13 minute read
WILL’S WALKS
WILL’S WALK
Corby Glen, Burton-le-Coggles and Swayfi eld
Rolling hills, plenty of pubs and the East Coast mainline are dominant features of this walk. By Will Hetherington
The embryonic West Glen river just south of Corby Glen.
Difficulty rating
The route
Park wherever you can in Corby Glen and walk north along the High Street until you get to Tanner’s Lane on the left. Turn left here and look out for the footpath sign on the right after about 150 metres. Take this path and you will soon be in open country. Follow the path and cross the West Glen river. When you get to the B1176 turn right and then take the left hand turn to Burton-leCoggles which is in a couple of minutes. Follow the road into the village and turn left on to ost ffice Lane ust a ter you go under the East Coast mainline turn left. This pretty much straight path goes through a few undulations
ACTIVE INFO and eld boundaries and
Still known simply as crosses the A151 before ‘Corby’ to many of its inhabitants, the village was renamed Corby Glen reaching the southern edge of way eld in a ile and a in the 1950s to avoid half. confusion with Corby in After you cross the little
Northamptonshire. wooden bridge just before the last hill up to way eld loo out for the left turn in 100 metres (unless you want to explore the village). Follow the path north east and go under the East Coast mainline again. Cross the road shortly afterwards and then head downhill over uite a uddy eld to the West Glen river. Cross the bridge and turn left through the woodland until you come to another stile. Turn right here and walk up the hill and then back into Corby Glen to explore the village and seek refreshment.
This bridge is just north of Swayfield.
Essential information
WHERE TO PARK Wherever you can in Corby Glen.
DISTANCE AND TIME Five miles/two hours.
HIGHLIGHTS Rolling open country, plenty of pubs and exploring Corby Glen. Plus this walk is a train spotter’s delight.
LOWLIGHTS It can be muddy in places.
REFRESHMENTS The Cholmeley Arms in Burton-leCoggles, the Fighting Cocks, The March Hare Tea Rooms and the Woodhouse Arms in Corby Glen and the Royal Oak in Swayfi eld.
DIFFICULTY RATING Three paws. It’s quite hilly and can be muddy in places.
THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE I didn’t see any livestock on the way round and there are some good access points to the West Glen river.
For your own safety and navigation make sure you have an OS map with you when you go out walking. You won’t regret it. START/ FINISH
You will pass underneath the East Coast mainline twice on this walk.
WILL’S WALK
Pickworth and the Drift
Most of this route is on excellent farm tracks and tarmac so it’s a good late winter option. By Will Hetherington
This route is almost all on good farm tracks – great for avoiding the mud in the winter.
Beautiful rolling arable land between Ryhall and Pickworth.
Difficulty rating
The route
ACTIVE INFO
Park responsibly somewhere in Pickworth. The Drift heads east away from Pickworth at the main junction in the village. Walk gradually uphill along this ancient drover’s track and you will soon be transported away ro any traffic noise and nd yoursel in one of the most peaceful places in the whole area. Stay on the track for more than a mile, passing Turnpole Wood on the right as you go, and you will eventually come to a smart red brick house on the left, with a few other houses behind it ere you will nd the gate in the hedge on the right ta ing you off the Drift and into the farmland beyond the hedge. The path heads south west for a John Clare, the nationally acclaimed ‘Peasant Poet’ spent his early working life in Pickworth few hundred yards before coming to a small plantation. Follow the as a labourer in the limekiln in the sign into the plantation and take early 1800s and met his future the right turn within 100 yards. wife on Walk Farm which Then you should very soon come to features heavily in this the main farm track. Turn right here route. and after another 200 yards turn left at the sign. Stay on the track following the footpath signs for another kilometre and if you are lucky you may see a few hares out on the elds to the le t and right When you reach the no entry sign on the ar trac ta e the right turn off the trac and on to the grassy path along the northern edge of a piece of woodland. It’s a nice change of scene for a few hundred yards before you reach Pickworth Road ahead. Turn right and walk the last three quarters of a mile along the road, passing Taylor’s Farm and Christian’s Lodge along the way. I have done this walk twice in recent months and have seen a grand total of three cars on this stretch of road so it really is a good option for the wetter months of the year.
