TILTY

It is Friday already! That means tomorrow we must leave for Colchester. My, the time has flown by much too quickly! I sat down to try to put my plastic rain boots over my heavy walking shoes.. That was a useless effort! They must make these plastic booties for dainty little dancing shoes, certainly not for the kind of shoes I wore to walk in the fields. Susie had the same problem. They wouldn't even go over the toe of the shoe! No use even taking these, I said out loud, as I stuffed two plastic raincoats, oodles of Kleenex, water bottle, fruit, etc., to take on our trek to Tilty today into my heavy coat pockets. I also wore a sweater under the coat, as I found it quite chilly this a.m. I knew that this would be a long walk, and it did look a little like it might rain. I was glad that my coat had many sturdy pockets, but it was rather cumbersome to say the least. I guess I looked like an over-stuffed gray toad! Susie, having not even brought a coat on the trip, had just a light black jacket tied around her waist.
I put more film into my already loaded down purse and announced that it was time to "hit the road", or I should say "fields"! Susie led the way down the driveway, as usual, studying the map which Roger Barltrop had given me on our last visit. On it, the foot-paths are shown..sort of...well..they ARE shown on the map, but it is very hard to find them as you walk. We vowed to do our best. When we got to the end of the driveway (which is very long and downhill) Sue barged across the street and into the fields on the opposite side.I had fully expected her to turn to the left towards the Maltings and Horsepastures and walk on the road! She called out that there were horses in horse- pastures (how unusual) and that we shouldn't try to go that way. I had gone that way with Roger three years ago, and was a little disappointed not to do it again. But Sue was flying full speed ahead and I had to "trot" a little catch up. I had wanted to show Sue the way that Mom and her family used when attending church in Tilty on special occasions. She thought we could circle around and meet up with the Brook which winds through Horse-pastures a little later. No matter, as any way you went it was beautiful and enchanting and I'm sure our ancestors walked this way too!
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow, Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow, Can you or I or anyone know How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow? First the farmer sows his seed, Stands erect and takes his ease, He stamps his foot and claps his hands, And turns around to view his lands.
This little tune was whirling around in my head as we walked through the fields, being careful to stay far to the side of the farmer's crops. I hadn't thought of that little tune for at least 70 years! Now I was softly singing it to myself and wondering if indeed," Oats Peas Beans and Barley" could have been written here in Broxted? I wouldn't be surprised. We admired the lovely pink wild roses along the way which I had heard about all of my life.

#1 Walking by the crops to Tilty.

#2 Across a bridge.

#3 By the Brook beneath the foliage.

#4 And then along the road.

About here I must tell you a little about "The Black Cat". There are many tales concerning the Black Cat but here is one taken from the great little book..."The Five Parishes", by Claire Squibb. "One evening, in the Autumn of 1994, a villager from Duton Hill was driving home down the Tilty Road. As he passed the 'turn-off' to the church, a huge, animal-like figure, about six foot tall, loped across the road in front of his van. "It was there, but it wasn't there" he described to his wife later. "I could see it, but the headlights didn't shine on it." After crossing the road, the creature headed off into the fields and faded away into the night. When the van driver told a long time resident of Duton Hill this story, the villager replied.."You don't need to worry about that - it was just THE BLACK CAT. Now you know why I don't use the TILTY ROAD after dark."
We thought of this as we walked along the road...

#5 Looking for tracks	#6 Sue examines the wild roses beside the road.	#7 Along the road.	#8 Alone along the road.
#9 Sue pauses to wonder who made these lovely little bridges over the Chelmer?	#10 Fallen leaves on the Pathway.	#11 Our footpath	#12 Enchanted tree along the way

As we approach an old gate, I seemed to feel a 'presence'. We stopped for a short minute to admire the surroundings and get our breath, so to speak. When looking at the opening through the darkness of the bushes and trees, there might have appeared to be two little blond children, both dressed in transparent white clothing. But upon closer inspection..they disappeared. Were they really there at all? I think not. Can you see them in the photo #14 below? Their heads are right above the right hand side of the gate. It takes a little time for them to appear. Sue thinks they are FAIRIES???

#13 An old gate welcomes us along our path.

#14Can you see the very faint children in the opening facing us? Click to enlarge.

#15 They seem to have vanished as there are no children here.

#16 Flowers & trees adorn our path and bid us on.

#17 Enlarged image of the children/FAIRIES. Look at this image for a minute or so, and see if you can see their little blond heads? (From photo #14)
Let us journey on. There are so many wonderful things to see and experience here on the way to Tilty from Broxted. All this beautiful land may soon be covered over with cement if they enlarge Stansted airport

#18 Green fields.	#19 Behind me (the old lady) there stands an old brick PILL-BOX from World War II...disguised as a barn. See the hole where guns could be fired from!	#20 The Pond.	#21Reflections.
#22	#23	#24	#25