Sandbach Flashes and the River Wheelock

Saturday 17 February 6 miles

Tracey, Jane and Hilary

There had been a lot of rain this week so it was difficult to decide on a walk. We started at the Bear's Paw in Warmingham, walked up School Lane to Crabmill Lane and then crossed the stile into the fields. We followed the path to a t-junction and turned left following a yellow arrow. After we had gone a short way we realised this must be the wrong way so we returned and saw that we should have turned right and then continued on our way.

We came to Green Lane and followed it to the flashes and then turned right across the fields, diagonally across one field, eventually coming down some steps onto Plant Lane. As we started to walk down the lane we met a young girl on a pony with her mum, Hilary gave the pony a stroke. The lady told us that it was very wet through the wood so we decided to take the alternative route along the road.

There were 'road closed' signs once we had passed the bungalows on Plant Lane, so we wondered if it would affect us, but we continued along the road. We did see a car drive down the road but it returned in a few minutes so there was definitely a road closure. When we got to the end of Plant Lane there were some vans and they seemed to clearing away the road closure stuff but we couldn't see why the road had been closed. 

At the canal bridge we joined the towpath, walking to the next bridge whrer we decided to cut the route down a bit so we continued along Hall Lane. We walked to the crossroads and decided go to the Sandbach Flashes. On Clay Lane the rain did start a little and I thought we might can wet, but it ended up being just a bit of drizzle. At the flashes Hilary had thought there might be a bench as it is a birdwatching place but there wasn't. There were quite a few people around and a few cars parked up. We sat on the grassy old bridge over the River Wheelock and had our lunch. We had a chat to a couple of birdwatchers.

We walked back up Clay Lane and crossed into Crabmill Lane, we decided to give the riverside walk a miss as we thought it would be too wet. Just a short way up the lane we came to a flooded bit of road! We managed to keep along the hedge, which fortunately had been cut recently so we were able to hold onto the branches and step along the verge. When cars went through the water it created waves which came over our boots, but it wasn't too deep at the edge. A cyclist turned back once he saw the amount of water.

We followed Crabmill Lane Until we found the path across the fields leading to School Lane and the Bear's Paw again.

Then we went to Hopley House and had tea and cake.

Tatton Park

Wednesday 17 January 6 Miles

Hilary, Tracey and Jane

We parked in the layby on the Mobberley Road, B5085.

We were pretty much on the flight path into Manchester here, and a plane soon passed over, looking up we glimpsed sight of it through the cloud.

We had a walk through the Orchard Community Garden, there was toast on strings hanging from the leafless trees. Then we went back onto the road and round the corner to find the path that crossed the railway. There was a van with couple of workers on the bridge so we cautiously passed them on the flattened snow surface. We then met quite a number of dogs not on a lead with two ladies, fortunately they paid no attention to us.

Hilary had told us we would be joining the dog walking people from here, and we certainly met lots of dog walkers. As we walked through the woods we did meet a few dog walkers.

The day was very misty and even though we were walking alongside the lake we could hardly see it. As the sun started to break throuh the mist we did get glimpses of it. The cold weather meant that the ground was firm in some places but in others the water was across the path so we had to walk through some muddy bits!

As we came to the top of Tatton Mere the sun started to break through, we could see the birds standing on the ice in the water. We continued to walk through the snowy grass, where the ground was softer it was quite hard to walk easily. We walked a the road in places but you had to careful as it was icy, we resorted to walking on the edge of the road where there was grass and we felt that was a bit safer.

We passed the front of the house and onto the cobbles around to the courtyard. Hilary had suggested that we had soup in the cafe so that's what we did. Two leek and potatoes soups and one pumpkin soup. Very nice it was too. After that we went to have a look in the shop, there were some nice stuff, we saw a small piece of fruit cake to have with cheese costing £7.75 - we thought that was a bit much.

