Year Three Summary

Walk 1: March 1 2008 7.5 miles Mow Cop and Little Moreton Hall Carol, Hilary, Tracey, Donna and Jane
Walk 2: April 19 2008 6.5 miles Kelsall Guided Walk Hilary and Jane
Walk 3: May 10 2008 6 miles Lyme Park Tracey Jane, Hilary and Carol
Walk 4: June 21 2008 9.5 miles Scafell Pike Jane, Tracey, Donna, Hilary and Carol
Walk 5: July 12 2008 6.5 miles Hilary +
Walk 6: September 27 2008 5 miles Bosley Cloud Donna, Carol and Hilary
Walk 7: October 11 2008 8.5 miles Wincle Carol, Hilary, Tracey and Jane
Walk 8: November 8 2008 8.5 miles Walking on the Wildside Jane, Tracey, Donna and Hilary
Walk 9: January 24 2009 5.25 miles + Planning Tarporley Hilary, Tracey, Carol and Jane
Walk 10: February 28 2009 7 miles+ Haslington Tracey, Donna, Hilary and Jane

Tarporley

Saturday 24 January 5.25 miles + planning
Hilary, Tracey, Carol + Jane

We were lucky with the weather again. It was a bit cloudy to start with, but as we walked it cleared and we even had some weak winter sunshine.

The ground was still a bit icy at the beginning of the walk.

The first golf club was easy to walk through as we followed the tarmac path. We had to careful when crossing the road as there was a blind corner.

Lost our way slightly, and talked to the farmer. Hilary pulled down his hat as he was being a bit cheeky about us being thick. We had stood by the water trough to have a drink and snack but had missed the stile as we walked away. The fields were quite wet in the area.

Eaton is very pretty with its thatched cottages.

The path then led up though a tree lined passage, with ancient hedges lining either side.

We were directed across the golf course in the walk but the path had been redirected along the edge of golf course, but once again it got confusing and we wandered through the trees, there was no obvious exit so I am not sure we went the right way.


We realised that we were nearly back in Tarpoley and we hadn't eaten our lunch, we sat on a bank under a hedge - probably hawthorn as there were spiky twigs that we sat on. Tracey had the right idea, she had a 'sit-on' cushion - a bit of protection!

The tea shop we were going to stop at was full so we had a wander down the street. We ended up in the Old Fire Station chocolate shop. Very nice carrot cake!

We spent quite a while in the cafe as we did our planning meeting as well.Ben Nevis here we come!!

Redesmere

Saturday 29 December 6 miles

Jane John Katherine Helen, Tracey Chris, Hilary Emma Andrew relatives.

There was lots of parking by the lake as we were early in the day, I think it would be busier in the summer.

Siddington Church was open, it is such a pleasant and attractive church. It was great that it is open for anyone to have a look inside. Everyone agreed that it would be a good church to get married in!

Katherine and Helen pretty much led the way as they had done the walk before.

Sat and stood around the entrance to Crabtree Moss Farm entrance and had a snack. There are crabtrees planted here. The farm house is an interesting building that has been extended, it looked very attractive.
It is interesting to see the countryside around the roads that you have travelled by car.

A34 is always busy, fortunately we only had to go along it a short distance.

We walked around the side of Redesmere and back to the parking place. we finished our lunch with lots of birds trying to beg for a bit of it. As we sat there a flock of geese came and landed on the lake - it was quite spectacular to watch.

Get Together

Christmas Meal

The Kandi Bar Meal and a disco. Live singer at the disco.

Get Together

Jane's House for a girl's night in

Walking on the Wildside

Saturday 8 November 8.5 miles
Jane, Tracey, Donna, Hilary

I woke up to wind and rain - I thought it was going to be another bad weather day for me!

John drove us to the start of the walk in Crewe as it was a one-way walk. He dropped us at Moss Bridge. We started the walk but the railway bridge was closed, we started walking to the next but were told by some workmen on the line that bridge was closed as well! Great start to the walk.

We went back to the bridge and walked along the road - we found a sign telling us that there was a diversion - this information was posted too late. Anyway we were able to start the walk. It seemed like it was going to rain but it didn't.

We needed the OS map to check where we were going.The path wasn't very clear in places.

There were cows in a few fields and one lot came running towards us - they probably thought we had food for them. It is a good job Hilary is comfortable around cows!

Stopped at Winterley for lunch. We were ready to eat. There were benches by the pool so we sat down and had our eats and a chat. The bench sat the 4 of us comfortably.

Met a bull, Hilary said it would be OK to go through the field, but it was looking at us as we came towards the field and making a lot of noise. We did go into the field keeping to the edge with Hilary on the outside protecting us! She bent to pick up a twig and the bull jumped away from us - turned out to be a bit of a softy!

The sun shone as we were passing Haslington Hall the trees were pretty, we could see a bit of the hall - a proper Tudor house.

We crossed the golf course, the trees with their autumn colours looked quite beautiful in the sunshine. Tracey got her wish to walk through a wood and the coloured leaves.

There were a lot of stiles on this route - it managed to show us unfit we have become!!

We arrived at Weston and thankfully there was a pub by the church where we had tea and shared some cake.

Wincle

Saturday 11 October 8.5 miles
Carol, Hilary, Tracey, Jane

A good walk - varied - river - woodland - moorland

We parked on the road near the pub, just by the start of the walk. We climbed the steps and went into the field, two dogs came running towards us barking very loudly - I was not at all happy but tried to stay calm. Fortunately Tracey realised they were wagging their tails and said 'hello' to them and then they went away (thank goodness).

