A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
PLACES TO GO, THINGS TO DO, IDEAS TO TRY
TAKE YOUR TIME… to wander a sunken lane
Step onto a sunken lane or ‘holloway’ and descend into a magical, otherworldly place worn into the earth by centuries of wheels, boots and hooves. These ancient pathways, sitting metres below the surrounding landscape, are often arched with trees and bushes. They’re found in the south of England in areas of soft rock or chalk. Explore Hungers Lane in West Sussex, Drovers Way in Bedfordshire or Hell Lane in West Dorset, one of the youngest routes at a mere 300 years old. nationaltrust.org.uk
QUAINT AND QUIRKY…
HEAD TO THE HEBRIDEAN ISLAND OF EASDALE, NEAR OBAN, FOR THE WORLD STONE SKIMMING COMPETITION (24 SEPTEMBER). ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS CAN ENTER, WITH THE CHANCE OF GLORY BASED ON THREE SKIMS OF A STONE. YOUR PEBBLE OF LOCAL, NATURALLY FORMED SLATE MUST BOUNCE AT LEAST TWICE ON THE WATER TO BE CONSIDERED A VALID SKIM, WITH THE WINNER IN EACH OF THE SIX ADULT, JUNIOR AND TEAM CATEGORIES BEING THE PERSON LEAVING THE LONGEST MEASURED TRAIL ACROSS THE WATER’S SURFACE. STONESKIMMING.COM
BACK FROM THE BRINK…
Numbers of Scotland’s most iconic raptor might be soaring in the Highlands, but they’re hanging on by their talons in the Central Belt. Enter the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, which aims to restore populations in the Borders by monitoring those already there and relocating eaglets to boost bird numbers. Explore the glens with your binoculars and you might get lucky with a sighting or visit during the Moffat Golden Eagle Festival (22-24 September), held in Scotland’s first and only ‘Eagle Town’. goldeneaglessouthofscotland.co.uk
OF THE BEST...
Pluck fresh produce straight from bush and bough
HAWKSWICK LODGE FARM, HERTFORDSHIRE Pile up punnets with a bounty of berries (hawkswickfruit.co.uk).
STRAWBERRY FIELDS, DEVON Pick strawberries, apples and pears on this 200-acre site (strawberryfieldslifton.co.uk).
CLIVE’S FRUIT FARM, WORCESTER Stock up on pears, plums and cherries from the orchards – or cheat and buy fruit from the farm shop (clivesfruitfarm.co.uk).
ROUNDSTONE FARM, WEST SUSSEX Walk for plums and pumpkins, then get the tractor back (roundstonefarm.co.uk).
CAIRNIE FRUIT FARM, FIFE Pick plump gooseberries and blackberries, then conquer the maize maze before it’s harvested (cairniefruitfarm.co.uk).
SENSE OF THE SEASON… the screech of the jay
In the cool September woodland, the diaphanous mist of morning fills with the screech of jays searching for acorns for winter. The oak trees’ chattering friends are eager to find as many as they can now to stash in secret places for colder months. Holding up to six
