Westwood Ho!

This great weather looks like continuing for a few more days and decide to run on Beverley Westwood after I have dropped my youngest grandson, Louis, at St Mary's primary school. He will be 5 in June. There was frost first thing so decide to wear trackster bottoms and a long sleeve thermal top. We park in Norfolk street, from where I will run, it's only yards from the common and less than 400 metres from Louis' school.
After delivering Louis to school, I walk back to the car, strip off my track suit top and jog to the gate that leads to the common.
Beverley is unique in having four commons that have survived from medieval times, the Westwood, which combines a golf course and free pasture for cattle from April until the end of October, the Hurn, which contains the racecourse and pastures both sheep and cows, both of these lie adjacent to the town to the west. The other two commons lie to the East bordering the river Hull, they are Swinemoor, which pastures ponies and Figham which has sheep. I regularly run on all of these. I have posted a photo of Louis on Swinemoor last summer below.
The run is circular and undulating, once through the gate turn south and jog down hill slightly towards the York road. I'm breathing easily and running towards the sun, which although it's only 9 O' clock, is already quite warm. The racecourse is to my right and there are a few dog walkers around. I am monitoring my body as usual, this is cross country running and I can feel the extra effort needed on the uneven ground. After a few minutes cross the York Road onto the Westwood and into some deciduous woodland known as Newbegin Pits, the name comes from the fact that chalk was quarried here in olden times. Beverley lies on the Yorkshire Wolds, chalk downs, recently made famous by David Hockney. I am starting to loosen up now and enjoy running on the paths through the trees although it is gently uphill. Emerging from the trees I head towards Black Mill, which as the name implies, is a disused windmill that dominates the skyline. There are a lot of dog walkers and I say hello to a couple I know as I reach the Mill. The going is easier now as I'm heading slightly downhill on a path that's well worn, cross a fairway and then carry on to the western boundary of the common before rounding the gorse bushes and turning east towards Newbald Road. Running downhill on the fairway is easy going but I am regretting the pants and the thermals as the sun is now strong. Roll up my sleeves and focus on relaxation and the beautiful surroundings. Across the road turn northeast and uphill towards Burton Bushes. It's uphill for half a mile now and I shorten my stride and run easy. By the time I cross the gate into the woods I'm sweating profusely. I love Burton Bushes, its primeval woodland that has never been cultivated, there are lots of oaks and elms and the paths are continuously changing as trees fall down. To think the whole country was once like this! Emerging from the woods continue across York Road and through the gates of the Racecourse. It's downhill now through the centre of the race track and back to the car. By the time I get back I find I have been running for an hour and enjoyed every minute. Grab a towel from the car and a bottle of water and walk back to the gate to cool off and then drive to the leisure centre, where I spend 15 minutes gently cycling on a machine before showering and swimming a few easy lengths and then heading for the cafe.
Tomorrows a swim day.
Photos of Hurn Lodge, Norfolk street and Beverley Hurn common looking west to the racecourse