.Gentle walk round Loe Bar, Cornwall's biggest lake

This lovely walk starts in Porthleven, Cornwall and took me to the sea and back on a circuit of Loe Pool, Cornwall's biggest lake. You can find the route here

Starting from the car park by the boating lake, the path followed the River Cober (more of a brook).

Turning away from the river, the route became more of a tarmac path

Passing a gatehouse to the National Trust land of the Penrose Estate...

... I peered through the trees to get my first sight of Loe Pool, 

...a large freshwater lake.

There's a National Trust cafe, but we had only been walking for just over a mile, so hadn't really deserved a snack!

We continued along the side of the lake, 

...with lovely views through the trees

And then, the first sight of Loe Bar - a strip of sand separating Loe Pool from the sea

The Bar was caused by silt and debris from various upstream mining operations.

It's a surreal place where not much grows, apart from sea holly.

Loe Pool behind me.

The walk continues round the far bank.

We carried on, looking back to Loe Bar as we went (it's on the skyline here)

Towards the end of the walk were remains of the mining industry, Wheal Pool - once a lead and silver mine.

And then we were back in the car park.

Today's walk:  The walk is 6.25 miles, and fairly flat. Parking at the start is free - which is always a bonus! (Porthleven carpark opposite the boating lake)You can download the walk details by clicking here. We followed them, and didn't take a map. Plus there was lots of local information. Give it a go if you're in the area. 
The route to the coast would be suitable for pushchairs - but the rest of the circuit was field paths, and was a lot rougher. (Could do an out and back route though)
It would also be good in winter, when there were no leaves on the trees. Don't think of swimming off Loe Bar though, as there are dangerous currents.

An oasis beside a main road - Broadwaters Park, Kidderminster

I often walk through this lovely park in Kidderminster. You can see it as you drive past on the A449, but you need to be on foot to really appreciate it

The park is based on Wannerton Brook,

...alongside which is a beautiful mix of wild flowers. 

A Diamond Jubilee plaque

There has been a mill at Broadwaters since the 13th century. First for fulling (wool), then as a corn mill, then as part of a foundry.

There's still a waterwheel there

Local artwork decorates the nearby shelter

I love to hear the water rushing down the overflow

The modern artwork, just adds to the enjoyment. The miller.

More flowers

Just gorgeous.

Some of the old millponds remain,..

...adding their own peace and tranquility

Carved squirrel

There's a small, more formal area, complete with wooden ducks (one, alas, headless)...

...plus a snake for children to play on,..

...and a few picnic benches

The path continues into woodland

Totem pole sculpture

A close up

This wooden ball must have been carved within the cage

More of the history of the place

...with suggestions of nearby places to visit.

The walk is about a mile in total, there and back. In places, it is only 10 metres from the A449, but it truly never feels like it. What a lovely amenity for the people of Kidderminster.

Summer on the lake _ a lunchtime stroll round Himley

This is a walk to remind us (me) that even short walks can be lovely. Marathons are not always necessary. This is Himley Hall, just outside Dudley, and it's one of my favourite places


Towards the end of the school term, the lake at Himley was alive with youngsters learning to sail

The weather was great for beginners - warm and with gentle winds.

My walk was on a quieter day! Coots have colonised the sailing club's landing stage.

Looking down the lake towards the Hall (not visible from here)

Looking up the lake, away from the hall,..

...the water is very clear (and shallow)

I walked away from the dinghy park, to circle the lake in a clockwise direction

It is really lovely

Fishermen beside the old tree stump

At the end, there's a creek. Very green this year (a good year for weed, unfortunately)

The thatched clubhouse

The wall, with garden behind.

The shady path at the far end 

Looking over to the grazing land

There were lots of bright blue damsel flies here, but too small and too fast for a picture

The largest number of water lilies I've seen for a long time

The hall at the head of the lake: and the reason the lake is here - to provide a lovely view from the house. 

The landscape is all the work of Capability Brown in the first instance. Though the park staff do a great job in keeping it up

The far end of the lake is actually the wall of a dam: looking down from the dam to the houses in Himley

The path heads back now, past the pasture land

A coot and his nest, on the dam overflow

Looking back, you can't tell it's a dam at all, it's so well "greened up"

The same coot - this time with a complaining youngster in tow.

Looking over to the boat park

The Hall, with clear grassland leading up to it. Just as Capability Brown planned it nearly 300 years ago

The view from the Hall

The head of the lake, where bird species gather in large numbers

To walk round the lake is a mile, and it's about half a mile each way from the car park, so you can have a lovely walk of around a mile and a half, to two miles