Paws for a Puppy: Short circular walk from Laverton to Buckland

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Short circular walk from Laverton to Buckland

Short circular walk from Laverton to Buckland - Cotswold's - 1 1/2 miles

Our walk

I accept that 1 1/2 miles is not a long walk, but remember that Barnaby is only 5 months old and little puppies like him are only supposed to walk five minutes for each of the months they have lived. Given that, I do accept it was therefore rather longer than we should have gone. He should have only walked for 25 minutes and we were on our feet for an hour.

My excuse for walking him so far is that we walked very, very slowly, there were no hills to climb, no stiles to leap over either. It was therefore, an easy walk. An enjoyable one too.

He particularly liked calling into St Michael's Church at Buckland, which William Morris restored in 1883. He had never visited a church before.

Barnaby also saw his first sheep today, an important moment, given that he is a Border collie. Once he had focused on them (which took a few moments) he stared and stared and they in turn stared at him. He then noticed their droppings scattered in the grass, rolled in them and then decided to eat them (the droppings not the sheep!) his fur stank of sheep when he had finished, so did the car when we drove home, but he was a very happy little puppy.

View if St Michael's Church and Buckland Manor

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Barnaby Peacocke

Meet Barnaby Peacocke the purebred Border collie with merle eyes who was born in the Cotswolds September 29 2012.

He lives with Helen and two pesky cats Harvey the ginger mog and Buster the Burmese who is convinced he comes from royal stock and is therefore rather up himself. Helen? Oh she is just Helen. Nothing special about her except that she is particularly fond of Border collies, and is considered a pretty good cook.

Barnaby was selected to live with them when Helen’s beloved Border collie Pythius-Peacocke died November 12 2012. His death broke her heart. He left some pretty big pawmarks to fill which is where Barnaby comes in. He has been called on to fill her life with puppy antics and become her constant companion. His main job is to ensure she’s as happy with him as she was with Pythius. Will he manage to do that? No one knows – only time will tell.

Pythius Peacocke

Pythius the Border collie wants to say a few words

I lived with Helen for more than 12 years, during which time we walked the Cotswolds and most of Oxfordshire in order to obtain information for the four Paws books we wrote together: Paws Under the Table, Paws for History, Paws Along the Way and Paws in the Cotswolds (Wychwood Press - £9.99). They were good times. Together we clambered up many a high hill, scrambled through the undergrowth of dense woodland danced through streams and ran free across meadows and fields.

Before I finally took my bow as the arthritis in my legs become too painful to bear, I first looked round for a little chap who could take my place. It was the least I could do before leaving Helen.

I discovered Barnaby in a farm house at Old Sodbury. Given our many walks in the Cotswolds it seemed logical to organise a puppy for her who was born in the countryside we loved so much.

He is a dear little chap, though I fear he is going to lead Helen and her friends a merry dance, such is his energy, especially when he wants to turn right when they have decided to turn left. BUT, yes there is a BUT, this little chap is very, very fond of his food (something that never really bothered me) and Helen is a food writer and a smashing cook – so I reckon they will get on. Within a few days of Barnaby moving into Rose Cottage, Helen was cooking up rabbit stews and shepherd’s pies for his food bowl and he was woofing them down as if he had never been fed before.

I watch from on high, but with interest.