Wednesday 5 November 5 miles
The splinter group - Jane, John, Donna and Martin
The forecast was for plenty of rain and even some sunshine! Luckily for us it didn't rain and the sun did try and shine.
I decided to start the walk at the Red Lion, Park Lane, Pickmere, as The Smoker is out of action after a fire.
From the Red Lion we crossed Pickmere Lane to join Spink Lane.
We crossed a few fields. As we were about to emerge onto Linnards Lane the rain started to get a bit heavier so waterproofs were put on. Going left we followed the lane and crossed Smoker Brook and came to the A556. The road was quite busy and noisy.
We past by The Smoker all still wrapped up after the fire. We turned off the A556 and went up towards Smoker Hill Cottage and joined a track heading towards the radio telescope.We walked past the Pickmere Radio Telescope, We continued past Providence Farm with the fat sheep and onto Milley Lane.
We came to Frog Lane and turned left following the road, passing a women with a dog in a buggy, from a distance we had thought it would be a child!
At a junction, with a large pond to we turned left, going along Park Lane. After a short while, turned right into Mere Lane, walking down to Jacob’s Way, where a right turn brought us down to the lake.
Pickmere looked pretty in the sunshine. We started to walk around the lake it was a bit muddy in places. A woman with some dogs told us that the path on the other side of the lake was now closed off. We continued along the muddy path a short way to the bungalow and decided to return and find somewhere to sit for lunch.
As we walked back the lake was very calm, there was a guy who had just come out of the water and he said that the water wasn't too cold.
We went up the hill from the water and found some benches where we could sit and admire the view over the lake with Great Budworth in the distance.
We walked back up Mere Lane and joined Park Lane following the road, back to the Red Lion. A large Robinsons lorry backed expertly into the entrance, which is at an ackward angle.
We went to Riverside Organic and sat on the soft sofas and had tea and coffee.
