The Hayhurst and the Blue Bridge

Saturday19 October 6.5 miles

Hilary, Donna, Tracey and Jane

Good weather!!! The sun was shining.

We parked at The Hayhurst Arms. As we set off from the Hayhurst there were children playing football on the field. From Brick Kiln Lane we crossed the busy road (A533), and went up Jack Lane, then Niddries Lane, to the end of the tarmac and onto the track leading to the river.

We went under the railway bridge with water flowing along the road and it had carved a deep rut, so deep that I wouldn't want to drive that stretch of road. Then we continued and walked down to the river.

We decided we didn't want to walk across the fields as we thought it would be too muddy so continued along the river to the Blue Bridge. At the Vale Royal Locks the locks were open to let a boat through. As the river was running so fast the boat disappeared down the eiver quickly. A couple of young men who had opened and closed the locks came passed us.  

Continuing our walk along the river we passed under the railway viaduct and along the riverside path for half a mile to the Blue Bridge. Here we took the path up to the road (A556) walking towards Davenham, along Hartford Road and turned on to Mount Pleasant Road.

As we passed some bungalows we noticed quite a few cars coming out of the cul-de-sac and a sign for a playing field and decided to have a look, it was Butchers Stile Playing Field. Whatever games played had finished, and now there were dog walkers. There were benches near the swings, so had lunch sitting in the sunshine.

As we continued down the road and came to the corner and saw a sign for a footpath so we followed it. There was an attractive path alongside the estate which we followed and turned left on a road that went to London Road and then Jack Lane passing the mini roundabout and back to the A533. Crossed and made our way back to The Hayhurst.

We went to Riverside Organic where we had tea and cake (brownies and flapjack).

Cheshire Life walk

Saturday 14 September

Donna, Tracey and Hilary

We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed some sunshine. 

No rams today just some cows bulling! We walked through at least three fields of cows. 

We enjoyed a drink at the Galley Cafe at the The Aqueduct Marina.

Eaton and Luddington Hill

Saturday 17 August 6 miles

Jane, Donna and Hilary,

We started from the Fox and Barrel and from the car park we turned right and then right again following a track. By a house we turned right onto a footpath, following the path downhill though the weeds we crossed a stream to return to the A49.

At the crossroads we turned left into Oulton Mill Lane and followed the road for half a mile to a grassy triangle, where we kept right to pass a picnic area, the others didn't know that this picnic area existed. At the next crossroads we turned right on to Beech Lane and followed it for about a quarter of a mile, crossed a stile on the left. It was not clear which way to go so we climbed over the obvious stile but we soon realised that was the wrong way.

We followed the path across the fields towards a farm.We passed between the farm buildings and by Moss Hall Farm into a winding lane. At the T-junction we turned left and then immediately right over a stile.

The path then went across the field, crossing a stile in the far left-hand corner and dropped down a bank. A stile lead out to Hickhurst Lane.Turning right we followed the road into Eaton, passing the semis on the left and the sign for The Drays coffee shop on our right. In the field was a flock of sheep, as we passed we realised there was a ram attempting to mate with the ewes, but not having great success.

After the school entrance, we turned left into Winterford Lane, turned right and followed Edgewell Lane, firstly through the housing estate and then came to some half-timbered buildings.

Here we met a farmer and his son doing some tidying in the garden. We stopped for a chat, the older gentleman was quite happy to offer us a bed for the night as he had plenty of bedrooms! He had a glint in his eye when he said that!

Turning right at the end of the road, we passed the church, reaching the village cross and turning right then immediately left into Lightfoot Lane. The lane becomes a hollow way shaded by the trees and hedges and passes through a small disused stone quarry.

