Hinchingbrooke Country Park

East Anglia is chock-full of parks, trails, and open spaces, and our goal is to visit as many as we can.  At this time of year, this means braving the rain, cold, and especially mud.  Such was the case on the Saturday afternoon of our family outing to Hinchingbrooke Country Park.  The rain took a brief hiatus, so we quickly bundled up and hurried to the trails with the remaining daylight (always in short supply during an English winter).  We passed plenty of families flying kites and kicking soccer balls in big open fields, and eventually arrived at a network of trails.  Not knowing which way to go, we choose a path based on aesthetics… who can resist a rustic mossy bridge???

Once we’d crossed over the creek, we came upon many ponds and lakes.  The water was iced over where the waterfowl didn’t swim, and the sky reflected attractively off the surfaces.  We also found plenty of water on the trail itself.  While Blake and I tried our best to dodge the puddles, Cooper relished in getting as muddy as possible.  He also engaged in a few futile but entertaining attempts to ‘greet’ a duck.

The loop back took us over more bridges, and down a long corridor of trees.  I bet this place will be beautiful when the leaves fill in on the overhanging branches.  We’ll definitely be back in the spring!

~Lindsay