We started to retrace our steps, passing the front of the hall again. The day had really cleared up now and we could see all around, we could see the building for the runway quite clearly. We headed across the grass towards Tatton Old Hall, Hilary thought we migh be able to get around it and back on the path we came on, but we couldn't. But we did see some deer. Hilary had been disappointed that we hadn't seen any, so when we saw that there was a whole group of deer in the distance and three deer closer to us eating what looked like carrots, she was very pleased.

We got back on the path we needed to be on, alongside the lake, and into the woods where we met the dog walkers again, one dog came running up and jumped up at Tracey but she was happy to stroke it and it then went back to the owner who did aplogise for it jumping up.

We went back to the car and home again.

Get Together

 Saturday 16 December

The Hayhurst 

Marbury Park and the Canal

Saturday 9 December 5 miles

Jane, Tracey, Donna and Hilary

Rain was forecast so I decided that the fields would be too wet after the rain we have had, so I thought somewhere with paths would be useful. Marbury Park came to mind. I checked on the map for a route and came up with one that would be about 5 miles.

It was drizzling a bit so we decided to put on our waterproof trousers. Some of us had a lot of layers on because the forecast was for a cool wind.

From the carpark we walked along the Old Warrington Road, there were plenty of people about as there had been a Park Run, a few people were just finishing the run and some people were walking back to the start. 

On crossing Canal Bridge no.196 on the Trent and Mersey Canal we saw a large bird sitting in a tree and we thought it might be a buzzard.

There were some puddles right across the road, it was difficult to walk around.

Two ladies with a horse came towards us.

As we got to the end of the old road there were cars coming in to use the car park. Then we joined Marbury Road so we could pass the sculpture of The Marbury Lady, this sculpture is carved from a tree that died due to salt poisoning. The sculpture is inspired by a ghost story associated with the former Marbury Estate. People in the area frequently claim to have seen this ghost, as she haunts the park.

Shortly after the sculpture we went back into the park passed the nursuries and onto the paths again and the wintery sun came out. As the wind and rain didn't materialise Donna got too hot and took off the extra trousers and a jumper.

As we walked down towards the lake the squirrels were racing through the trees. We reached Budworth Mere and could see the tower of Great Budworth church across the water.

We crossed over on the canal footbridge Where I took off one of my fleeces. We walked along the track back to Canal Bridge 196 this time going underneath it and continued on the towpath. The rain started again so Donna put her trousers back on.

Lunch was eaten a bit early near the Anderton Boat Lift car park where there were picnic tables. It was a bit cold sitting there, even though the weak sunshine came out again there was a cool breeze.

Plenty of dog walkers, we seemed to be the only people without dogs! 

We walked back down through the Anderton Nature Park crossed the Witton Brook via the footbridge and followed the paths around behind the household waste site and back to the car park.

On the way home we visited Riverside Organic drinks and cake. We had hot chocolate and tea with almond slice, chocolate brownie and a tea cake.

Donna's walk

Saturday 11 November

Donna, Tracey and Hilary

Petty Pool Woods and the Whitegate Way

Saturday 14 October 4.5 miles

Jane and Hilary

Parked on Kennel Lane.

We walked across to Daleford Lane on the first path we came to and then crossed another field and came to Cockpit Lane. The instructions then didn't make sense. A gentleman was passing us with a dog and stopped to chat, and we realised we weren't by the Joshua Tree yet, and that we had followed the wrong path initially.

We walked down to the Joshua Tree and found the right path, we entered the woods and followed the path down some wooden steps and then went over the stream. We decided to take the detour to look at the lake but we found it a bit disappointing as we couldn't see the lake very well. We returned along the path.

We crossed Daleford Lane again warching out for traffic, and joined the Whitegate Way, We walked passed the Scout Camp which was being used. We turned back onto Kennel Lane and continued back to the car. There was a light shower of rain but as we were under the trees we didn't get wet.

Tabley Estate and Holford Moss

Saturday 2 September 6.2 miles

Tracey, Jane and Hilary

We parked at the Smoker, and had a debate as to how many layers we needed! As it seemed to be warm we took just one extra layer. The clear blue sky and the forecast was for a good day.

