Rescuing the lamb at Shottesbrooke

This walk is from David's Rambling for Pleasure in East Berkshire book and conveniently situated between Woodley and Marlow, so it met our criteria for today - local, not too long, picnic spot and decent pub. The weather was much brighter and warmer than forecast. As we approached Shottesbrooke Church along the avenue of trees we noticed a lamb that had somehow got separated from its mother. It was the other side of a fence to the right of the avenue, the flock (and presumably the mother) were quite a distance away on the left of the avenue.  After eating our picnic on a conveniently-placed pile of logs, the lamb was still looking a bit forlorn, so Alison managed to coax it along to a  locked gate through which it could squeeze. That was the easy part - even by adopting various lamb-like crouching positions (and probably her teacher voice), she couldn't persuade it through. David and I joined in and, with a pincer movement, the three of us made squeezing through the gate the least scary thing for the lamb to do. Alison then coaxed it (as if it were a cat) across the field toward the distant flock. As it crossed the avenue, we noticed a ewe and another lamb heading towards it. They broke into the sheep equivalent of a gallop and were re-united. Aaaahhhh. Perhaps we should enter the human equivalent of One Man and His Dog.

It wasn't far from there to the The Beehive at White Waltham, and we felt we deserved our planned drink (or even two). I'd never heard of Andwells before, but can recommend their Spring Twist amber beer.

After such a lovely day, it's hard to believe that it's forecast to be below freezing, and may even snow later this week.