E2: Hednesford to Lichfield

A rainy day walking across Cannock Chase and over very wet fields.

For breakfast I visited a Gregg's where I was disappointed that all the pastries were cold and prepacked, and then annoyed when shortly after I discovered a Wetherspoons nearby that might have served me breakfast in an attractive historic building. Continuing rain probably influenced my mood. My weather forecasting App was unusually confident in giving the probability of rain as 100% for much of the day.

Despite the weather I enjoyed my morning's walk through the remainder of Cannock Chase on tracks through the trees. There were a few expanses of water where streams had overflowed or water filled dips in the track. These required a bit of negotiation through surrounding undergrowth.

Walking back to the Heart of England Way from Hednesford I passed an area where there was a hospital in the First World War and later a colliery. Only an apron of concrete remained among the birch trees. I was reminded of a time when we used more coal on passing an isolated house with smoke coming from its chimney. Its smell of coal smoke brought images of my childhood into my mind, when first thing in the cold morning my father would light the fire, which would initially smoke before it burnt cleanly and melted the frost on the inside of our windows.

An older site on my walk was an Iron Age hillfort called Castle Rings. I climbed up the encircling embankment where the guidebook promised a view. All I could see today was a misty white.

Leaving the Chase there was a mixture of waterlogged fields and quiet roads, I prefered the latter. One field was particularly difficult as there was extensive standing water. My feet inevitably became wet. As I reached a road the water was particularly deep as it escaped from the field with speed. There were no cafes on route today. I passed a church, sadly locked, so I sat outside on a wet bench in the drizzle and ate a slice of fruit cake a neighbour had kindly given me.

I was pleased to reach the outskirts of Lichfield, crossing the green expanse of Beacon Park and finally reaching a café for a coffee and cake (croissant and blueberry)! Tonight I have a room at the Premier Inn with an ensuite bathroom where I have showered, washed my underwear and spread around my wet clothes to dry on any available hook and surface. I bought a newspaper especially so I could stuff it in my wet boots.

Chores done I went to Lichfield Cathedral for choral evensong. In part this was to share in worship that extended back to the 7th Century in this place, a connection with history. The present building dates back to the 13th century. Statues of saints looked down as the choir sang prayers and psalms in haunting voices. There were more choristers than people in the  congregation on this wet Friday night.

Tonight I ate at a busy Ukrainian restaurant, not a type of cuisine I have encountered in Britain before. I had varenyky (which are like pierogies) with potato, bacon and sour cream, plus a salad to get my "greens". Pancake with cottage cheese, raisins and sour cream (again) for dessert. All delicious!