About Me

My photo
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.

Tuesday 28 November 2017

Walks and Dates November 2017

Advanced Notice
Change of Walk Day.
I have decide that starting in January 2018,
I will be switching the mid-week walk day 
from 
Thursday to Wednesday.
The reason for changing the day is to give my knees an extra day to recover before the Saturday walk.
It also means that our Annual Meal will also be switched to the Wednesday.
Advanced notice.
Harris Hikers Annual Meal 2018.
Probable Venue: The Red Fox, Thornton Hough. 
This is another Brunning and Price hostelry.
Date: Wednesday 7th February 2018.
I haven't approached the Red Fox yet, and won't do so until early in January 2018, so if you prefer another venue, I am open to suggestions.
I will contact everyone by e-mail in December to check how many are interested in joining us for the meal.
Thursday 2nd November 2017
Deborah's Well, Moel Findeg and Big Covert
Distance:7-8 miles. Climb: 1300'.
Start: Lay-by on the  Cadole to the Pantymwyn road. Grid ref: SJ205627. after passing the former Rainbow Inn (now a building site), take the next road on the right just before the newsagent. The lay-by is almost immediately on the right by the telephone kiosk.
Leave Chester 9-00 a.m.
This walk combines two walks from Dave Berry's book "More Walks in the Clwydian Hills".  This is another chance to visit the summit of Moel Findeg with its fine views of the Northern Clwydians  and across the Cheshire plain to Peckforton and Beeston.  Hopefully we will make it as far as the ancient Deborah's well this time. We may even do it first this time, if we park in the Cadole lay-by.
Saturday 4th November 2017.
A Walk Around Disley. Postponed
Distance: 9-10 mile. Climb: 1200'.
Start: Disley Station Car Park. Grid ref: SJ972845. (If the car park is full, we will go to Lyme Park and park there, so if you are a National Trust member, bring your membership card with you.)
Leave Chester at 08-45 a.m.
This walk combine a walk from Jen Darling's book "More Pub Walks in Cheshire and the Wirral", with a walk from the "Pathfinders Guide to Cheshire".
The latter route takes us along the Gritstone Trail through Lyme Park and up to the Bowstones, where on a good day you get good views of Shutlingsloe and the Cheshire Plain.  The other walk on the East side of Disley, climbs Black Hill and gives good views towards Kinder.
Thursday 9th November 2017.
Grindley Brook to Marbury.
Distance: 8-9 miles. Climb: 200' at a guess.
Start: Layby on the A41, East of Grindley Brook Locks Cafe and about 400 m before the roundabout / junction with the A49. Grid ref: SJ 524428.
Leave Chester at 09-00.
This walk is one that Phil saw in the Times, planned by Christopher Somerville, so ignoring the preduces of many of the group I decided to give a go! The walk starts at the Horse and Jockey, but we will start in the layby a little East of that particular hostelry.
The walk is described as one which goes through a countryside that is a maze of drumlin hills and kettlehole lakelets. I womder if we will be able to identify these two features of the landscape. He describes the walk as being boggy in places, but he did it in February, hopefully it won't be as bad for us! The walk included parts of Bishop Bennett's Way, the Sandstone Trail, South Cheshire Way and parts of the Shropshire Union Canal.
Saturday 11th November 2017.
Jumbles, Wayoh, Turton and Entwistle Reservoirs. 
Distance:10 miles. Climb:1100'.
Start:Waterfold Car Park, off Bradshaw Road (A676), Jumbles Country Park. Grid ref: SD736139
Leave Chester 8-30 a.m.
This walk is based on a walk taken from Terry Marsh's book "Fifty Classic Walks in Lancashire". He describes the walk as a pleasant walk on good paths. The extension to Turton and Entwistle Reservoirs includes another section of the Witton Weaver Way and crosses Turton Heights and a hill called Cheetham Cross. A good and varied walk. Has been known to be on the boggy side on the descent from Cheetham Cross! The last time we did this walk, we missed out Cheetham Cross, making the walk just over 9 miles.
Thursday 16th November 2017.
Owain Glyndwr's Mount, Nant Friddisel and the Pen y Grog Mines,
Distance: 6-7 miles. Climb: 1400'.
Start: Grid ref: SJ115437. Road side parking on B5437 on the South side of Pont Carrog.
This walk is a little shorter than usual, but takes in to account that route finding might be more difficult than usual. The main objective is to visit the Pen y Grog disused mines using a footpath that would be an extension to our normal walk which we last did in July, but having climbed Moel Fferna no-one has been very keen to extend the walk further. The call of the Grouse Inn might have had something to do with it!
