Church Minshull

Saturday 6 October 6.5 miles
Donna, Tracey, Jane + Hilary

A grey day  but no rain - it was a little brighter later.

A local walk just for Donna as she didn't want to drive too far!

We decided not to park at the Badger, so we found a place a bit further along the road.
There was a cool wind as we started, we soon warmed up as we began to walk.

We turned off the B5074 on to Cross Lane, across the River Weaver and further up the road went on to the Shropshire Union Canal. There were a few boat travelling this stretch of water. We passed what had been an old stable block that has been turned into a home. It looked very attractive with the red brick and the old stable doors stained black with black metal furniture. 

As we walked along the canal we were not far from the west coast line so we could see the a goods train and passenger trains travelling along the line. 

We went under three bridges and then started across the fields. We followed the edge of a wood that curved around the river, but we couldn't see it. Then we came to our first field of maize so we had to walk along through it until we reached the old bridge with metal gates with latches and crossed The Weaver.

Lunch sitting near a stile by Paradise Green Farm, with the jersey cows looking over the gate.

The thistles in the field were very prickly and plenty of them! There were sheep in this field.

We crossed the plank bridge but were faced with maize growing in the field, we couldn't find a path across it. We went around the field edge alongside the edge of the maize, but that left us in the wrong place. We followed the track, but still couldn't find the path across the next field.  A couple were burning plant material behind the barn conversions in Church Minshull.

Minshulls Garden Centre for tea/latte and cake (we all had toffee, pecan and cranberry cake!)