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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.

Saturday 13 March 2021

A Saltney Riverside, Duke's Drive and Eccleston Round 13th March 2021

A Rainbow in the sky - enough to encourage me to get ready for today's walk.
Primroses starting to show.
St., Mary's Church at Eccleston.
No chance of catching the ferry today.
View from our lunch spot.
Great cormorants go fishing near Salmons Leap.
A female Goosander near Salmons Leap..
A male Goosander near Salmons Leap.
A male Goosander tries walking on water.
No al fesco dining at The Riverside, Saltney today.
Distance: 13.3 miles. (9.3 miles with Roger).
Climb: GPS wind assisted readings 1369' and 692', but really more like 440'.
Time: 5 hours 44 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.8 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.3 m.p.h.
Wind speed: 0 - 16.2 m.p.h. Temperature: 8.6 - 10.1 Celsius.
Martyn and Roger.
When I got up this morning, it was raining heavily and made me wonder "should I really be going for a walk today?".
However just before it was time to get ready, I went into my backyard and saw a rainbow - a reminder of better things to come.
In fact the weather was pretty good, mainly dry, only a couple of brief showers and despite the often strongish wind, it never felt cold.
As expected , it was quite muddy in places along Duke's Drive and especially so along the river towards The Meadows. The river was quite high, almost covering the weir. 
We did encounter more people today than usual, including two of my former colleagues Carol and Karen from Upton High. , We had anticipated that we would see more people as we approached the Suspension Bridge . Lots of people were out walking between The Meadows and the Old Dee Bridge, but we still managed to find a spare bench on which to sit and enjoy our lunchtime refreshments. Just as we were getting ready to set off again, the Black headed gulls all suddenly took to the air, and looking up it was a passing Peregrin falcon.
Birds seen or heard today included: Common blackbird, European robin, Blue tit, Great tit, Grey heron, Mallard, Black billed magpie, Woodpigeon, Great cormorant, Goosander, Black headed gull, Greenfinch, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Moorhen, Peregrin falcon and (on the section towards Saltney Ferry Footbridge - Raven, Redwing, Oystercatcher, Long tailed tit).
Overall an enjoyable walk, finishing in warm sunshine and lasted long enough for me to clean my boots outside and allow them to quickly dry in the wind and sunshine.
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