 miles!

Length aside, it was still a great walk with lots of places and things that we'd never seen before (usual for me, highly unusual for Steve who's wandered around this part of the world for years). Would do it again, but plan for 8 rather than 5 miles next time!