Herts Hash Virtual Hash No.8

Yes two months have passed by folks, hopefully this is the reason we are all safe?  So, here we go again in a bid to do a Virtual Trail around a Real Trail in Herts (Yes it’s all in Herts this week, no extra-terrestrial trips!)

Today we start in a slightly more rural area of Herts than the last few weeks, we circle up outside of a Pub White Horse High Cross, which like the rest is closed but as you know after last night’s statement from Boris we will be able to go back to in June or not!

It’s another chance to virtually annoy My Lil’ as your options from a Check outside are, north, south on North Road as this section of the Old A10 is now called or directly across from the White Horse Pub in a westward on a much narrower Marshalls lane off of the main road through the village.

T’s are found both north By No Eye Deer & south by Milf on North Road, so it’s back to join   🙋♀️ Canary Boy, Fliptop  🏃‍♀️ over the road, with Flanders hot on their heels in the westward direction as Dust takes the Pack on away from the homes & down toward a farm, the Trail passes the front of the Marshalls farm as the lane begins to drop down then takes you all over a pack bridge spanning a small river Bourne below, just beyond the bridge the lane takes a sharp southward turn is the second Check of the day.  Three option here, northward in to farm fields 🌿🌿🌿, southward & westward on the lane, or south-eastward on to the river’s edge, which do you choose?

While No Eye Deer & Canary Boy both choose wrong, 🙋♀️ 🙋‍♂️Sludge, Flanders  lead Fliptop & Milf🏃 🏃‍♀️ South-eastward it is along the edge of the river Bourne as it cuts its way through the farm land 🌿🌿🌿, normally this would be hard going but the London Clay soil has dried out & is now bone dry, so it’s an easy trot along the river’s gentle meandering route.  It’s quite a long trot, luckily you guys have shown over the last few weeks how fit & fast you have been on the Virtual Trails, so it should be a doddle for you all to reach the next Check point as the footpath descends & comes over at an angle on to the edge of an old Roman Road 🏺the A10 is a part of Ermine Street

Your next Check presents you with only two choices, north uphill toward an old obelisk like memorial or southward downhill toward a Pub on the opposite side of the road, simples, what is your choice?  The Clarkson Monument  inscription reads "On the spot where stands this monument, in the month of June, 1785, Thomas Clarkson resolved to devote his life to bringing about the abolition of the slave trade."

Fliptop’s ‘Never Check out Downhill’ is a wrong move & with Sludge & Milf go awry, Canary Boy however is spot on  🙋‍♂️   🏃‍♀️ as South it is, as the lure of Beers tempt the booze hounds 🦮🍺 over toward the Anchor Pub, but it is closed, so you carry on the east side of this village of Wadesmill & southward up a back road to a Check in the elbow of the backroad, you can take either east out between the quaint cottages 🏘️to farmland behind 🚜 🌿🌿🌿, or continue due south on an alleyway footpath up to the local Thunderidge Church, your final option is south-westward back out to the main road?

The Church path leads Milf 🙋♀️ & Fliptop 🙋‍♂️  ‍♀️ up into the grave yard of a Church ⛪ that was built by the ‘New Squire’ of the local Manor as a replacement for an old redundant Church ⛪, but this is a Falsie”  With Fliptop taking his second wrong choice from the Check, The eastward choice finally pays off for Canary Boy & Milf  the Trail heads out into the farm land 🌿🌿 to the west of this Wadesmill village mentioned in the Doomsday Book

With Fliptop & Wanktlers making their way back from the Falsies, after some 500 yards the Trail takes the Hash under a main A10 by-pass road, once on the other side the trail immediately turns due south for a few yards to the next Check where the dirt track of Old Church Lane splits in to two, you have an uphill southbound option to Cold Christmas Lane or an eastbound on the level choice, which do you take?

Milf & Wanktlers go wrong but Canary Boy is correct as he scuttles away Eastward on an very old route, once an open road through the farmland that rises up the ridge to the south, after about 500 yards you pass by a footpath of up to the south but Dust leads you along as the Trail keeps with the path as the track turns north-eastward to an area where an old moat used to be, here the next Check is found. 

Three option lie before you, north-eastward into the grounds of an old spooky Churchyard of All Hallows 👻 ⛪, south-eastward still on the fenced in Track or southward up the hill, make up your minds?

