Sunday, 17 March 2019

Nantwich - Going off-piste

Saturday 16 March

Donna, Tracey, Jane, Hilary

Nantwich was Donna's choice for brunch. 

Donna parked the car at the car park off Middlewich Road at Barony Park. So we had a little walk into the town. It was trying to rain so we needed our hoods. We went to the Nantwich Traditional Market, had a browse of the stalls. Baked cakes, busy cafe, jewellery, and lovely plants outside. 

Then we went to the Residence Restaurant for brunch. 

Saturday, 16 February 2019

Year Thirteen Summary


Walk 1: March 24 2018 Goostrey 6.5 miles Hilary, Jane and Donna
Walk 2: April 21 2018 Audlem 6 miles Donna, Jane and Hilary
Walk 3: May 19 2018 Little Paxton Weekend Tracey, Hilary and Donna
Walk 4: June 9 2018 Timbersbrook and the Cloud 6.25 miles Carol, Hilary, Tracey and Jane
Walk 5: July 14 2018 Prestbury Tracey, Hilary and Carol
Walk 6: Sept 15 2018 Plumley Station Walk 7.5 miles Donna, Tracey, Jane and Hilary
Walk 7: Oct 13 2018 From Carol’s House 4.5 miles Carol, Hilary and Jane
Walk 8: Nov 10 2018 Wildflowers and Rode Hall 5 miles Hilary, Carol, Tracey and Jane
Walk 9: Jan 16 2019: Planning meeting only - The Big Lock
Walk 10: Feb 16 2019 Poynton 6 miles Jane, Tracey, Donna and Hilary

Poynton

Saturday 16 February 2019 6 miles

Jane, Tracey, Donna + Hilary

The walk had a bit of history, woodland, open views, canal, horses, deer and a single sheep in a field. 

We were lucky with the weather, and it wasn't too muddy under foot. 

We parked in South Park Drive. As we walked up the road we passed a plot of land where there is to be an estate of expensive lake houses being built starting at £1.25 m - and those would be the ones by the road and the gate! Two women with bikes were looking through the holes by the gate, we asked if there was anything to see, they said there wasn't. In having a look for ourselves all we could see was bare earth, the site had been cleared and the earth was being moves presumably to make the lake.

Once we got to the end of the road we were out into countryside. Walking through the woods with the sun shining through the bare trees was very pleasant. The woods were dog walking territory, a black dog, Brutus, adopted us so that we could throw his stick. until Donna threw his stick over the fence. Hilary found a bigger stick, the dog then bounded off to show it's person.

As usual Hilary hadn't had enough breakfast so she wanted her lunch from about 10.45! We crossed the Middlewood Way, continued towards the Macclesfield Canal and followed the towpath for a short distance, crossed Bridge number 14. The path then went towards a farm. At this point we could see The Cage on the hill so were close to Lyme Park. With the warmth of the sun in the sheltered pathways we all decided to take off a layer. We were now at the turning point of the walk, so we came back towards the canal, crossed it, followed the marked path towards a farm.

As we arrived at some woods with fallen logs we thought that was a good opportunity to stop for lunch and it was twelve o'clock by then, so a good time to stop. We sat on a log under the trees with a woodpecker calling. The sun was shining and it was very pleasant.
There was mud on the steps down to the road, so we ended up with mud on our boots.

Poynton Tea Room provided us with tea and cake, we had banana cake, fruit cake, a cup cake and a toasted tea cake as well as our cups of tea, 2 very weak earl grey teas and 2 ordinary teas.

Tuesday, 5 February 2019

Planning Meeting

Wednesday 16 January

The Big Lock

We didn't manage to meet for a walk in January so we met for a meal at The Big Lock - they had a special January price deal.  So we had a chat, a meal and the year planned out.

Get Together

Saturday 15 December 2019

The Fox and Hounds Christmas meal.

All ten of us made the meal, there was plenty of food - the portions were very generous.

Saturday, 10 November 2018

Alsager Series No. 6 - Wildflowers and Rode Hall

Saturday 10 November 5 miles
Hilary, Carol, Tracey and Jane

The weather was supposed to be ok, possibly sunshine and showers. The previous day had been grey and windy and the evening very windy and rainy, so we were not sure what weather we were going to experience, Hilary had checked the forecast and said that rain was only due in the afternoon.

We left the car by the pub. Beautiful autumn colours along Cherry Lane

Saw a horse with a coat on, the coat had foxes on it. 

