The canal towpath and the Chirk Tunnel.
Ramsons - the dominant flower of the day.
Bracket fungi on a log in the water on the edge of the canal.
When they want to ducklings can move pretty quickly.
Looking eastward towards Chirk Castle.
An obliging Mistle thrush.
One of the notice at the entrance to the new Chirk Castle Orchard.
Not the only owl we saw today, but we only heard the real one!
A different view of Chirk Castle from the path leading directly back to Chirk.
Staddling the path we were exploring.
A delightful woodland path through Ramsons.
Looks like the lambs have been for a paddle in the Afon Ceiriog and now wanted smethingto eat!
Looking across the meadow to the viaduct and aquaduct.
A narrow boat crossng he aquaduct.
Waiting to go into church.
Walk stats:Distance: 9.8 miles. Climb: 1070’. (6.6 miles, >500’ for loop back to Chirk through the parkland)
Time: 4 hours 52 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Temperature: 14.7 Celsius at the start. 22.5 Celsius at lunch at the new Chirk Castle Orchard.
Beaufort Wind Force: Max - 1, occasionally reaching a pleasant (Light Air) very gentle breeze.
Group: Martyn, Nigel and Ed.
This was another good day for walking, warm and sunny and no hint of rain.
Once again, we decided to complete the walk in an anti-clockwise direction, choosing to follow the long section along the canal towpath at the beginning of the walk, rather than at the end.
There were lots of narrow boats out on the canal travelling in both directions, but none of them were going in the direction where their light helped us to see.
We decided to follow Offa’s Dyke path and a National Trust Path that descended towards the Visitor Centre and this lead directly to the new orchard with its many circular picnic tables and benches and its aim of having a quiet space to enjoy the beauty of nature.
After lunch we decided to explore the path that I had suggested to David S that could be used to reduce the mileage to about 7 miles.
This was a very pleasant path, giving us different views of the castle that we hadn’t seen before a few friendly calves that seemed reluctant to move away from the gate we needed to go through.
Arriving back at the Chirk Tunnel we set off on a shot loop that took us on Llwybr Mawr Way south of the river as far as Pont Faen where we picked up the riverside path that took us under the via-duct and aqueduct back to Chirk.
Perhaps his surprise of the day was as we went to cross the railway line, where we were impressed by a gang of men in the process of cutting down a very tall tree that was in danger of falling across the railway line.
St. Mary’s Church at Chirk was open, so we went inside. I had several impressive stain glass windows.
We arrived back at the cars having had a good walk, enjoyed intense smells of chocolate and the aroma of Ramsons (wild garlic)
Birds seen and heard today included: Mistle thrush, Tawny owl, Greenfinch, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Rook, Common chaffinch, European robin, Winter wren, Common blackbird, Goldfinch, Common whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Mallard, Canada goose, House sparrow, Barn swallow and Common swift.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Pant-yr-Ochain where sat outside in the shade under the large canopy.
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