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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 30 March 2017

A Short Pentre-celyn Round 20th March 2017

Nearly there!
or
Who's that in the distance making a come back?
Celia of course.
Two of the smallest lambs that we have seen this year.
On Offa's Dyke Footpath heading Northwards with Moel Famau in the distance.
The two new boys on Offa's Dyke Footpath.
Our first sighting of Bluebells this year.
Primroses in abundance.
Butterbur ?
Looks like there will be a proper stile here soon.
Walk stats: Distance: 7.2 miles. Climb: 1309'.
Time: 4 hours 33 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.5 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Celia, Jim, Mal Pulford, Sue and Michel.
It looked like being one of those days waterproofs on then waterproofs off, but at least we knew that it wasn't going to be cold. In fact there was only about 30 minutes overall where it was really beneficial to be wearing waterproofs. The Vale of Clwyd and further west seemed to be getting more of the rain than we were.
 The first couple of miles was a steady climb up from Pentre-celyn up to Offa's Dyke Footpath, East of Pant Myharan.
 On the approach to the masts we saw lots of lambs, but two were so tiny that they could stand underneath the ewe and take their feed.
 We normally divert of the path and visit the cairn on Mole y Plas, but someone who shall remain nameless gave me such a withering look at the suggestion that I quickly changed my mind and we stayed on the Offa's Dyke Path.
 Finding somewhere to stop for lunch wasn't easy today as we needed to get out of the wind, but we eventually found a spot half way down the track leading to Bryn-Isaf Farm and the Sinet.
 Thankfully at this time, the wind eased and the Sun came out again. 
 This lane was a haven for lots of Spring flowers including a few Bluebells. This is probably the earliest that I have seen any in flower.
 Skylarks singing and Meadow pipits parachuting down were also reminder of Spring is here. The bird of the day was undoubtedly a Red kite.
 Michel persuaded us to take the path from Pentre Goch, assuring us that difficulties encountered in the past no longer applied. He was nearly right in that new stiles were lying on the ground nearby and hopefully will soon be in place.
The last woodland that we went through is apparently part of a new Nature Reserve according to the notice below.

Birds seen or heard today included: Common chaffinch, Common blackbird, Common pheasant, Common buzzard, Blue tit, Great tit, Pied wagtail, Great spotted woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Red kite, Winter wren, House sparrow and Common starling.
 We arrived back at the car, having had a good walk that felt a little longer than the 7.2 miles that it was.
 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Glasfryn, Mold, where Purple Moose's Snowdonia Ale and a brew fro the Rudgate brewery went down well.

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