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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, 25 September 2010

Around Stocks Reservoir 25 September 2010

The War Memorial in the middle of Slaidburn.
Stocks Reservoir.
On the new bridge, light not at its best.
That's my boy!
Stocks Reservoir from the old railway track on the North side.

Walk stats: Distance:11.2 miles; Climb:1576'.
Time:5 hours 27 minutes; On the move walking average:2.4 m.p.h.; Overall walk average:2.1 m.p.h.
Group:Martyn, Richard, Mike D., Sylvia and Dave J.
What a glorious day this turned out to be for walking. Clear blue skies and lots of sunshine with a cooling Northerly wind. Only towards the end of the walk did a few wispy white clouds started to appear above us.
This walk turned out to be more demanded than we had originally expected as the route description suggested only 320' of climb!
The walk was a lot more varied too and the views all day were superb. We visited the lovely St James' church near Stocks Reservoir that even had its own wind turbine to generate electricity. We also visited two bird hides that overlooked the reservoir, that added quite a few unexpected to today's bird list.
We decided to stick to the original route from New House as a leaflet picked up at the School Lane Car Park indicated that there was a foot bridge where our route description mentioned a ford that could be difficult to cross at times. The new bridge had only been built in the last couple of years in memory of Gil that had died in 2008.
Our last and probably best views of the reservoir were seen as we strolled along an old railway track bed on the Western side heading back towards Slaidburn.
Passing through a marshy field we had good views of a Brown hare, but alas it ran away too quickly to catch it on camera!
Birds seen or heard today included:Kestrel, Goldfinch, Common gull, Barn swallow, House martin, Grey heron, Buzzard, Linnet, Great cormorant, Mallard, Teal, Tufted duck, Wigeon, Lesser black-backed gull, Herring gull, Meadow pipit, Long-tailed tit, Lapwing, Pied wagtail, Canada goose and Barnacle goose.
I don't think that I have ever seen so many Barnacle geese on an inland reservoir, we counted over 20 birds as we went around the Eastern end of the reservoir.
On such a beautiful day the picturesque village of Slaidburn was seen at its best with quite a few visitors including quite a few at the Riverside Cafe sampling their wares as they sat around the outside tables looking over the river.
after walk drinks were enjoyed at the Hark to Bounty in Slaidburn, where Tirril Academy was the first choice followed by Theakston's Old Peculiar.

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