Hampton Heath

Saturday 21 November 2015 5.25 miles
Jane and Tracey

A beautiful sunny day but the weather forecast was for cold weather so we wrapped up warmly. 

There was white stuff on the road side in Bickerton, it could have been snow but it looked more like hail stones. We set out from the National Trust car park at about 10am.
Walking through the woods we brushed through the recently dropped leaves of the trees especially oak leaves. The clear day provided us with distant views through the trees and it looked as though there was snow on the hills.

The fields were quite wet underfoot in places and particularly muddy where had to cross stiles or negotiate kissing gates!

This is obviously horse racing countryside as we passed oval horse training ground. There were people riding horses in the next field. Then we passed the horse exercise machine with the horses going round and round, some of them were more interested in looking at us.
We then came round to the front drive where we came to the impressive buildings.

Manor House Stables, converted from a cattle barn by Michael and Louise Owen, commenced business as a training yard in March 2007 with 30 horses. By May 2009, improvements to the facilities meant it had grown to accommodate 90 horses with an impressive lounge for owners, a brand new office and superb hostel accommodation for the staff.

We joined the lane and here we passed a couple of lovely horses being ridden on the road.

The wind was icy cold as we walked along the lanes, so we thought it was best not to sit and have lunch there.
Had lunch back at the car at about 12.30

We left the car park and turned right on to Old Coach Road and after driving a short way we passed a large building which looked very interesting. It has Elizabethan style chimneys but the wood and plaster work looked too regular, so maybe that is Victorian.

Broxton Old Hall is a Grade 11 listed building with late C16th beginnings, and C19th extensions. Broxton Old Hall has garden terraces, lawns and a grotto. The landscape of Broxton Old Hall has a recently developed walled formal garden with box yew hedges and herbaceous borders. There is also a lake, follies and a yew avenue.

We went to the Candle Workshop for tea and a piece of tray bake.
we had a wander about, there was lots of lovely candle stuff.

On our journey back home we could see the hills around Mow Cop and there were covered in snow.