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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.

Thursday 23 December 2010

The Chester to Eccleston Round 23rd December 2010

The start of the walk at the bandstand by the Suspension Bridge.
A debate on which way to go?
Not really there wasn't any choice, I think doubts over a possible lunch spot was more of an issue!


The Duke's Drive.
The Chronicle Wheel from our lunch spot by the racecourse.
Chester icebergs, taken from the footbridge over the River Dee by the railway bridge.

Walk stats: Distance:7.6 miles; Climb:449'.
Time:3 hours 10 minutes; On the move walking average:2.8 m.p.h.; Overall walk average:2.4 m.p.h.
Group:Martyn, Roger, Sylvia and Dave J., Paul and Mike D.
A superb day for walking, cold but sunny and conditions underfoot good with the only slippy bit being on the compacted snow on the road from Eccleston Ferry to the village. Unusually for Chester much of the river had started to freeze over, giving the impression that some of the ducks were walking on water. This is a lovely walk in any weather, but with the ground decked with snow and the trees covered in snow/hoar frost glistening in the bright sunshine made it even more special.
Lunch was taken by the Racecourse with more than half of the group using the two of the many seats provided along this superb new footpath. It seemed quite warm as we had lunch in the sun and without and wind to chill us.
As we approached the weir we had the unusual sight of seeing and hearing one of the moored boats pretending to be an ice breaker as the tide pushed sheets of ice across its bows.
As the walk was shorter than usual and despite Mike trying to slow us down by mysteriously and not knowing how, managed to ring my mobile whilst we were walking down the Duke's Drive, we arrived back at the Bear and Billet just before 2.
Birds seen or heard today included: Pied wagtail, Woodpigeon, Collared dove, Blue tit, Great tit, Black-headed gull, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Common starling, Tufted duck, Little grebe, Mallard, Wigeon, Pochard, Moorhen, Common Coot, Long-tailed tit, Blackbird, European robin, Grey heron, Mute swan and Goldfinch.
The beers enjoyed were brews from the Tatton, Saddlers and Wheetwood breweries, although Dave had a Jameson's and Sylvia had a cup of tea.


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