Walked along the Trent and Mersey Canal passing the locks there were also black and white cows in the field on our right. Then we crossed the canal at bridge 137 and went over the stile, there were cows in this field too, we went down to the bridge where the water was moving quite fast. 

We went up the rise in the land across to the corner of as field, and then went through the woods and over the bridge. In spring this wood is full of bluebells but at this time of year we were admiring the colours of the colours of the trees.

As we crossed the fields there was a glow of yellow, as we got nearer we saw that the yellow was rapeseed plants that had self seeded amongst the grass. Then we joined a lane called Lunts Moss walking away from the farm and following the lane until we reached Church Lane.

We crossed Church Lane to walk on the pavement, we passed the entrance to Rode Hall  and the parish Church of All Saints of Odd Rode. There is quite a long stretch of road which becomes Poolside after the bend as it passes alongside Rode Pool. There were quite a lot of cars along this road. Having reached the A50 we crossed the road to go along Chapel Lane. There were a couple of people with a dog and the younger woman was kicking up the leaves and the dog was jumping up as though he was trying to catch them. The dog wanted to continue playing with the leaves and not continue on the walk. We passed Rhema Mission Church - the chapel that gives the road it's name.

We were back at the Broughton Arms once we had crossed the road and walked on a bit.  We hadn't had lunch and we were not too far from the car. Fortunately the were some benches in the field by the canal so we had the luxury of sitting at a table for our lunch. Of course that was when the rain started and a bit of a breeze, and it was only about quarter past twelve. We were feeling a bit cold by the time we finished our lunch and chat, so it was good to get on the move. As we went towards the path we needed to take there were a group of people with dogs in the way, they let us through, many of them were wearing t-shirts that showed the were supporting 'Children with Cancer', presumably raising money by doing a dog walk. 

For this last part of the walk we returned the way we had come going down Cherry Lane again and the sun came out for a moment making it feel warmer. It was not long before we reached the car, and it was time to decide where to have tea and cake. We thought Sandbach would provide us with some possibilities, like The Cafe on the Square. The town was busy as there was a Maker's Market. We managed to park in the main car park when people moved on. We didn't end up at the Cafe on the Square as we thought it might be too busy, so we went to the Peppers Coffee Lounge across the road from the car park. Then it was tea with Victoria sponge, coffee and walnut cake, chocolate and orange cake and a toasted teacake, and a chat.


Saturday, 13 October 2018

From Carol's House

Saturday 13 October 4.5 miles
Carol, Jane + Hilary

The forecast was for wild weather and a very high possibility of rain. We decided we wouldn't chance the weather in Chester. Carol suggested doing a walk from her house and having lunch at the Badger - that seemed like the better option unsurprisingly!

We walked from Carol's house going down their lane to the road, crossing over to join the canal towpath this the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. The canal is closed between Stanthorne Lock 2 and Wardle lock 1. We started with our jackets on as there was a bit of a breeze but once we walked along a bit the jackets came off. 

There was a heron standing on the path and even though we came quite close it left it until the last minute to fly away to the other side of the canal - it was obviously very keen to get some breakfast. The canal was very quiet as there is no access to the canal in Middlewich due to the embankment collapse, hopefully it will have been repaired by the end of the year.

A rose bush had fallen across the path, it was a dog rose and very thorny so was hard to avoid being caught up in its spikes. We tried to hold it out of the way but it was difficult.

We left the canal to go towards Church Minshull the noise of the trees blowing in the wind was quite tremendous, we passed the farmhouse and joined a path to cross the River Weaver by a bridge. By the river there were groups of white flowers with fern like leaves and tiny groups of white flowers, I thought they looked like an achillea. 

Just before we reached the main road we noticed a house with a very nice extension and an electric gate, it didn't leave much garden at the back, but plenty of glass to let the light in.

Then lunch at the Badger, the choices were a mezze platter, Shropshire brie on flatbread, and a 'fish finger' bap! We did have to wait a while to be served (perhaps the fish took a bit of cooking!), it is a bit disappointing when that happens.

We returned the way we came, this time with the sun in our eyes. Even with the wind still blowing we still didn't need our coats or fleeces so it was T-shirts in October! Sometimes it was hard to hear each other in places as the wind blew across our ears.

We didn't see many people on the canal either just a couple with a dog as we once again had to negotiate the rose thorns and attempt to not get too caught up. We passed two swans on the canal they looked very white in the sunshine. The wind across the surface of the canal created little wavelets but that didn't stop them from feeding on the bottom of the canal.

Then it was back to Carol's house for a cup of tea and looked at lots of lovely pictures of the wedding!