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: https://www.youtube.com/alittleadventuretime?sub_confirmation=1

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Useful Links
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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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Music from Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/o3mkb1

[Music] well good morning where are we today AA Gade Bridge yeah which is in HL Hempstead park run today it’s a beautiful day though bit of cloud overhead so we might get one or two spots of rain on the way around but we’re going to enjoy the park run here which we’ve got to back on our bikes and trains today isn’t it after our Excursion to Scotland I don’t think we’re going to see any dolphins on the way around parland today or hear the sea or see any oil rigs I’ve seen the sea you’ve seen the sea yeah what sea is that there’s a playground with a bit of sea a sea doliny thing isn’t that yeah so we have got doliny thing okay let’s go and find the start of Park [Music] plan 3 2 1 go [Music] so we are off on gate beach park run how are you morninga was it an early start on the [Music] bikes this a lovely park to the very much uh feels like a English Country House landscape Gardens almost around the park though with the road busy road right beside us at the moment it is quite an undulating course actually I wasn’t expecting that down here but this is definitely not a flat course [Music] we seem to do a lot of uphill at the moment don’t we AA yeah I’m sure there must be some downhill soon but I own’s going for Ultra rules we’re walking up the uphills I think the downhill is just up ahead after this beautiful purple leaf tree [Music] iona’s just had her one mile sweetie and as we did So the faster Runners are coming through on their second lap so in answer to your question AA yes we do this undulating section twice yeah but that means it’s time for some downhill up ahead I can see it let’s go downhill time 3 2 1 go [Music] we’re just running down the hill at the moment and beautiful views across to the Spire in the distance of H Hempstead IA did that seem a very short downhill after all that uphill yeah could do with a longer downhill and a shorter uphill couldn’t we yeah how are you finding this course confusing slightly confusing yeah we’re not quite sure where we’re going next are we but I think we go up here but this time we turn left rather than right which will take us back to the Finish okay I want to go ride sorry another lap to do well it was another undulation as we came off the hill but now we’ve got a beautiful view over the park this park apparently there’s been a house here first recorded back in the 1200s no stately homes here now or Lords of the Mana just a beautiful part for the people of Hil Hempstead to enjoy which is actually a very old town it’s been an old town here town here for a long time um the town Charter was given back by I think it was King heavy the8 one of the King Henry’s anyway du to times but actually now he designated in New Town and expanded in that time so there’s a bit of a a history lesson for you as we carry on our way around this park run [Music] where this is definitely a toughy of a little course a really undulating Park but I am absolutely loving all the trees all sorts of different trees here and horse chestnuts the purple Beach that I saw earlier which I actually remember from my childhood we used to have one of those in our garden beautiful [Music] trees Please be aware this may this plane may be expecting turbulence we’re almost back back under the tunnel he there B through to the [Music] Finish [Music] yeah Welly well we’ve completed the park one haven’t we how did you get on were you a bit tired today you hurt your little pinky at school yesterday didn’t you and you just decid that is slowly down running I’m still not sure my leg and the top bit of your leg Yeah do you think you hurt that when you fell over as well no that started hurting after okay well what we have spotted is some good playgrounds here isn’t there’s a good playground in the background another playground over there we did spot one in the far corner of the park but I think these are good enough aren’t they I want to go to the outdoor gym as well and an outdoor gym so plenty you to p and then it’s time for the breakfast and then it’s time for a National Trust property lots of fun to enjoy lots of adventure still to have but let’s go have some playground time and rate that in a [Music] moment how’s the playground here to Iona good what have you been enjoying doing digging digging and you’ve had a bit of time on the gym as well you’ve got a good workout yeah or you must been just playing on the gym yeah right is it time for some breakfast now a bit more bit more play just a bit more just a bit more cuz I’m hungry we spotted this beautiful garden while running park run a space to reflect and remember babies lost in early pregnancy or child birth something Ruth and I have experienced so it’s lovely to see it recognized publicly as it’s often a topic which doesn’t get discussed [Music] we’re on the train now to where Anna ask yeah to well we’re not on the train to Astic South where are we getting off Lon Buzzard Lon Buzzard thing go to Ascot National Trust property we’ve enjoyed a delicious breakfast in h Hemstead what do you record to that breakfast diner five five out of five what do you have lollipop did you didn’t have a lollipop for breakfast at point that was a nice gift for the people at the camp what do you have for breakfast egg and mushroom sandwich egg and mushroom sandwich you having a bit of variety at the moment it’s lot of sausage sandwich every week and hash brown and a hash brown as well cool well not long to go now and then we’ll be off on our bikes again to get to the National [Music] poerty well we have made it to Ascot house and we have been round and explored unfortunately we’ve got no footage of that why is that Anna cuz they said no no filming or photographs in here cuz the Rothchild family can still come here use it um live it here and spend time in here so they want to keep a bit of privacy for where they live it was very fancy in there wasn’t it Diana you’re impressed this is just a hunting lodge that it was built for and it’s enormous for that isn’t it yeah and some beautiful porcelain some lovely paintings by artists like gainsb all sorts of things to look at weren’t there what do you get what do mean you had a little quiz to do didn’t you yes what do you get for that a sticker yay cuz you answered all the questions other than the ones from the library which today was closed off Library dining room sorry the dining room that was closed off but we can go and explore the gardens and can get some photographs of there so should we go and explore the gardens for a bit Yeah and then is it tea shop time tea shop yeah tea shop time right let’s go [Music] explore hi how did you know one is here [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] think [Music] well we have had a good explore of the gardens after visiting the house haven’t we know what’s been the best bit of that seeing another little kid another little kid you got to wonder around and yeah very little kid wasn’t it yes you had fun playing with him he didn’t want to leave me he didn’t want to leave you did he yeah but someti beautiful gardens and beautiful views out the countryside round about as well wasn’t there yeah and things like a topy sundal and lots of fountains and water features so beautiful place to explore but now a we’ve enjoyed some Cafe how did you how was your ice cream good I had a magnum that refreshed you yeah re-energized you a bit cuz now you got to cycle back to the station time to head back to that train we have reached the end of the day’s Adventure haven’t we IA yeah have you enjoyed it yeah are you a little bit tired now after all that cycling and walking and running you had fun though yeah good what’s been the best pits of today the National Trust cool it’s a bit NE noisy here now we’re just about to catch our train back home aren’t we own yeah and then it’ll be time to chill on the sofa I guess but I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s little Adventure if have then make sure you hit that subscribe button and check out this video from another National Trust visit after a park bye [Music]