Clarts

Definitions of "clarts" (noun) and "clarty" (adjective) in online dictionaries describe them as words used in Scotland and the North-East of England to mean dirt or mud. I've always used "clarty" more specifically for particularly sticky and messy mud. But I may be confusing "clarty" with "claggy". Either would be useful for the state of some paths on this morning's walk in Hodgemoor Wood (near Chalfont St Giles).

We had fun getting messy, followed by a pleasant lunch in the nearby pub.

There are comments on the web site from people who had got lost in Hodgemoor Wood because maps of the paths are lacking.This is one of the bigger areas of natural woodland in the Chilterns, with quite a mixture of ancient trees. It isn't huge though, so when we were reading up about it beforehand we had a chuckle at people who couldn't find their way around. It was our first visit, but we didn't see how you could get lost in a wood that's only a couple of miles across. It wasn't quite so funny as we made our second circuit through the claggy clarts looking for the car park.

The comments seem fair. A better map would be useful. Chastened, I checked on OSM when we got home. Some of the paths are shown, but not all of them. It would have been a good idea to trace and map our wanderings. Unfortunately I didn't. We'll have to go back.