Jane and I visited another National Trust property this weekend: Wakehurst Place. However, this time the agenda was not to explore the house and gardens (although we did a little of the latter at the end of the day) but to enjoy a ramble on a circular route to nearby Balcombe and back with friends.

It was a lovely stroll and lived up to their billing of being packed with variety; we walked through everything from dark, bracken-lined glades to wide open meadows. We didn’t get to see any kingfishers (which do live in the area) but did spot a crested grebe and several herons. All in all, a lovely day and not even too affected by the weather (light rain and some distant thunder for an hour or so in the afternoon but nothing to dampen the spirits).