I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned here how lucky I feel I am being able to live in the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and every now and then nature combines in such a way to make the view gorgeous or stunning.
Nestled Mist
I didn’t really have time in the day to get the best photograph of the above situation. I think it would have been more stunning as fingers of sunlight crept over the horizon but I had other stuff I needed to do. Like get to work.
Sunny Lower North Downs
This photo shows the state of the soil on the Downs Slopes. It’s quite chalky here. I took this while I was trying to run up 5-O steps but I didn’t manage to run it all.
I had a lovely run today. Up over the North Downs and then back again. I actually stopped today to take two photos of stuff I regularly see.
This is the route I took.
Here’s the fist photo I took of the Upper White Horse Stone on the way up the North Downs [the link takes you to Wikipedia].
And here’s a photo of a distance marker I passed at the top of the Downs.
I live in one of the three villages of the Medway Gap. I have only just heard of the term Medway Gap, I was preparing the previous communication and looked up Eccles on Wikipedia and there was a link to something called the Medway Gap. I think I prefer the Three Villages moniker but Medway Gap is a pretty good name too.
The Medway Gap is a part of the Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Kent. My village doesn’t quite make the cut into the AONB but I do get to look up at the Downs every day and often run through the lovely countryside.
Here’s the Kent AONB:
Here’s a link to the website of that organisation.
The Medway Gap is a little part of this map just outside the AONB but nestled between the conurbations of Maidstone and Rochester. To live here it feels as though you are deep in the countryside of Kent but in reality there are two motorways within 3 miles, a mainline railway to London, a major river and the Channel Tunnel Highspeed Railway passes under the Downs within this area.
I had a run recently, I try to run about three time a week. The running is for two main reasons; keeping fit, eating more. Anyway, I’ve bought an OS map and have investigated other routes I could do in the area of the Medway Gap.
The views in this area are just stunning. Here’s a picture I took while descending the North Downs.
I had a good run yesterday [26 APR 14]. I decided to discover more of the North Downs and headed further to the north than I had previously. This run is shown below and includes all three of the Medway Valley villages.
Here’s the view (rather cloudy) of the valley from Wouldham Common.
This is the longest run I have ever done and I am quite proud of myself. I am going to try and do this route more.
On my run this morning I took some photographs because this area of Kent is lovely. It was nice and sunny, although cold. I run in the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
I have found a new running route that includes some climbs. Most of my previous routes just took me along mostly flat paths and roads. There were some small inclines but nothing of imposing height. After a trip to the Lake District when I ran up a mountain I have decided to make my run include a hill climb.
I run a circular route from my house, up the North Downs and then down the Downs again. The route I have chosen has the shortest route up the Downs and so, logically, it is the steepest. I have run that way four times now and have reached the top without stopping twice. Basically, it hurts!
This is my route up the North Downs. The contour lines get quite close together and so you can tell how steep it is.
Here’s some photographs I took while walking the dog yesterday morning. I think next time I want some really good shots that capture the look and feel of what I see I’ll have to take my D-SLR.
Problem is that by the time I have set the D-SLR up properly the moment will be lost!
