Bridestones

Its spring! Or at least it is trying very valiently. So we took off up to the Moors to do an actual walk that Nathaniel would have to actually...... walk!

We didn't aim too high - just a bimble around the Bridestones with Jim and Vicki and Mikey who share our values on the ratio of walk to eating!

But it was lovely! The Bridestones are brilliant anyway - suitably dramatic and unexpected (we approached from a drive through the forest), and excellent for climbing on. We didn't need kids to have this walk take us all day, allowing for time to explore all scrambling routes on each stone.

The first one made the most impression on the kids. Having walked up the steep hill through woodland, and then across a bit of moorland, we were ready for clambering and so took our time making sure that everyone got up every bit, and that every aspect of the view was savoured.

And then onwards to each stone in turn, each one having its own particular character and hence, activity. One of my favourites was the one with the hollowed out flat seat which provided a fine snack area. The final one was the piece de resistance with a tunnel and a tunnel-let. We weren't sure that Mikey was going to be able to get out of the chimney pipe entrance to the tunnel-let.

And Nathaniel had to have several tries with lots of encouragement to banish the stamping feet and yelping of "It's too difficult!" But he did it.

Thea had the advantage of being little and bendy and having tiny feet that could easily wedge into crevices to help herself up.

So she went round and round and round.

Thea exhibited her legendry enthusiasm for everthing climbable. She wanted to get up everything, and the fact that Ian almost got stuck once (he had Jim and Mikey on each leg guiding him down!), didn't put her off.

Once at the top of her stone, she'd explore every inch of the plateau and typically find some indentation on the leeward edge where she wanted to sit.

The sun was warm and the wind, though definitely there, was a south-westerly, and we were happy with no coats for the first time this year. On the walk back to the car, a meadow near a stream called, so we sat basking in the sun and ate our lunch and stuffed ourselves on Ian's birthday cake.

It was a wonderful start to spring.