START/ FINISH
Essential information
WHERE TO PARK Responsibly somewhere in Pickworth.
DISTANCE AND TIME Three and a quarter miles/an hour and a quarter.
HIGHLIGHTS An extremely quiet and peaceful piece of countryside and pretty little Pickworth. Brown hares if you are lucky.
LOWLIGHTS There is no pub on the route.
REFRESHMENTS The Crown in Great Casterton.
DIFFICULTY RATING One paw. It’s fairly fl at and mostly on farms tracks and roads. No stiles.
THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE This is mostly arable land so very little livestock although there isn’t really any fresh water on the route either.
For your own safety and navigation make sure you have an OS map with you when you go out walking. You won’t regret it.
ActiveBody
EDITED BY KATE MAXIM
A blow to the head
Concussion is usually mild but a return to normal life can be gradual. Physiotherapist Sarah Babbs explains
CONCUSSION IS DESCRIBED by the NHS as ‘the sudden but short-lived loss of mental function that occurs after a blow or other injury to the head’ or body. We see it most in contact sports such as rugby but it can be found in those who simply fell and hit their head on a pavement.
The brain is a soft organ protected by the bony skull. If there is a direct or indirect hit there can be movement of the brain against the skull causing physical or chemical changes in the brain tissue.
Concussion is a type of brain injury, the most common but generally the least serious.
Symptoms can clear very quickly with return to normal life within days. But symptoms can last longer and delay a return to normal life.
Recovery in children appears to take twice as long as adults with a return to normal life taking up to four weeks. This may be due to the developing brain taking longer to recover. Only 40% of children with concussion present to medical care, 30% have symptoms after two weeks and most will recover fully. Recent discussions have focused on receiving multiple concussions whilst doing a sport and the effects that ay have in later life.
If a person is involved in a collision type injury, immediate care must be given correctly. Priority is to manage your own safety, as in all emergencies, and the person involved. Be aware of risk of spinal injury or internal bleeding. The concussion should be assessed by an experienced and trained person and the player should not return to play until full examination has taken place. speci c assess ent tool nown as
SCAT5 is used by medical clinicians to assess whether there is a medical emergency and as a baseline measurement for future screens until all symptoms had resolved. But current practice is to manage mild symptoms such as a headache and a gradual return when symptoms ease with repeated exposure to exercise.
Sleep management and good nutrition are important to get back to school or work. Symptoms may return but with appropriate repeated exposure, symptoms will lessen and good progress will be made. If after two weeks there is little progress then further medical help should be sought.
Having both psychological and physical therapy may be required to support the person and, with children, their parents and family. Anxiety (including that of parents) can lead to a risk of persisting symptoms so anxiety management is important in recovery.
Rehabilitation starts simply with a few minutes walking. This progresses to longer walks, short sessions of exercise bike or jogging while monitoring heart rate. As symptoms abate then progression to more intense exercise can take place, gradually adding higher intensity running, sports drills and eventual contact drills. If all is well and symptom free, full sport, activities and daily li e can be resu ed with con dence
management. It takes at least 10 minutes to perform. For children under 13 there is a separate Child Scat. Serious symptoms and neurological changes imply a medical emergency and hospital care must be sought.
Symptoms of concussion include a loss of consciousness after the head injury, visual disturbances, memory problems and/or confusion about the current or recent events. Vomiting, nausea, balance problems, headache and later mood changes, lethargy and difficulty concentrating or a return o early symptoms with mental or physical activities are often noted.