From the Smoker we turned onto Plumley Moor Road amd a little further along the road we turned left onto Whitehouse Lane. Here there was a man trying to get a car and trailer out of his drive, as the lane was quite narrow it was taking a few goes. In the end he told us to go through as it was going to take a while and no one likes an audience! There was a farm at the end of the lane so we had to walk through it. An old dog came to have a sniff and the lady of the house said hello. Hilary noticed a guard dog sign that had been tucked away behind a drain pipe, certainly the dog we had seen was no guard dog.

Beyond the farm we crossed a stream and followed the edge of Royd Wood onto Sudlow Lane. We crossed a stream and then turned off the lane to head towards the railway line, we didn't cross it here. We followed the railway a short distance crossing a few stiles, we crossed one stile into a filed with black and brown cows that looked very pretty in the sunshine. We carried on talking not paying much attention to the cows, and then realised that they were following us. They caught up to us as we were supposed to cross another stile, but we weren't able to get to it before the cows had crowded in so we had to climb over the gate.

Then we headed to Plumley village. We crossed a footbridge over the ditch, and followed a path between garden fences.We turned right onto the main road towards Plumley Methodist Church, then left into Trouthall Lane. There were quite few people out and about around in the village chatting and walking their dogs.

When the lane bend to the left we took the no-through road.  We crossed a stream (Peover Eye) and turned right at the footpath sign and over a stile into a track by a large wooden gate in a high wall.There was a man breaking up stuff in a skip, it sounded like he was breaking glass. We continued along the path and across some fields where we came to a bridge that crossed the railway line.

We then followed the path doing a left and right to keep ahead, and stepped over an old cattle grid. We continued to a gate and passed to the left of a house. There was a lot of barking as we passed the gate. At the end of the garden wall we looked back at the dogs and could see three different kinds, they stayed on the gravel to start with and then ran onto the grass. We turned right at a footpath and went over a stile into birch woodland. This was Holford Moss and we saw lots of fungi in the woods along the path. It was quite humid under the trees.

Coming out of the woods we followed the field edge to a stile, and continued along the hedge passing a car park and office building for the Holford Brine Field. We decided to have our lunch here on  the grass verge there was on old pipe with concrete on it so we sat on that and had our lunch. (11.50am - just a bit early!). As we were sitting there we could see men in yellow hi-vis jackets and cars turning.

We followed the driveway to a crossroads where there was a field with cars in it. Hilary asked one of the men what was going on, he said there was a funeral, they were going to have a service in the marquee and then the family were going to go to walk the Crematorium at Lach Dennis. In the marquee in the field across the road we could see one section had covered tables and there were also rows of chairs.

We turned right on Moss Lane walking passed Langford Farm, we could see a group of men behind a shed for Country Kitchen and once we had passed a small tractor with a trailer came out with the coffin on the back and the men followed, and at the crossroads they turned towards the marquee.

There were swallows flying around and landing on the cables across the road and the birds sweeping around the farm buildings as well.

There was a strange dead hedge along one side of the road, it had recently been cut back. It was hard to decide what had happened to the hedge and the trees. As they was dead perhaps they had been poisoned, the other idea was that fire had caused the problem especially as some of the grass was grey coloured.

Then we passed Hame Farm on the right, and continued along the track through the trees until we reached the railway. Then we turned left and after a little way we turned right through a metal gate and crossed the railway line with care. We followed the track with woodland on our right and we could see the black-and-white Holford Hall in the distance.

We came out onto a lane and had to watch for cars, we crossed a bridge over the Peover Eye and headed up the road. We could hear lots of voices ahead, coming from a building on the left. This turned out to be The Mill and there were quite a few cars outside so we wondered what was going on. When we got to the A556 there was a sign saying 'Wedding Venue' so we had our answer.

We crossed the A556 and walked along the pavement, passing the old car wash place that now has car sales,to the traffic lights and then crossed back across to The Smoker.

Plumleys Garden Centre for tea and cake (coffee and walnut, fruit tart and blueberry blondie).