The Slad & Woolpack Walk.

Well today I can finally start this blog with a walk, and what a walk it is too.
We, i.e. Dave (aka Country Curry Dave,) Liz (aka Doc Leaf Liz,) Ben and his dogs Farley and Sofie and myself did my favorite walk which is in Slad.
Slad is a small village just outside Stroud in Gloucestershire, and about a 20 minute drive from my home in Cheltenham.
It's well known as Laurie Lee country a famous author of 'Cider with Rosie' If you ever get the chance to read this book then I highly recommend it. Slad is also famed for it's lush green valleys, woodlands and open spaces, idilic for a walk.

We set off from the Woolpack at 10 am, incidentally it is also my favorite Pubs but more of that later, we proceed to walk through the village pass some squawking ducks and start our first clime into the woodland area, it had been a bit stormy the night before so we were greeted with lovely fresh winds and sunny sky but with dark clouds traveling speedily across the landscape. Farley and Sofie started off as if they were pups again, unlike us humans who were feeling a little of the affects of a Saturday night out, but we all got quickly into our stride and pass the test of the first few hills and the odd rocky brook.

I seem to have been waiting for this time of year for a long while as i've been keeping my eye on some wild garlic that grow around here in abundance, in fact i've been waiting since the start of spring and now it is the end of summer.
In spring though you can eat the flowers and green shoots/leafs which are delicious and can be the perfect substitute to a normal portion of vegetables, and of course are completely free.
It is hard to see exactly where to dig as the leafs have long since gone now, but I guessed right straight away and started to dig with a stick I had found, also aided by Dave, We were soon rewarded with a bounty of small garlic cloves, they may need even more time to grow so I shall go back and check later in the year to see, but these will defiantly do.


Onwards we went and Farley nearly got into trouble as he bolted for Pheasant, dogs are shot for less in these parts, but Farley could not help himself even at the tender age of 67(doggy years that is) Liz then duly got her customary nettle sting, so a doc leaf was sort to sort her out,

and then we came to a very beautiful valley with a farm that is always admired by us. . . . . . . . . Very idilic indeed!

Of course we then needed to walk up and out of the valley so then began the long clime after 2 hours of walking and at least another 30 minuets to go, a few of us were getting tired, I'll mention no names. Needless to say the Woolpacks hearty roast dinner was upper most in our minds, so we continued through the farm over the brow of the hill and began to descend into the Slad valley and past some gorgeous house's that Laurie Lee would have appreciated in his day.



A narrow winding road lead us passed some horses and we arrived back at the Woolpack at 12:30 just as they started to serve up the roast.
Lamb and beef was had by us lot and a prawn salad for doc leaf Liz.
The food at the Woolpack is excellent but I always tend to eat the same thing Roast on Sundays or white Bait on Saturday but it is always delicious never the less.
A couple of my friends jointed me there about an hour later (Tom & Shelly) and had said as good as the food was, the salad he had with his trout was a tad gritty and could do with more of a wash. (we'll keep an eye on this)

We also stubbled upon what looked like a prize winning onion contest, what ever it was everyone seem to be having a lot of fun with it and raised a bit of money for charity. It also looked like a very English thing to and a nice way to round off this Blog. . . . . .
Thanks for reading my first Blog I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it!!?? Why not add me to your bookmarks and check back every so often for more walks and pubs? Or get involved and leave me/us a comment.
Oh I nearly forgot to mention as well as my Fav pub & Fav walk, the Woolpack also does my Fav beer which is Ulay's 'Gloucester Old Spot' and for the record Dave's is the 'Pigs Ear'
A must for any walker!
You might be amazed to know that all these pictures were taken on my new mobile phone A Sony Ericsson K800i
Thanks Carl x