On Thursday 9th June ten members met at Swindon’s Coate Water Country Park, an 83 hectare SSSI, for a walk on a warm and sunny evening.
We walked alongside the 73 acre reservoir, created to feed the Wilts and Berks Canal, and saw the Council Oak, a tree mentioned in one of Richard Jefferies’ books. Skirting the Nature Reserve and crossing the M4 on a spiral footbridge, we climbed steadily up to Pinkcombe Wood, which we followed to Hodson.
After re-crossing the motorway we crossed fields to back to the lake and returned to the start alongside the opposite bank, passing the golf course, pitch and putt and yacht club on the way.
We start and finish near the large lake
The famous Council Oak
Crossing the lakes
Enjoying a beautiful summer sunset
A deer and some Sarson Stones seen on the walk