A walk up Welcombe Hills to the Monument

A walk up Welcombe Hills to the Monument

I took a complete break yesterday and went for a walk up the Welcombe Hills with my children and my parents.

I grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and spent a lot of my childhood either playing down by the river or up on the Welcombe Hills, so thought I would take my children to see where I used to play.

Looking back, it must have been 30 years since I wast last there, but I could see straight away why I used to like it so much, and the reaction of my kids backed that up, they both absolutely loved it.

We started of by driving up to the top of Maidenhead Road and the only bit that was slightly different was there was a new housing estate to the left of “the tunnel” (as we used to call the 1oo yrd entrance that was enclosed on both sides by hedging). Once through the tunnel thoufg we were in to open unspoilt countryside.

Up across another couple of fields, and there it was, the sight of The Monument,

Once the kids saw it the pace picked up and it almost became a race of who could get there first, grandad along the top route, granny, me and the kids taking the more direct (but up and down) route.

We met up at virtually the same time on the final style and L was first in, closely followed by T. Up they ran, and bothe stood in awe of just how big it was.

We soon caught them up and stated our picnic on the old rustic benches now set up there, finger rolls, chicken drumsticks, cocktail sausages and crisps, almost exactly the same as my mum always made them when we were kids.

The memories of our famouse 5 style adventures came flooding back, especially as my daughter started climbing those exact same trees we used to climb (they’re even bigger now), and even more, so when she went of in search for that secret tunnel from the Monument to the Welcombe Hotel which we never found despite numerous searches for it.

Sandwiches, snacks and drinks finished, we headed back taking a shortcut through the woods where we often played soldiers in and alongside the old burn we used to go dirt-biking in (on our old Grifters and Choppers)

We got back to the car, with both kids exhaused, they slept well las night (as did I)

Next week we hope to get to Warwick castle where hopefully there will be a falconry display amongst all the other goings on, I’ve promised L she could hold a bird of prey since we saw a big barn owl on the last walk we went on.

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