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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.

Sunday, 20 May 2012

Cromford Heights 19th May 2012

Middleton Top - the start of the walk.
The easy part of the walk, descending the Middleton Incline.
The Crash Pit with one of its victims.
One of the many flowers seen today.
A meadow of Bluebelld, Cowslips and Buttercups.
A meadow of Cowslips and Buttercups.
Walk stats: Distance: 11.3 miles. Climb:1632'.
Time: 6 hours: 3 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.9 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Mike and Dave J.
A little on the cool side with a little dampness in the air for the first hour or so, but not a enough to make you wet.  The afternoon warmed up a little, but we still didn't get much sunshine. The walk description said the distance was 9.25 miles, so when the GPS gave 11.3 miles we were a little surprised, but our legs agreed with the latter.
Birds were a little thin on the ground, but Chiffchaffs seemed to accompany us on most of the walk, but the bird of the day was probably the Little grebes seen on the Cromford Canal.
The highlight of the day was probably the numerous flowers seen, especially the meadows of Bluebells, Cowslips and Buttercups.
St Mary's Church at Cromford was also well worth a visit to see the magnificent interior with its wall paintings.
Birds seen or heard today included: Blue tit, Great tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Common blackbird, Common pheasant, Jackdaw, Coal tit, Long-tailed tit, Willow warbler, Meadow pipit, Woodpigeon, Carion crow, Song thrush, Mallard, Common coot, Moorhen, Little grebe, Mute swan, Skylark and House sparrow.
Route finding wasn't easy, but we managed to complete the walk as described, and thankfully we didn't opt for any of the optional extra described!
This proved to be quite an undulating walk, and sections seemed to be very popular, particularly the Cromford Canal area.  We didn't see any Hawfinches, but there again it took several trips to Pendle Hill before we saw a Dotterel!
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Wilkes Head in Leek, where the Hartington bitter went down well, and Martyn managed to obtain a takeaway to enjoy later thanks to landlord having acquired some plastic 4-pint containers.
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