Stretching the word “local” again, this time I chose a circular walk, starting (and finishing – that’s how it works with circular walks…) in Wheathampstead. This time less eventful, but there appeared to be several interesting features…

Devil’s Dyke

The first site of interest is known as “Devil’s Dyke”. Before we look at this any further, let’s talk about the word “dyke”. Surely, it can only be the English language where one word can mean almost complete opposites: according to the Oxford Dictionary it means either “a long thick wall that is built to stop water flooding onto a low area of land, especially from the sea”, or “a channel that carries water away from the land”. How can something be either a wall (that’s what we call a “dijk”), or a ditch…? I sometimes wonder how it is possible we get anything communicated in English…!

Back to Devil’s Dyke: excavations suggest that it was constructed between 75-50 BC, perhaps to protect an “oppidum” (a large fortified settlement in the Iron Age). It is also suggested that Julius Caesar fought the English king Cassivellaunus here; however, there is no evidence for or against that this battle actually happened here.

John Bunyan’s Chimney

The next site of interest is “John Bunyan’s chimney”: all that is left of a 17^th cottage where John Bunyan was said to have stayed and preached on his journeys.

According to the information sign, the cottage – except for the chimney – was demolished in 1877. A plaque was then put on the chimney, reading “John Bunyan is said by tradition to have preached and occasionally to have lodged in the cottage of which this chimney was a part“

When the cottage (together with 2 adjacent cottages) were demolished, the cottages across the road (photo above) were built instead.

Spring has sprung

Even if it was just end of February, it really felt like a spring day. Of which the following evidence:

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Note how the snow drops (left) seemingly grow out of the dead leaves from last year… Reminded me of God’s promise after the flood when Noah and his family were the only eight people to survive in the whole world:

21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Genesis 8:21-22 (KJV)

Verse 22 is what I thought of, but verse 21 is so encouraging in the current time when so many people die with corona.

River Lea

The last part of the walk followed part of the Lea Valley Walk – a long distance walk following the river Lea from Luton to east London where it joins the Thames.

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My walk description calls the river Lea “Hertfordshire’s largest river”… but every time I hear such things, I feel a bit like Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, who was told by the prophet Elisha to go wash in the river Jordan to get recovered from his leprosy: he thought the rivers in his own country much better than any of the waters in Israel. The comparison is not exact, but this is not what I would call a river… it’s no more than a trickling stream…!

And finally – sign of the times…: