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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: 2-7 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 2024:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage,, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Winston Feather.

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Coed Pen-y-Gelli and the Gorsedd Round 12th May 2011

Updated on 31st May 2011.
Walking through Coed Allt-y-tywood, the first and best of our Bluebell woods.
Chick of the day.
"We come to say hello, and they just walk away!".
"Come on kids, let's get away from that lot!"
Early Purple Orchids living up to their name!
You don't say?
Walk stats:Distance: 11.6 miles. Climb: !388'.
Time: 5 hours 33 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.1 m.p.h.
Group:Martyn, Sue and Michel, Phil, Sylvia and Dave J., Tim, Sue and Dave P.
The weather forecast was for showers, especially around lunch time and a cool wind.  We took lunch early, and beat the main shower by about 30 minutes, but thankfully it only lasted for about 10 minutes, the second lasted even less!
This turned out to be the best Bluebell wood walk of the year and all of the woods seemed to have more good Bluebells in flower than we had ever seen on previous walks.  Another bonus of the floral kind was a good display of Early purple orchids.
Two swallows don't make a Summer, but today they seemed to be everywhere, so surely Summer is here. Shorts weather certainly is!
However the delight of the day was seeing several Pheasant chicks, not being guarded very well by their parents. Perhaps they knew we were admiring them and wouldn't harm them!
Lunch as usual was taken at the Coed Pen-y-Gelli Nature Reserve (an old quarry), but Fran won't believe we had finished lunch by 12-25!
Overall this was a superb Bluebell wood walk, probably the best ever.
Birds sen or heard today included: Chiffchaff  (they seemed to be everywhere), Barn swallow (they seemed to be everywhere), Willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Common pheasant, Carrion crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Great tit, Blackcap, Raven, Winter wren, European robin, Blackbird, Mallard, Canada goose, Dunnock, Black-billed magpie and House sparrow.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Britannia Inn at Pentre Halkyn, where the Lees bitter tasted particularly good!

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