8th September, 2025
Today I decided to go on a doorstep walk which took me over to Mill Road, crossing the River Stour and onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Once in the canal, I followed the towpath down to the Timber Lane bridge, before turning off towards Wyre Mill Farm.
After crossing the Stour for a second time, I passed the farm and took the lane back out onto Wilden, which had a quintessential pastoral view of Wilden Church and the cottages along the main road.
The swallows are still here, and as I trundled east, I passed beneath three birds squabbling for a spot on overhead lines.
I made my way back home along Wilden Lane, underneath the Leapgate Viaduct.
I hadn’t walked Timber Lane before, and rambling along the narrow lane rekindled a sense of child-like adventure for me, the kind that only comes from discovering a place that one has never been.
With a hint of Autumn in the air, leaves on the ground, this short, local walk was surprisingly restorative, and I’ll look forward to seeing how it alters as the seasons unfold.
Tom the Botanist 
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