52 Walks in 2010 - Walk 7 - Marston Vale Millennium Country Park (21st February 2010)

Today we went for a walk at the Marston Vale Millennium Country Park. The park was created with lottery funding as a millennium project on land previously used for clay extraction, brick making and landfill. In the park there is a 'figure of eight' path for walkers and cyclists, including a 4 kilometre (2.5 mile) circular path around Stewartby Lake which was where our walk took us.



It started out quite a cold, bleak, overcast day.



There were lots of catkins out.



Later, the sunshine came out and by the waterside this would have been a nice place to sit if it had been warmer.



When the sun was out the lake looked quite picturesque and there were lots of gulls on the water.

I think this final photo, taken into the sun, is my favourite of the day.

52 Walks in 2010 - Walk 6 - Hitchin (13th February 2010)

Not much time for taking a walk this week but I managed to take a few photos whilst walking round Hitchin on a quick shopping trip on Saturday.

This building just off the Market Place was built in 1882 and was the offices of the Carling family’s Hertfordshire Express and Hitchin Gazette newspapers from 1882-1986.



I've no idea of the history of this next building but I like the Gothic style. I believe the upper floors of the building are now occupied by a firm of solicitors.



This area near the church is particularly nice with the timber framed buildings. The shop in the centre with the 'H' outside is a delicatessen which has been trading for over 150 years. It sells wonderful cheeses and cured meats that you can't get elsewhere and has recently started selling locally grown vegetables. I took a very similar photo of this part of the town for my 365 project which followers of my blog may remember.

52 Walks in 2010 - Walk 5 - Moggerhanger Park (7th February 2010)

We didn't manage to go for a walk last week so although today should have been our 6th walk it was only our 5th. I'm sure one week, when the weather warms up, we will catch up.

Todays walk was around Moggerhanger Park, Bedfordshire. Moggerhanger House is a Grade 1 listed Georgian Country House set in 33 acres of parkland and woodland.



We had never visited before but had read that from Mid January to Mid February there are lots of snowdrops in the woods.



We weren't disappointed because there were plenty of snowdrops.

There were some interesting old trees too which were features of the original grand gardens of the Georgian era.



Whilst walking round the woods we spotted these ladybirds hibernating.





And there was some interesting fungi too.