In the immediate aftermath of mild concussion, recent evidence shows that icing the head is helpful and there are even ice caps available or this purpose n the rst hours after a concussion the person should not be left alone and regular checks should be made on their physical and cognitive state. This includes waking them regularly overnight checking that they are alert, can understand and follow instruction, answer questions, and respond to pain and other stimuli. ollowing the rst to hours probably the most important care is reassurance and education with rest and planning for a return to activities. In the fairly recent past, children were told to sit in a darkened room with no
To contact Sarah ring 07780 900201.
Step away from the cake
Food addiction coach Dr Bunmi Aboaba gives us some hard hitting facts about overeating and how to avoid it
IT’S A FACT, many of us overeat and indulge ourselves from time to time. But most of us manage to reign it in (or try to) when our waistbands start getting tight. But for some it can be a problem, a serious problem. vereating can cause diabetes arthritis chronic infla ation bro yalgia and ental health proble s t least illion people a year die as a result of being overweight or obese. Shockingly a third of children leaving primary school are now overweight and more than 4,000 people a day are searching online for how to lose weight. It’s obvious our overall relationship with food needs to be addressed.
If you want to make a change to your eating habits, it is vital that you give yourself the best chance of success so set out your intentions and use so ething called T oals
To progress and reach your goals you ust start with understanding where you’re at now. You can then set out your intention of where you want to be.
Create a clear picture in your mind of where you are going and what you want to achieve. Intentions and beliefs are powerful and can a e a huge difference s a ood addiction coach reco end that all y clients set the selves T goals This acrony stands or speci c easurable attainable realistic and ti e speci c n e a ple o how this could be applied to a goal such as e ercising ore could include
• Specific – Setting a particular goal such as achieving couch to 5k. • Measurable – Logging progress each week. • Attainable – Understanding personal limitations which could prevent this goal from being reached. • Realistic ltering the challenge i necessary and set a new basis rather than giving up. • Time-specific – Setting a date that this will be achieved by, such as si onths
Those who do not set the selves T goals are ore li ely to beco e disheartened rustrated and i patient s a result they lose sight of their goal and the intention behind it.
Discover your triggers
Do certain situations, feelings, moods or times of day prompt you to overeat so it is li ely you are being triggered Triggers are habitual and often unconscious so will have you reaching for food, even when you re not hungry to satis y an un et need There ore it s critical to identify your triggers and how they contribute to your negative behaviours towards ood and eating denti y the speci c oods you nd hard to resist and aybe then don t have the in the house so that you can become more aware of your personal food triggers.
Practice mindful eating
ow you eat and where you eat is also crucial To develop a ore ind ul way o eating
• Remove as many distractions as possible Turn off the T and remove all smart/screen devices from your mealtimes. • Eat in a positive space Try to ensure a clutter ree dining space lay the table, use favourite crockery, and perhaps light a candle.
This can encourage you to be ind ul and en oy the o ent • Practice gratitude – ind ully e press than s be ore and during your eal This could be saying a blessing over your ood or e pressing than s to yoursel or the person who has prepared the meal. • Share your meals – Where possible, do not eat alone. Instead, share ood with loved ones Try and choose people with a positive attitude who will encourage and support you with your eating goals.
Plan your meals
Meal planning involves thinking ahead and planning the foods you will eat This helps you a e healthy ood choices so you are less likely to return to old habits and pick up unhealthy foods. t is vital to ocus on bringing oy and e cite ent into your eals rather than think about what you are missing out on. Changing what you eat requires dedication and forethought, so try and plan a week in advance elect oods that will nourish both ind and body Thin about colour te ture flavour and variety This will help ensure that you do not get bored with your new eating routine nd o course think of portion sizes.
About the author:
Dr Bunmi Aboaba will be running 7-day self-care retreats for clients suffering from food addiction in 2022, and is author of Craving Freedom, a new book for those wanting to build a healthy relationship with food. Visit www.thefoodaddictioncoach.co.uk for more
