Early Start, Epic Day: Running Gadebridge parkrun and Exploring Ascott House

Last Saturday, Iona and I embarked on a journey to Gadebridge parkrun. It was another parkrun and National Trust combo day with a visit to Ascott House planned too.
The Early Start
Our adventure began with a very early start. The alarm buzzed at 5:45am, and by 6:15am, we were already out the door, ready to catch our first train. We cycled to the station, and the train from London North Western departed at 6:36am sharp, whisking us away from Coventry towards Hemel Hempstead.
Gadebridge parkrun
Arriving in Hemel Hempstead, we headed straight to Gadebridge Park. We were greeted by its beautiful trees and open spaces, a perfect setting for a Saturday morning run, quite different from last week’s coastal run in Alness. The course is both challenging and scenic, with a mix of tarmac paths, grassy fields, and an “undulating” terrain.
Playground Fun
Before heading to breakfast, we spent some time at the playground, conveniently located by the parkrun finish line. We also spent a reflective moment in the beautiful memorial garden for babies lost in pregnancy and childbirth, a poignant reminder of an experience Ruth and I have shared.
Breakfast at Garzotti Cafe Bistro
After playground fun, we made our way to Garzotti Cafe Bistro for a well-deserved breakfast. Fueled up and ready for the next part of our adventure, we hopped back on our bikes and headed back to the trains.
Exploring Ascott House
On our return trip, we stopped off at Leighton Buzzard for a short cycle ride to Ascott House (National Trust). This stunning country house, with its rich history and beautiful gardens, was a perfect way to unwind after our morning run. We parked our bikes and took our time exploring the house, admiring the impressive collection of art and antiques.
The gardens at Ascott House were unusual, with a mixture of traditional and modern landscaping, featuring many different ponds and water features. It was perfect for relaxing; I could happily spend a sunny day there reading a good book.
Heading Home
As the afternoon sun began to wane, it was time to head back. We cycled back to the station and wended our way home for tea. We’re definitely looking forward to more parkrun and National Trust combo adventures this year.
Hope you enjoy the film of our tourism adventure, please like and subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.co...
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Useful Links
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parkrun
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About Ian, Iona and Family
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Each week on this channel Ian (Dad) and Iona share our little adventure experiences, often joined by Ewan (Iona’s older brother) and Ruth (Mum) too.
Our weekends often start with parkrun. Iona is on a non-repeat parkrun tourism streak having now visited over 100 different places since she started parkrunning. But we don’t just do parkun and dash home, we love exploring the area and often use bikes and trains for our travels to keep our carbon footprint low and because it adds to the adventure too. When school holidays arrive, longer adventures are possible with Ewan and Iona both being keen cycle tourists and mountain climbers!
So if you like heading outdoors and your idea of a perfect weekend includes parkrun, climbing a mountain or exploring new places on two wheels then we would love to have you join us on our adventures.
We’d love it if you subscribed so you can follow our journey and hopefully be inspired to get out the door and have your own little adventures. Do like and leave comments on our videos too on questions you might have or ideas for places to explore or adventures to go on.
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Filmed using
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Music from Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicso...

[@user-jk8ie2gq1x]

I particularly enjoyed seeing Gadebridge parkrun. Many years ago I went to secondary school in Gadebridge, at the top of that hill. I remember the hill well! Haen't been thre for a long while, as I live in Yorkshire now.

[@ALittleAdventureTime]

So no stranger to hills where you are now then either 😀 I was quite surprised by how undulating it was!

[@janhaydon1505]

Well done guys Gadebridge is a tough course.

[@ALittleAdventureTime]

Thanks, yes I was quite suprised by how undulating it was.