A Chester Round With Memories for one of us 9th March 2024

Usually an avenue for glorius flowering Crocus, perhaps they are abit late this year.

One or two starting to show!

It's 24 years since I last crossed this footbridge!

UHS has changed a lot since I left!

Bluebells of the cultivated variety on the roadside in Dutton's Lane.

Daffodils on the roadside in Dutton's Lane.

An Acres Lane mystery - a crop to be harvested, but when and for what purpose?

At the start of our walk on the path throgh Chester Zoo.

Judging by the car park, Chester Zoo is doing pretty good today!

Metallic Artwork at our lunch spot - looks like a feeding station as well!

A Great tit takes advantage of the fat balls on offer.

Another metallic artwork, but without the bird feeding station.

A few Woodpigeons take to the air on the otherside of the canal.

A peaceful time on the canal as we approach Blacon.

Buzzards everywhere!

I wonder "Do Moorhens get stiff neckes?"

A Mute swan song as we approached Telford's Wa\rehouse.

Approaching Telford's Warehouse, but not our choice of hostelry today!

Good to see these Mute swans are still here.

Walk Stats:
Distance: 8.9 miles. Climb: 327’.
Time: 3 hours 33 minutes.
On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h.
Overall walk average: 2.5 m.p.h.
Temperature: 8.7 – 11.7 Celsius.
Beaufort Wind Force: 2 – 4 Mainly just a Light breeze, but reached a 14.1 m.p,h. Moderate breeze just after lunch as we walked along the towpath from Caughall Bridge.
Group: Martyn and Ed.
This was a walk devised by Ed in an area we thought had the best chance of staying dry.
Not a lot needed to describe this largely urban walk, well known to the Upton lot, but it was an enjoyable contrast between the urban approach through Chester and Upton and the more open walk along he towpath from Caughall Bridge.
Apart from the Sun coming out after lunch, our surprise of the day was finding a bench by the canal at Caughall Bridge with a bird feeding station where the birds kept us entertained as we had our lunch break. On Wednesday we were serenaded by Skylarks, today it was the roaring lion!
As Mike had warned us a section of the towpath near the Countess o Chester Country Park was still closed, but it wasn’t much of a detour to get round.
Birds seen or heard today included: Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Rook, European robin, Common blackbird, Great tit, Blue tit, Long tailed tit, Common buzzard, Wood nuthatch, Black billed magpie, Greenfinch, Woodpigeon, Winter wren, Mallard, Moorhen, Collared dove and Dunnock.
Overall a very enjoyable walk, even to some it was little more than a “Mickey Mouse Walk”!
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Bull and Stirrup, where Titanic Brewery’s Chocolate and Vanilla Stout went down well, and if your mode of transport was on the bus, you could enjoy a second pint!