We came to the golf course and as we crossed the pathway we noticed some people on a bench and wondered if we could sit there. We asked if we could have our lunch there, the people said it was for members only but one of them was a member and gave us permission to sit on the bench and have our lunch.We were able to admire the view. then we continued across the golf course turning right along the byway and followed the hedge along the side of the course down to the A49. Turning right we went along the narrow pavement then,  crossed to a footpath sign by a stile on the left-hand side. We went down wooden steps to a second stile and walk down the side of the field beyond. There were loads of blackberries in the hedge here so we gathered some of the better ones for Donna to take home.

The instructions said, 'After a stile in the corner, continue to a footbridge on the left' but we struggled to find the footbridge. We walked up and down the field for quite some time but there was no way to get across the stream or the pond. Eventually we went back far enough and found the bridge hidden by the trees and brambles.

A short stretch alongside the stream lead to a stile into a field on the other side. Here there were a lot of horses in the field. We did not want to go through the field really. We managed to get across the field to the fence on the other side but the horses saw us and came over, and blocked our way. We had to push along the fence line to get to the stile beneath a tree. It was not very comfortable being up close and personal with the large animals.

There were cows in the next field but fortunately they didn't pay much attention as we followed the path alongside a narrow millpond. Towards the end of the water we turned right  to emerge on a narrow lane. We weren't quite sure which way to go, but dwe did eventually turn left and walked up the road to a T-junction. Turning right we walked along Utkinton Lane for about quarter of a mile.

We carried on along the lane past Hollins Hill on the left and Briar Lane on the right and at Stable Lane we crossed straight over and walked past the church down to the A49. We crossed the main road and turned left along the pavement to return to the Fox & Barrel.

Mangalonga

Sunday 11 August 9.5 miles

Jane and Hilary

We travelled to Ludlow, found somewhere to park and made our way to Ludlow Brewing. We signed in and picked up some crisps and water.

We started the walk going through the town, passing the market and the castle. Then over the River Teme on the bridge to climb up the hill.

Stop One - Scotch Egg and Cider

Stop Two - Beef Bap and Beer

Stop Three - Chocolate Brownie and Icecream and Ludow Gin

Back at Ludlow Brewing was Stop Four - Cheese and Biscuits and Beer 

Then it was back to the car park and time to head for home. 

Primrose Hill and Utkinton

 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.

Get together

Saturday 29 June 

Gawsworth Hall - A Night of Queen

Whitegate Station walk

Saturday 22 June 4.75 miles

Hilary, Donna, Tracey and Jane

The weather had got a bit warm but sudden downpours were forecast, so there was the usual chat about what to wear. There was no forecast for rain so we just took fleeces in case it was cool in the morning.

This was a bit of a see where we go walk!! We started at Whitegate Station, and walked towards Winsford. We found the crossing path that came out onto Dalefords Lane. We saw the footpath sign for the path going across the fields to Beauty Bank, at the bend we turned right down what seemed like a path. We walked a little way down what seemed like a path but it disappeared, so had to returned to Beauty Bank and continued passed the houses.

Seeing the sign for a footpath we turned right and followed the footpath between the houses across the fields to Foxwist Green. As we were making it up as we went along we weren't sure which way to go. We met a man with a bike and asking if he knew if there was a footpath somewhere, he thought he had seen a footpath sign back the way he had come. He had been up to a farm to get his bike fixed.

Going down the road we came to a footpath sign and followed it. There was a llama in the field near the farmhouse. Continuing along the path we could hear a man cutting a hedge. We stopped to have a chat, he was keeping the holiday cottage garden tidy. It was fortunate that he had been cutting the hedge because it was a bit of a squeeze to get along the path, the hedge on the other side was overgrown.

At the end of the path we turned right onto Cinder Lane and walked to Whitegate Primary School and turned right into Grange Lane. Where the main road turned into Mill Lane we followed Grange Lane to go alongside the river, there were quite a few weeds when we got to the path.  It was pleasant to walk along side the Pettypool Brook eventually leading to the Whitegate Way. Here we climbed up the bank to join the path and walked along it to go back to the car.

We had tea and cake at the Station Cafe.