The biggest surprise of the day - a well behaved "cockapoo" sitting patently waiting for its owner to catch up!
On the Whitegate Way, soon after setting off from the Whitegate Station Car Park.
"Roger, are they in our group?
Part of the Vale Royal Locks.
Two engineers discussing the Vale Royal Locks and how they worked.
This looks like a good spot for lunch.
Our last look at the River Weaver.
Winsford Rock Salt Mine - next to our only road walk today.
The Whitegate Way - a section some of us would have been happy to follow.
DS needing assistance to cross the most troublesome stile encountered today.
On the last leg of our walk on the Whitegate Way today.
The Whitegate Way and the remains of the platform of Whitegate Station.
Walk stats.
Distance: 8.1 miels. Climb: 230'.
Time: 4 hours 5 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.5 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.o m.p.h.
Temperature at lunch - 20.1 Celsius.
Beaufort Wnd Force: 0-2 Calm to light breeze.
Group: Martyn, Roger, David S, Wendy, Mike, Nigel and Fran.
As we arrived at the Whitegate Station Car Park, I was quite surprised to see how popular it was. Even at 09-45 there were plenty of cars, but still plenty of space for more.
Good to note that the PC were open and there was also a cafe run by volunteers attached to the former station.
We set off along the Whitegate Way, along the old railway track bed heading towards Winsford, easy going and for me quite enjoyable.
It wasn't long before we were heading northward across fields, with one field, recently ploughed that rossing wasn't the best experience of the day!
The Vale Royal Locks looked quite facinating, some f us could have lingered longer, but others were already ager to make progress.
The path aliong the Weaver / Vale Royal Cut was delightful with plenty of pools on the east side of the cut demanding a pause to look for interesting birds. Indeed, it was one of these pools that provided the spot of the day - a Kingfisher.
I stopped to chat to one of the many fisherman we saw, and swatched him haul in a Perch which was about 3" long.
Lunch was taken, just before crossing the Weaver Navigation and onto the road that took us past the Rock Salt work.
Five of the group chose the first picnic table for lunch, but seeing it wasn't really big enough for two more, David and I found a second picnic table - this we thought was the better choice, a quiet table, slowly being blessed with warm sunshine at the the Sun appeared over the top of the trees.
After lunch wasn't the best part of the walk, and perhaps the detour from the old railway track wasn't the easiest of routes considering one particular stile.
Overall a very enjoyable alk, only challenged by one or two stiles.
Birds seen or heard today included: european robin, Pink footed goose, Canada goose, Mallard, Coot, Great cormorant, Grey heron, Black headed gull, Common buzzard, Woodpigeon, Black billed magpie, Jackdaw, Long tailed tit, Feral pigeon and Kingfisher.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at bthe Morris Dance rat Kelsall, where the beer of choice was Purple Mooses's Eryri Cwrw, one of my favourite beers after a walk.Two of the group were tempted by the offer of a free bicuit to try the station cafe for tea / coffee.
No comments:
Post a Comment