Heading South on the Sandstone Trail as planned, but where next?
At the Pale Heights Cairn - not originally on the planned walk.
View from Pale Heights.
Boothsdale, from a little higher than our lunch spot.
Walk stats: Distance: 8.9 miles. Climb: 1080'.
Time: 4 hours 19 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walking average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Sue and Michel, Phil, Annie, Tim and David S.
We approached Delamere Forest to see signs that indicated most of the forest North of the Barnsgate car park was closed either due to forestry work or storm damage!
Thankfully Phil was aware that there may be problems and brought the map for the walk from Primrose Hill that I had planned to do in a few weeks time, and after consulting staff at the Forestry Works office, we decided that heading South was the best option.
Most of the walk was completed in warm sunshine, and I was regretting the decision not to have walked in shorts! We had short period of rain, that encouraged some of the group to don overtrousers for about 20 minutes just before lunch, and a five minute shower as we went up Yeld Lane was all we got. On this occasion Accuweather and the Beeb got it right!
The views north from Pale heights were superb, out towards Shropshire and Wales it wasn't quite so clear, perhaps a sign of the shower we would get later.
The only sign of any storm damage was in Primrose Hill, where there was still a fallen tree across the path, but this was easy to negotiate.
Overall a good improvised walk, thanks to Phil, with a bonus that that my boots were so clean that all I had to do was give then a quick wipe as there was no mud at all on the soles!
Birds seen or heard today included: Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Common buzzard, Wood nuthatch, Blue tit, Great tit, Chaffinch, Common blackbird, Dunnock, Raven, Great spotted woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Collared dove and European robin.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Goshawk at Mouldsworth, where the only seats available were a settee and poufs near the fire, too many of the grey voters out for lunch! In theory six real ales on offer, but the best, Trapper's Hat wasn't available, one other requested went off and one other tried wasn't at its best, thankfully Weetwood Best OK.
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