Splodging On

Muddy track at the bottom of Barnet Wood, Hayes.  20 January 2014

I went for a blood test today (the day this is being written) and  decided to walk back home through woods and fields.  I knew of a route that comes out at the back of Hayes Village.  I had not walked it for a while.  But I remembered that once, it had been extremely muddy and hard to negotiate in parts.  It has been pretty wet recently, so I wondered how easily I could get through wearing a pair of old trainers.

On reaching the path shown above, I went a different way ...

Tracks diverge at the corner of Barnet Wood, Hayes.  20 January 2014.

There was still lots of mud, but in places the path had been scoured down to a pebbly undersurface which was easily walkable.  However, coming up to this spot I had to climb over a barbed-wire fence and walk in the field for about 50 yards, where the track was nothing but water and squidgy mud and was fenced closely on both sides.  This photo looks back along my track.

Edge of field beside Mazzards Wood, Hayes.  20 January 2014.

Further on was this odd formation.  I suppose drivers of farm vehicles choose to vary their path so as not to gouge any one track too deeply. You can see an outpost of Hayes Village in the distance.

Anyway, I did get through, but I was glad I had chosen my old, rough trainers for this trip.  And thick gloves, for gripping barbed wire.

I am enjoying taking panoramas with my iPhone, so here's another one taken just after the second shot above, again looking back ...