There is nothing by the Spooky old Church 👻 😈⛪, nor further long the Track, so it’s up the steep hillside 🙋♀️ as Milf leads the way 🏃‍♀️ between the farm fields 🌿🌿🌿 to come out on to an old narrow Cold Christmas lane.  No Check on the lane, just arrows pointing the way to the southeast & then around the back by a farm house🚜 to run eastward for 60 yards, after this you are directed northward, here there is a panoramic view 🖼️to take in before you descend on a footpath all the way back down the farmland 🌿🌿🌿 to the Old Church Lane Track once again.  You’ve been on a loop to tire out the Keenies like 🏃 🏃‍♀️

Back on the level & the Trail turns south-eastward to run along the dusty Track as it swings around up to the northeast, crossing a private drive to Fabdens before reaching the next Check just as few yards beyond the gate entrance with security cameras 📹 on view.

Your options now are southbound, back up the farmed ridge 🌿🌿🌿 to a place that is not the warmest in the country ❄️, Cold Christmas or stick with the Track on its north-easterly way, or head due north through a shallow ford in the river Rib?

Wet feet 💦 are in order for Canary Boy & Milf, meanwhile Fliptop goes wrong as is called back as the Hash continue up through beside the private estate where you won’t see any Westend Girls♀️♀️, where Pet Shop Boy Chris Lowe used to live as the Trail rises up Harecroft Brow.  Finally as you reach the edge of a woodland 🌳🌳🌳🌳there is a 💋 kissing gate for Milf(.)(.)!  Pucker up

A Check is found at the southern end of an Arboretum, 🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳two choices, further uphill due north or descend due south through Youngsbury?

Fliptop goes wrong again, he’s doing well today & a Down-Down may be on its way? Milf 🙋♀️ & Sludge 🙋‍♂️ call On! & Wanktlers follows up through the arboretum is the correct way to go & halfway through the managed woodland 🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳the gradient gets more comfortable as you reach the next Held Check by a Home Farm 🚜 & its large barns 🐓. 

Sweet Stop 🍬 🍭🍬 🍭

Back to the Trail on this sunny, but cool evening - Time to choose, take the footpath off or continue on the northeast or continue along the main farm track 🚜 in a nor-nor-westerly direction?

Nor-nor-west it is & it appears that this could be the home straight for as Wanktlers 🙋‍♂️   🙋♀️Milf & even Fliptop lead the way, but before long the Trail reaches another Check now you have three options, northward out in to the open farmland 🚜 🌿🌿🌿, southward down toward an old worlde manor house or continue north-westerly over toward the end of a finger of woodland🌲🌲 of Mark's Wood

While the FRBs head away on a loop that takes them north-westerly & then south-westerly down by a main road 🏃 🏃‍♀️ around a square run, Flanders, No Eye Deer & Sludge take the short cut with the Hare by remaining on the main track to cross over the main road 🛣️ by way of a road bridge above the carriageways

Once over on to the western embankment a Check is found on North Drive, only two options here, northwest or northeast (the latter is along the top of the embankment of the main road?

Milf is first to find the T to the northwest, so it’s back for Her 🏃‍♀️ Canary Boy & Flipotop (Again) 🏃 as now the Pack head away along the edge of small pocket of farmed 🚜 🌿🌿🌿 land for 200 yards, then the Trail turns to the northwest to run along the hedgerow separating the small field from the large open fields to the north.  The Pack are now lead by the northern end of a small housing estate 🏘️ of Poplar Close to keep with the bottom of the field until the footpath comes out in to a Church Yard⛪ of St John's Church

You are now on the final stage of the Hash as the Trail takes you on by the St John's Church ⛪ & then out on to the main old coaching road, to turn left, heading south-westerly, as you pass by the corner end of the Church yard you can see two identical VC Plaques 🎖️ 🎖️ for Arthur Martin-Leake set beside each other in the Churchyard wall, here is the On Inn

So where have you been White Horse Hashing in Herts today?

Fliptop is finally correct High Cross -

Clues were:

Old A10

Thomas Clarkeson Anti Slavery Monument on the old A10

The Anchor & the Feathers

Thunderidge Church

River Rib

A10 By-pass

Old Church Lane

The ruins of All Hollows Church (Thunderidge Old Church)

Cold Christmas

Fabdens (Petshop Boy Chris Lowe lived there)

Youngsbury

Arthur Martin-Leake Double VC winner stones set in the wall of Saint John’s Church