Wednesday 17 July 6.25 miles
Tracey and Jane
Nice weather but still we question what to wear!! Once again because it had been raining we didn't know how muddy it was going to be.
We started at Gresty's Waste, joining the Sandstone Trail going down the steps and across the footbridge. We left the Sandstone Trail as we entered the wood to follow the edge of open fields. We could hear announcements on the tannoy so there was obviously an event going on at the Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, although we couldn't see what it was. Some horses past us on the gallop.
We came to the bottom of a small valley where we lost the path as the pond was right across our way, there was a path on our right but seemed to be overgrown with no obvious way through so we returned to the main path to see if we could find another way. We couldn't find one so we followed the overgrown path and pushed through the plants and came to the Urchin’s Kitchen (a sandstone outcrop), which the instructions had given you thr option to go and view. Tracey found a pathway across the water and up the other bank then we found our way back to the main path. Phew!
We followed a few forestry tracks until we came to the entrance to Primrose Hill House, although we couldn't see the house.We continued along the driveway until we came to a road. Here we took the road opposite (Tirley Lane) until we reached Utkinton passing the school to reach John Street. Then we went past the village hall on the left, then past the war memorial and bus stop.
We crossed some fields and tracks following the Sandstone Trail again.We came to Tirley Road and where it bends left, we took the footpath going along the side of a single-storey building (formerly a tearoom which we did visit years ago when it was open). We crossed a few fields and came back into the woods following the Sandstone Trail until we got back to Gresty's Waste.
We went Tarporley Garden Centre for two teas and cappuccino cakes.
