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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, 21 July 2012

The Ward's Stone and Clougha Pike 21st July 2012

The Victoria Jubilee Tower (1877).
The Three Peaks of Yorkshire.
At the Eastern trig point on the Ward's Stone.
The Western Trig point on the Ward's Stone.
Looking towards the coast from Clougha Pike.
At the trig point on Clougha Pike.
Walk stats: Distance: 14.7 miles. Climb: 1800' at a guesstimate.
Time 7 hours 15 minutes. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Celia, Dave J., and Mike D.
The weather today was almost perfect, glorious sunshine, a little breeze on occasions and temperatures that were very pleasant and not too hot!
On this occasion we walked down the road from the Jubilee Tower to Tarnbrook, a much better way than having to do the roadwork at the end of the day! As we crossed Tarnbrook Fell, a pleasant couple (turned out to be very experienced walkers in this area) from the Wigan area joined us for a while, but they had decided not to go to the Ward's Stone as they wanted to miss out the delights of the peat hags and boggy peat channels! Perhaps they had the right idea.
This walk provided the ideal opportunity to test how waterproof your boots were, and your skills at ensuring that water didn't go over the top of the boots.
The views all day were superb, and particularly so once we had reached the Ward's Stone Plateau, where the three peaks of Yorkshire were clearly in view.
Once again I missed out on listening to the cricket as I ended up going to Clougha Pike with the rest of them.  Once again the views from hear towards the coast were superb.
We arrived back at the car thankful that the bog trot down to the Jubilee Tower was over and our feet were on firm dry land.
Birds seen or heard today included: Lesser black-backed gull, Meadow pipit, Barn swallow, House martin, Kestrel, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Oystercatcher Red grouse, Chaffinch, Wheatear and Winter wren.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Wheatcheaf at Garstang, when Theakston's Bitter and Deuchars IPA were sampled.  Even the tea tasted good, despite the plastic milk!

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