Do you know the old man, who lives along the track,
I look over my shoulder: does anyone go back?
The old key is hanging on the door by a thread,
And the tune of this song is going round in my head.
These two days on the Jurassic Way, crossing back and forth over the route of the Great Central Railway are bound together by traces of what remains of that now disused line. We walk many disused railway lines and can only lament that this is no longer a working line or viable as an off road walking route of any length.
It’s called the Jurassic Way but there are no traces of dinosaurs as far as I could tell. On Wednesday, a grey day, we started at Woodford Halse. I explored the community woodland now in the middle of the former junction. Bob walked onto Charwelton. I caught up with him at Church Charwelton where a 12th century Church stands out in the meadows. We negotiated access to the key from its worthy guardian.
Having completed the section of the route for the day we enjoyed some cake at Draycote Water.
For the second day on this part of the Great Central Railway route (Thursday), Bob started at Charwelton Packhorse Bridge, a trace of a much older route in these parts. I started at Staverton and walked towards him. He was able to follow some of the line of the Catesby Tunnel, its airshafts still marching across the landscape. I was walking through arable land: oats, barley and wheat, and crossing some challenging stiles.
Eventually I reached the track bed of the Great Central Railway just south of the Catesby Viaduct. Not officially on a footpath, this right is reserved for the sheep currently in residence, but I do a reasonable impersonation myself.
Bob and I walked back to Staverton together: we then went back to Draycote Water for lunch.
I love to winkle the traces of history from the landscape. There are more sections of the Great Central Railway ahead, some reused, some abandoned.
From my remembered bible: The Shepherd One leads me in peaceful paths.
May I leap one stile at a time!
From a Friend of Scholastica and a Member of the Lay Community of St Benedict.
Janet Lees, Woodford Halse to Staverton, 25-26 May 2022