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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.

Monday, 11 July 2011

Dunham Massey and the Bridgewater Canal 11th July 2011

Looking across the pond to the rear of the house at Dunham Massey.
A Fallow deer at Dunham Massey.
Another deer at Dunham Massey.
The front of the house at Dunham Massey.
Yellow water lilies on the Bridgewater Canal.
White water lilies on the Bridgewater Canal.
Small tortoiseshell, one of many seen today along the Trans Pennine Trail.
Walk stats: Distance: 6.8 miles. Climb:130'.
Time: 2 hours 54 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.3 m.p..
Group:Martyn and Sue Powell.
Another glorious day for walking, bright and sunny with mainly blue skies and pleasantly warm throughout. The main delight within the confines of Dunham Massey Park was the Fallow deer that were happy to graze just a few feet from us.  However once outside the park, it was very much a Yellowhammer day, they seemed to be calling from the hedges / bushes everywhere along our route from the park, along the Bridgewater Canal and return along the Trans Pennine Trail. A few were clearly seen too.  Apart from this the only worthy thing of note on the Bridgewater Canal were two rafts of flowering water lilies, one the Yellow water lily and the other the White water lily.
The surprise of the day was the amount of iron work that some workers had dredged from the canal, including several bikes and super market trolleys. 
The next section along the Trans Pennine Trail, an old railway track, didn't have a lot to offer, but there were lots of butterflies flitting around the flowers. They included: Small white Large White, Small tortoiseshell, Peacock and a Common blue.
Birds seen or heard today included: Black-headed gull, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Song thrush, Mistle thrush, Black-billed magpie, House sparrow, Barn swallow, Common swift, Blackbird, Mallard, Common coot, Moorhen, Mute swan, Aylesbury duck, Winter wren and Yellowhammer.
We arrived back at Dunham Massey Park to find it quite busy and decided not to go into the house. Instead we returned to Sue's house where we celebrated the walk with several cups of tea (I think Sue had something a little stronger) and finished off with an enjoyable Salmon dinner.

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