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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: 2-7 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 2024:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage,, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Winston Feather.

Thursday 24 December 2020

Saltney Riverside to Queensferry and Back 24th December 2020

Saltney Riverside to Queensferry and Back.
Looking towards Queensferry from the Saltney Ferry Footbridge.
Great cormorants resting on the wooden jetty near Sandycroft.
What's new on the Wales Coast Path?
Heading back to the Higher Ferry 
or 
What's new on the Wales Coast Path?
Distance: 9.4 miles. Climb: 80'.
Time: 3 hours 9 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.3 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 3.0 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.
The weather today was too good to be inside, so just after 09-30, I set off.   Initially I had planned to go as far as the Sealand Pumping Station, but arriving there, the warm sunshine encouraged me to carry on as far as the Queensferry Road Bridge.  On this occasion, I decided to keep to good tarmac paths and retraced my steps back to the Higher Ferry Footbridge - just because I wanted to keep my boots clean.
Lots of people were out, walkers, dog walkers, joggers, bike riders and ues the odd lycra lout racer. It's amazing how many of them have bright coloured gear so that they can se them a long way off in front of you, but so few seem to have a bell or audible means of warning to let you know they are approaching from behind!
Wales is supposed to be in "stay at home" lockdown with all exercise starting and finishing at home, but the parking areas on both sides of the Saltney Ferry / Higher Ferry Footbridge were full as I went past just before mid-day. I suppose it is possible that all the drivers/passengers of these vehicles had disabilities that gave them a legitimate reason for driving to the start to take their exercise.
Birds seen or heard today included: Mallard, Moorhen, Great cormorant, Grey heron, European robin, Fieldfare, Common blackbird, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Pied wagtail, House sparrow, Rook, Black billed magpie, Woodpigeon, Collared dove, Dunnock, Black headed gull and Herring gull.
It was bright and sunny throughout the walk, at times feeling chilly in the northerly wind, my only regret was not wearing sunglasses!
If you hadn't spotted the "What's new on the Wales Coast Path", it is in fact the appearance of a new fence from the Sealand Pumping Station to the Queensferry Roadbridge, although there are stil gaps at each of the passing places.
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