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When? Started: 1993 Who? Started with staff and friends from U H S, Chester. Organiser: Martyn Harris We walk every Wednesday and Saturdays, New Years day and May Day. How many walk? Walks take place as long as there are at least 2 wanting to walk on that day. More walk on a Wednesday than on a Saturday. Most ever: 29. Current group size walking: 2-10 in mid-week and 2-4 on Saturday. Where do we walk? Saturday: Anywhere in North and Mid-Wales, Peak District, Shropshire and the Long Mynd and as far North as the Trough of Bowland. Thursday: Anywhere within about 40 miles of Chester. Type of walk: Distance: 6 – 14 miles (but usually under 10 miles). Climb: up to 4000’ (but usually very much less!). People involved on walks in 2020:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage, Wendy Peers, Celia de Mengle, Wendy and Ian Peers, Roger Smith, Paul Collinson, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Celia de Mengle, Sue Pearson.

Friday 10 April 2009

The Ceiriog Valley, Y Foel and Biddulph Tower 9th April 2009

The bird of the day - a Yellowhammer. Admiring the view or not!
The view towards Llangollen and the Eglwyseg Escarpments from the ridge North of the Ceiriog Valley.

At Biddulph Tower on Y Foel.
Walk stats:Distance:9.3 miles; Climb:1837'.
Time:4 hours 57 minutes; On the move walking average:2.6 m.p.h.;Overall walk average:1.9 m.p.h.
Group:Martyn, Richard, Roger, Gordon, Annie H.,Fran and Tito, Sue and Michel, Sue and Dave P.
We set off from Pontfadog hopeful that the weather forecast for rain and strong winds would not materialise. It looked good until we reached the ridge road above the Ceiriog Valley where the strong cooling wind kicked in. This time we decided to make the short there and back trip to the viewpoint overlooking the Vale of Llangollen. Was it worth, yes because we saw a wonderful Yellowhammer on a Gorse bush on our return to the ridge road. We had lunch by Biddulph Tower, sheltering from the wind, but thankfully at this point not in the rain. We decided to do a bit off-roading, heading across the Heather clad moorland in search of a track that would lead to a footpath heading back to Glyn Ceiriog. This could section could easily be described as Tito's tumbles with Heather! Heather hopping isn't one of favourite hobbies to say the least, but we did eventually find the footpath! Soon afterwards the rain started and accompanied us all the back to the car. A diversion caused us to use the "quiet" road back to Pontfadog!
Birds seen or heard today included:Carrion crow, Chaffinch, Blue tit, Great tit, Housesparrow, Curlew, Lapwing Grey wagtail, Blackbird, Meadow pipit, Skylark and Yellowhammer.
We tried in vain to find an open hostelry in the Ceiriog Valley, but ended up at the Pant Yr Ochain at Gresford where a Derwent brew and Timothy Taylor Landlord were the beers sampled.



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