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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.

Saturday 30 April 2016

Wild Moor and Pole Bank 30th April 2016

Our first Bluebells of the day.
Dog violets too.
Waiting on the road North of Jynle.
Jonathan's Rock in Jonathan's Hollow.
Looking back towards Caer Caradoc and The Lawley from above Jonathan's Rock
This year's foal with dad thinking of something else maybe!
At the trig point on Pole bank.
Caer Caradoc and the Lawley from Yearlet/Ashlet.
The best Bluebells of the day in Rectory Wood.
Walk stats: Distance: 9.6 miles. Climb: 1425'.
Time: 5 hours 21 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average 1.8 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Mike, Celia and Roger.
Overall this turned out to be a better day weather-wise than we expected. It was only as we crossed Wild Moor that the wind was on the cool side and we experienced twenty minutes or so of rather unpleasant hail, After that we were in glorious sunshine all the way back to the car.
 As usual this was a popular place to be walking,especially so for those D of E activities. This was a walk than we could happily say we were never alone!
 The views today at times were superb, especially towards Caer Caradoc and the Lawley. Wild Moor seemed to be alive with singing Skylarks and Meadow pipits.
 Lunch was taken at Pole bank Cottage with views of the gliders from the nearby Gliding Club as the took to the air.
 As a variation on the planned route we decided to take the path across the North side of  Yearlet and Ashlet and Hopes Wood, rather than descend down our usual path in Townbrook Valley. This was a route that kept us fairly high for some time and gave us superb views across the valley towards Caer Carodoc and The Lawley and the route we will be doing in a couple of weeks time.
 We arrived back at the car, some of with knees complaining, but having had a good walk and happy to have walked for the last hour or so in warm sunshine.
 Birds seen or heard today included: Common blackbird, Woodpigeon, Blue tit, Great tit, Carrion crow, Winter wren, European robin, Common chaffinch, Jackdaw, Barn swallow, Northern wheatear, Raven, Meadow pipit and Skylark.
 This wasn't a Bluebell Wood walk, so the magnificent display in Rectory wood was a bonus.
 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Pant yr Ochain at Gresford, so busy today that the noise was so loud you could hardly hear the person next to you speak!

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