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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 10 November 2016

Gorsedd, Pen y Ball Hill and More 10th November 2016

Moel Famau and the Clwydian Hills from Pant Asaph.
The entrance to the Franciscan Friary, cafe and Peace Centre (something the whole world needs at the moment - not just Pantasaph..
Inside the church at Pantasaph.
Inside the church at Pantasaph.
The bronze statue of padre Pio in the church at Pantasaph.
On the path on the South side of the quarry - new to us.
Common kestrel sunbathing in the quarry West of Pen y Ball Hill.
Looking across the Dee Eastuary from Pen y ball Hill trig point.
"I dobn't care how they made trig points!"
A nice spot for lunch, but it's starting to rain.
Still raing, but promises of better weather to come.
On a delightful path through the Western section of Coed Allt-y-tywood.
Belted Galloway cow, bringing back memories of Gordon, a Scot that was a member of the walking group for many years.
Walk stats: Distance: 9.3 miles. Climb: 1313'.
Time: 5 hours 21 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Sue and Michel, Phil and David. S.
We arrived at the start with evidence of hail still on the ground, and wondering whether full waterproof should be put on at the start. We did get a few showers, but none lasted more than ten minutes or so and the strong cold winds forecast never materialised.
 The walk in the morning went well, covering the Gorsedd - Pantasph walk in an anticlockwise direction for a change. We even explored a few new paths and visited the church in the grounds of the Franciscan friary. 
 Approaching The Grange, Michel, Sue and David spotted a Woodcock, making me a little envious that I had missed out!
 Lunch was taken at Carmel, where a bench provided appropriate seating arrangements for three of us and roadside posts at a suitable height made good perches for the rest of us,
 The afternoon provided us with more of a challenge, first with Phil taking twenty minutes or so with secateurs to enable us to get to a stile and make further progress, and then later a path through the Pennant Park Golf Course ended with the access to the fisheries being blocked by a six foot high fence, discovered by Michel after he had battled his way through gorse to reach it.
 We ended up retracing our steps through the golf course and taking an alternative route to pick up the path we wanted that would lead us through the Western side of  Coed Allt-y-tywood and back to our cars in the lane next to former inn, The Rock at Lloc, arriving back in glorious warm sunshine.
 Birds seen or heard today included: Goldfinch, House sparrow, Pied wagtail, Black-billed magpie, Rook, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Common blackbird, Common kestrel, Common buzzard, Woodcock, Common snipe, Woodpigeon and mallard.
 After walk drinks weer enjoyed at the Blue Bell Inn at Halkyn, where Blue Bell Bitter and Green Valley cider went down well and the real roaring fire was appreciated almost as much as the refreshments!
 Overall a good walk that needs a little tweaking around the golf course!

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