Ian Runs

The cold weather which started last week had worsened in the week since, with many cancellations across the country. After seeing my original planned event cancel, after some research, I decided to visit Manor Field parkrun, Whittlesey this week, as it and its neighbours were all due to take place on Friday night, so even if Manor Field cancelled last minute, I still had alternatives! The area Whittlesey is a small town on the outskirts of Peterborough. The town is built on a former island, but as the Cambridgeshire fens were drained in the 1600s, the island became much more readily accessible. The town has a local tradition known as the Whittlesey Straw Bear, where someone is covered in straw, and dances in the local streets. The event takes place on a Tuesday in January. The course The course follows one part-lap of the leisure centre playing field, followed by three complete laps, is all on grass, and is very flat throughout. Parking is available both in the leisure...

I was originally planning on continuing to visit events in Essex this week, however, I decided to change pace an visit a Cambridgeshire event after a change of plans for my festive parkrunning. I ultmately decided to visit Littleport parkrun this week having looked at previous results, and seeing that there are often a good number of walkers, as I intended to continue walking while recovering from an injury. The area Littleport lies in the fens, in Cambridgeshire. The fens is a vast expanse of former marsh land which was drained and reclaimed from 1626 through the construction of a series of canals to drain the land. These canals still shape much of the modern infrastructure in the area today, with many particlarly straight roads and canals to be found in the area. The village of Littleport was reportedly founded when drunk monks turned away King Canut when he sought shelter. The village is predominantly residential, but played a role in the Peasants Revolt, as well as being o...

After venturing into Suffolk last week at Clare Castle parkrun, this week I decided to return to Essex to continue making progress towards completing the region. The area Great Notley is a garden village situated in Braintree. The village was constructed with the ideas of instant community and instant maturity in mind. While the hamlet of White Court predates the modern development, the area as a whole has been designed to act as a single coherent community while supporting three new hamlets in addition to White Court. Like Kesgrave on the outskirts of Ipswich , Great Notley offered local planners a means of increasing residental capacity in the area without redeveloping existing infrastructure. The course Great Notley parkrun's course is run on a mixture of gravel and grass, over two laps of the country park. The route is mostly flat, although the second lap does start with a small hill which offers great views over the park and surrounding area! Paid parking is...

After the hustle and bustle of Chelmsford Central parkrun last week, I decided that I wanted to attend a smaller event that would also contribute to completing a region this week, and Clare Castle parkrun fit the bill perfectly. The area According to a 2015 poll, the village of Clare is one of the top 50 rural villages in the UK owing to its period buildings, though it lacks the tour busses common in other rural villages. The village has been populated since prehistory, including both Roman and Norman occupations, though the area takes its name from the Feudal period, where the area was the manor of the Clare dynasty, with Clare Castle being its home. Clare Castle dates from before 1090, and has provided incomes and support for nearby villagers over its time. Its occupants have included some notable people throughout the years, including Elizabeth de Clare; one of the wealthiest women in the UK. Unlike the castles at Colchester Castle , Norwich or Thomas Mills (Framlingham) ...

Continuing with my focus on Essex events started last week at Billericay parkrun , this week I decided to attend Chelmsford Central parkrun. The area Chelmsford is a very young city, having only recived its letters patent in 2012 (6 June 2012), although this does mean it could technically claim to be the oldest city in Essex, ahead of both Southend (1 March 2022) and Colchester ( 23 November 2022 ). Chelmsford Central parkrun takes places in three of Chelmsford's main parks - starting in Central Park, before heading along the River Can, joining Admirals park and Tower Gardens, before returning to Central Park. An 18-arch Victorian Railway viaduct crosses through central park. The course The route follows a mixture of tarmac paths and grass walks through Central Park, Admirals Park, and Tower Gardens, using the River Can to connect them. The route is mostly flat, with only one minor hill at around the half way point. A number of pay and display car parks are availab...

After the hustle and bustle of Gunpowder parkrun last week on Guy Fawkes day, I decided that I'd focus on some more time on the remaining Essex parkruns in the coming weeks. My aim is to complete the Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex regions within a few weeks of each other, and so my next few events will all be focussed on those regions. The area Billericay is a small town in Essex, near to both Wickford Memorial parkrun , as well as Basildon parkrun . The town is popular with commuters given the easy access to London. Lake Meadows park, home of Billericay parkrun, has an interesting history of its own. Originally owned by Barking Abbey before the dissolution of the monestaries, the land eventually found its way into the hands of the Spitty family. The Spittys became a prominant family in the area, serving in many public offices, as well as the Essex Militia. The family were known to sponsor many local events and developments, with the park's lake being constructed to p...