hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn June 2018 | Page 33

watchers would have been in their element.
It really is a very picturesque and relaxing
environment.
There is a free public car park towards the
end of Coldmoorholme Lane, just past the
Spade Oak pub. From here you can either
walk around the lake like we did or walk
along the Thames path by the river towards
Marlow, or Bourne End. Please be mindful
when crossing the train track if heading
to the river. The footpath around the lake
begins opposite the Spade Oak pub. It’s
no more than a 30 second walk from the
public car park to the footpath sign.
Believe it not, I’ve never walked around
Spade Oak lake before, even though it is
only a ten minute drive from home. Why
I’ve never been before is a question I simply
don’t know the answer to. But I know that I
will be going frequently from now on.
We haven’t eaten in the Spade Oak pub for
a long time but the Old Queens Head in
Little Marlow is fabulous and well worth a
visit, although a flask of tea and a biscuit or
two would have been sufficient for us this
morning.
The water in the lake is crystal clear but
don’t be fooled into thinking you can take
a swim. Signs everywhere tell you how
dangerous it can be; it’s very cold and there
are lots of reeds, so swimming, or even
paddling, are a massive no-no. You have
been warned!
The circular walk takes about an hour. It’s
incredibly peaceful and the sound of the
birdsong on our very early morning walk
was magnificent. We stopped, listened, and
took in the beauty of our surroundings. It
felt like we were miles from anywhere and
with the warm sun on our shoulders it felt
like we were on holiday.
Most of the path runs alongside the lake
but there is a section where it veers off
and takes you along the edge of a field. We
did lose the path at one stage and found
ourselves traversing brambles and stinging
nettles, so we retraced our steps; it was a
photo opportunity that took us off track!
We spotted several families of ducks with
their baby ducklings today and keen bird
Helen Gerrish, Editor
hiyabucks.com
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