A close encounter of the toad kind.
The start/end of the Sandstone Trail, but for those in the picture it was the end!
St., Alkmund's Church, Whitchurch.
A Frenchman that escaped!
Old St Chad's Church.
Walk stats: Distance: 12.8 miles. Climb: 744'.
Time: 5 hours 54 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.5 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.2 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, Sue and Michel, Annie H., Phil, Celia, Sylvia and Dave J. (Time and Carol did their best to join us halfway round, but a police incident in Blacon prevented them, but thankfully we met up with them in the Horse and Jockey at Grindley Brook after the walk!
Almost a perfect day for a walk, lovely blue skies, warm sunshine and hardly any wind, I could have got away with just one shirt and hanky!
Most of us had already had a walk that included the St., Chad's Old Church to Grindley Brook, so the most interesting bit for most was the section from Grindley Brook into Whitchurch.
This was in fact the best part of the walk and was more varied than the walk after lunch.
St., Alkmund's Church was an unusual design and difficult to photograph all of it (with my camera!). Michel and Celia went inside, leaving the rest of us worrying if they would disturb the service that was about to start.
Next part of the walk crossed a golf course, never ideal, but all the golfers were friendly and we didn'y have to avoid any flying balls!
Lunch was taken alongside the lock, just North of Grindley Brook Lockside Cafe (which was closed).
The walk after lunch didn't have a lot that we would remember it by, the best bit being Dave J and Sylvia meeting a friend as we passed through Tushingham.
Birds seen or heard today included: Common blackbird, Blue tit, great tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Pied wagtail, Black-billed magpie, Woodpigeon, Fieldfare, Common pheasant, Winter wren, Dunnock, Mallard, Coot, Wigeon, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, European robin, Canada goose, Common buzzard, Goldfinch and House sparrow.
We all saw a mating pair of Common toads, one Brimstone and two Peacock butterflies, and Dave J saw a Stoat.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Horse and Jockey at Grindley Brook, where they had an impressive eight real ales (many locally brewed) on offer, one at less than 3% alcohol, always good to see.
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