Our weekend started in a flurry of activity – work for me and a 30k run for Tom |shucks.. so sorry to miss that..:|

So a lazy Sunday explore in the golden light seemed the best of plans. We ambled off without a map, up some common downland (the same spot where we slept a few summers back).

From the top, we could spot the nearby pine forest that we’d never explored together. Any new patch of wilderness is crying out to be investigated.

It was worth fighting through the undergrowth on the lee side of the hill, to get to the top complete with climbing tree and swing. We soon discovered we were not alone. The top of a hill this perfect, is too irresistible to not ride down. The woodland is scattered with seriously tempting downhill trails (though I completely lack the mtb skills.)

I was happy to settle for a slow pace, the chance to notice the small flutterings and leaf rustlings that are usually drowned out as our muddy feet come crashing through. Trying out tiny footpaths, collecting pine cones, and generally putting the world to rights felt like the right kind of pace for this slice of winter sunshine.

Photos by the ever-talented Tom Pratt.