Carol needed to get home early so we cut the walk short - we tried to follow the alternative route but went slightly wrong so had to walk along a windy bit of road - there were quite a few cars.

We had lunch by the church as there was a place to sit. The bench was quite small so we also used a large raised gravestone as a seat. There was a very attractive small primary school next door with an excellent adventure playground!

We walked a section of the Gritstone Trail. The woodland trees were just starting to change colour - autumn has arrived.

We then walked part of the Dane Valley Way, through the meadows by the river past the fishery. Drizzle started to get us wet, but we were near the end of the walk. The cloud had certainly come down as we went back up the road - visibility was considerably reduced.

Bosley Cloud

Saturday 27 September 5 miles
Donna, Carol, Hilary

I could tell that the three of them had really enjoyed the walk by the time the arrived at my house. It was such a beautiful day and they met an interesting man on the walk. He knew lots of celebrities and had set up a farm that children could visit.

They had also visited some of the Open Studios in Congleton.
Di Harding does glass and felt work.
Deb and Katy Pugh vintage textiles.

Then had tea and cake at Jane's.


P.S. They said that they missed Jane and Tracey not being there!

Get Together

Saturday 16 August  

Hilary and Ian's House  

John went to put up the gazebo with Ian so the BBQ would be sheltered as rain was forecast. John slipped on the poles and stepped heavily and hurt his back! He couldn't move very easily so didn't go the BBQ in the end. It did rain later. Fortunately Hilary and Ian had been out to buy a marquee, which proved to be a very good idea. It just kept on raining and eventually it started to come through, so we went inside. As ever loads to eat and drink!

Parkgate

Saturday 12 July 6.5 miles

Hilary, ?

Scafell Pike

Saturday 21 June 9.5 miles (a hard walk)

Scafell Pike 978m high (3209ft)

What a day!!!
IT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!!

We set out in good time, arrived when the weather still looked promising. We even managed to find a parking spot near the beginning of the walk.

We started the walk it is fairly flat up to Stockley Bridge, and then we followed Styhead Gill which is quite steep so we stopped regularly. Once we got to Styhead Tarn we could see the cloud sitting on the mountain above us. We started up the corridor route but the rain came in - it was drizzly but it soon got us wet.

There are a number of ravines to cross. Some of us weren't keen on the drop below us in one or two places and struggled to cross them.

By now there was only low cloud and no view, and we were all very wet. Some of us wanted to go back but others said they didn't want to go back past the ravines. So we went on.

Because of the wet we didn't stop to eat and drink - we perhaps got a bit dehydrated.

We got to the top though - there were plenty of people up there!

It was also windy so we didn't stay for long and there was nothing to see because of the cloud!

We stayed over night at the YHA hostel in Buttermere and had our meal there.

Sunday 22 June

We travelled home

Lyme Park

Saturday 10 May 6 miles

Tracey, Jane, Hilary, Carol

We were lucky with the weather once again.
It rained as we got close to Lyme Park, but stopped as we got there.

It was quite muggy to begin with, and seemed to sap the energy. At least we could see the Cage this time! (ie no fog!)

We got up to the viewing point but there wasn't a distant view as it was very hazy. We could see the house and the way we had come.

There were plenty of cute lambs in the fields. There were even some daffodils flowering on the Gritstone Trail, I suppose it is cooler up on the ridge.

We headed down from the ridge. We had our lunch in a sheltered valley near a brook, and the sun shone on us. We lay in the sun a while.

Walking back through the gate into the Park the banks of the stream were covered in wild garlic plants (Allium ursinum). Further up bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scriptus) swathed the valley sides - it looked amazing.

The car park was very full when we returned with people sitting outside in the sunshine - a rel summer's day even though it is still supposed to be spring.

When the walk was finished we went up to the house to get a drink. The restaurant was in a different place - it was along the corridor and into a cellar with no natural light, so it was only when we went to pay that we were told that it was raining hard outside.

Kelsall - Countryside Ranger Walk

Saturday 19 April 6.5 miles

Organised walk - about 25 people

A grey day with a cold wind, but the rain stayed away.

We didn't have to think about the walk very much as we were being lead by others. It was interesting to have things pointed out to us as we walked along because they are aspects of the landscape that you wouldn't know about unless you were a local historian.

The Roman Road, Watling Street,ran through this area with a fork going off it to Middlewich for the salt. Kelsborrow Castle and Eddisbury Castle were hill forts. going to the top of Eddisbury Hill you could see an almost 360 degree view. It was a bit misty but the view was still great.

We walked from the forest past Kelsborrow Castle down to Little Switzerland. We even had a bit of a hill to walk up - there was a cyclist going up and down obviously doing some hill training in Cheshire!!

Had lunch in the forest at the Urchins Kitchen a glacial outflow had carved a passage through the rock. The organisers thought it would be sheltered there but the cold wind was coming from the wrong direction. We didn't stop for lunch too long.

Kelsall Hill Farm was hosting a horse event, so there were lots of horse boxes and we could hear someone speaking on the tannoy.

I enjoyed the walk, being out in the countryside.

Mow Cop and Little Moreton Hall

Saturday 1 March 7.5 miles

Carol, Hilary, Tracey, Donna, Jane

Started off at Mow Cop car park.

Had our lunch sitting on a bench in the car park of Little Moreton Hall. It could have been quite sheltered under the trees but it was fairly cold, we had to get moving again.

It was a bit of a muddy route to and from Little Moreton Hall.

Had difficulty in finding the correct route on the last stretch across some fields.

Another walking group were in the car park as we arrived back there, they were changing out of their walking clothes - some of them had next to nothing on!

We were lucky with the weather once again.