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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 29 August 2013

Melin y Wig, Derwen and Betws Gerfil Goch 29th August 2013

On the woodland path by the infant Afon Clwyd.
The preaching cross at Derwen Church.
The central stain glass windows in Derwen Church.
The Vale of Clwyd from near Derwen.
A few visitors, waiting to head South!
The stain glass window above the altar in St mary's church at Betws Gwerfil Goch.
Walk stats: Distance: 8.8 miles (although 1 GPS gave it as just over 10 miles! Climb: 947'.
Time: 4 hours 14 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.3 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, Annie, Sue and Michel.
Despite the French connection returning, there was still only five of us to enjoy this delightful walk the Vale of Clwyd.  Most of the walk was completed in sunshine, although it did cloud over around lunch time, and the odd shower forecast didn't materialise other than a few spots.
In the past parts have the route have proved to be on the wet side, but today there wasn't any problems and even the worst part on the last leg back to Melin y Wig had been rerouted to avoid the most boggy bits.
Lunch was taken just after visiting Derwen, where we able to find suitable places to sit alongside the Afon Clwyd and watch the small Brown trout in the river as we enjoyed our food, including a piece of 10 month old fruit cake (still some left for the next few walks!).
 As well as being able to enjoy this beautiful countryside, we also met several really lovely people.
 Once again the farmer at Clegir Uchaf, directed us through his fields to avoid fields with a bull, after his daughter dog found it great fun to run around  our feet, trying to be caught by her, but Michel managed to catch him! Talking to the farmer he said that he had seen up to 10 Red kites in the air above his farm, although he hadn't seen Grey partridge for a while.
 arriving at Betws Gwerfil Goch, we decided to see if we could could see inside the church, were we were very fortunate to arrive at a time when the Vicar was there, and she took us inside the church.. She was a delightful lady and explained that church services had recently stopped because the church had been taken over by a colony of bats, and their droppings were everywhere. This was a beautiful church inside, but what can you do to encourage the bats to relocate and the building again used for what it was intended.
 At the end of the walk, our only regret was that our tingling legs, reminded us that too many Nettles had manged to sting us!
 Birds seen or heard today included: Common buzzard, Winter wren, Barn swallow, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Blue tit, Raven, Black-billed magpie, Eurasian jay, Common pheasant and Red kite.
Flowers seen today included: Common daisy, Red campion, Tormentil, Yarrow, Dandelion, Gorse, Herb robert, Foxglove, White clover and Rosebay willowherb.
After walk drinks were enjoyed the Castle Hotel in Ruthin, where on display they had a poster pointing out that Wetherspoons had been awarded a certificate as one of the top employers for 2013!

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