 This route starts by heading alongside the river, before taking the paths that climb up to the mine. After retracing our steps the walk uses a path through the Carrog Plantation that we have used before and may take some finding. Having successfully negotiated our way through the forest and on to open moorland we then follow familiar paths towards Carrog-uchaf, but just before the farm we head back South in to the Carrog Plantation to contour on forest paths around Owain Glyndwr's Mount and finally descend to Llidiart y Park and along the B5437 back to Pont Carrog. 
Saturday 18th November 2017.
Ramshaw Rocks and the Roaches. 
Postponed until Summer 2018.
I'm having electrical work done at home.
Distance: 8 miles. Climb: 1400’.
Start: Lay-by on West side of Hen Cloud, opposite the track to Windygates. Grid ref: SK006618.
Leave Chester at 08-00.
Ramshaw Rocks were visited for the first time last year and combined with The Roaches it makes a superb walk, worth repeating on a n annual basis.
This walk allows us to explore Ramshaw Rocks seen so many times as we have walked over the Roaches. Ramshaw Rocks from a distance have always looked to be an interesting place in which to walk. This time Ramshaw Rocks will be our main objective with a North to South traverse of the Roaches a bonus towards the end of the walk. If time and legs permit, Hen Cloud may be included as an extension.
 The route heads North and then North west leading to Well Farm. From Well Farm field paths are used to reach the Churnet Way near Naychurch. The Churnet Way is followed North over Ramshaw Rocks and then leaves the Churnet Way and heads North to visit Black Brook Nature Reserve, After a complete circuit of the Reserve the route drops down to the road South of Newstone Farm. The road is then followed North for about a mile before heading west across Goldstich Moss in to the Black Brook Valley. After crossing the brook on a footbridge the path then rises to Roach End. At Roaches End the main path over the Roaches is followed past the trig point and Doxy Pool back to the start.
Boggy area guaranteed!
Thursday 23rd November 2017.
Sandbach and More.
Distance: 9 miles. Climb: 500'.
Start: Waitrose Car park on Brookhouse Road,  Sandbach. Grid ref: SJ758605. Park at the bottom of the car park near the A533/534 roundabout, well away from the supermarket itself.
Leave Chester at 09-00 a.m.
Although the described walk starts in the centre of Sandbach, this is a figure of eight walk around the village of Hassall Green.
The main part of the walk is taken from the Patherfinder Guide to Cheshire. Whilst part of the walk includes the centre of Sandbach, most of the walk visits more secluded areas just outside the town. It is described as including peaceful sections, including two secluded valleys and a section of the Trent and Mersey Canal.
The extension takes us East along th Trent and Mersey Canal as far as Thurlwood, before heading for Lawton Heath End and returning to the car park along the Salt Line.
 This is a new walk for the Thursday group. As it is only 45 minutes from Chester to Sandbach, I thought it would be within distance for a Thursday.
Saturday 25th November 2017.
Llugwy and Lledre. 
Distance: 8-9 miles; Climb: 1000'.
Start: Railway station car park in the centre of Betws-y Coed. Grid ref: SH795565. 
Leave Chester at 8-30 a.m. (It takes about 1 hour 10 minutes from Saltney)
This is another walk taken from Dave Berry's new book "Walks Around Betws-y-Coed and the Conwy Valley". This walk links the beautiful wooded Llugwy and Lledre Valleys. It takes in Sarn Helen, the former Roman Road, and reaches over 800' before descending in to the Lledre Valley. It involves a steep climb to Llyn Elsi or at least that is what Dave Berry says!
The last couple of times I have done this, the weather has not been kind, but hopefully at this time of the year it may not be quite so wet!
This is about the fifth time that I have attempted to put this walk on, hoping for good weather and have ended up postponing the walk. Hopefully this time it will go ahead.
Thursday 30th November 2017.
Gadlys, Nant-y-Flint and More.
This walk has been modified by request!
Distance: 7 - 9 miles; Climb:1100'.
Start: Public car park adjacent to the Stag Inn at Bagillt. Grid ref:SJ219753.
Leave Chester 9-00 a.m.
This walks is taken from Dave Berry's book "Walks Around Holywell and Halkyn Mountain" and is nominally 7 miles. The walk explores the attractive undulating rural hinterland between Bagillt and Flint.
This walk was last done in 2010 and our desire for walks over 10 miles has waned a little since then, so I have of reduced by missing out most f the east of Holywell walk that we did last time. This means that walk will be between 7 and 9 miles, depending on whether we decide to extend the walk a little from the described walk. there are two possible short extension, one to the West and one to the East. We can decide on the day if we want to do both, one or none of them!
 Some of the field paths have been known to be somewhat muddy on past visits and we have had to wade through longish grass - gaiters recommended!

No comments: