Walks and Dates October 2014

Updated 2nd October 2014.

Internet back on 15-30, Monday 29th September 2014.

Thursday 2nd October 2014.

Ffrith Mountain and the Alyn Gorge and More.

Distance: 10 miles. Climb: 1300'.

Start: Moel Famau Car Park and Picnic site (Pay and Display £2-00 on entry). Grid ref: SJ172611.

This walk is taken from Dave Berry's Book " More Walks in the Clwydian Hills" He describes it as an excellent walk exploring beautiful valleys and foothills. We usually start at Loggerheads, but we will try a variation on this walk by starting at Moel Famau Car park and Picnic site.

Saturday 4th October 2014.

Anson Engine Museum, Poynton Pits and More.

Distance: 10-11 miles. Climb: 200'.
Start: Nelson Pit Visitor Centre. Grid ref: SJ940835.
Leave Chester at 09-00 a.m.
The later than usual leaving time is to make sure that we don't have to wait too long for the museum to open at 10-00.
The walk combines a walk from Graham Beech's book " Eas Cheshire Walks " and a walk from East Cheshire's Walks From Nelson Pit. The cost of entry to the museum is £6-75 with a 50p discount for Senior concessions.
The main part of the walk includes sections of the Middlewood Way, Cown Edge Way and the Cheshire Ring Walk.

Thursday 11th October 2014.

Knutsford and Several Peovers.

Distance: 11-12 miles; Climb: 200'.
Start: Long stay car park on Tatton Street, Knutsford. This is a pay and display car park, £4-30 for over 6 hours according to the Knutsford web site. Grid ref: SJ750789.
Leave Chester at 8-45 a.m.
This walk is a little further away than usual, so to ensure that we are walking by 10-00 a.m., I thought it would be better to leave a little earlier than usual.
Annie of course will be able to have a longer than usual lay in this morning!
This walk is taken from Jack Baker and Jack Hanmer's book "Walking in Cheshire". This book was published in 1974 and updated in 1978, so following the directions may prove challenging. They describe the walk as a walk over fairly level, but pleasantly wooded country, although places can be muddy in Winter. This will give Annie another chance to leave home a little later than usual to meet us for a Thursday walk!

Saturday 11th October 2014.

Craig Bron-Banog and Part of Cwm Alwen. 
Postponed until later in the year.
See below for details of the replacement walk for this date.

Distance:11 miles; Climb:1100'.

Start:Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr. Riverside picnic site. Grid ref:SH987496. Take the Ruthin to Cerrigydrudion road. Turn right just after the bridge by the Crown Inn. Continue down the road past the church. The picnic area is on the right just before the school.
Leave Chester 8-30 a.m.
Both walks are taken from Dave Berry's book "Walks In the Hidden Heart North Wales". The Craig Bron-Banog walk is new to us. He describes it as an eight mile figure of eight walk exploring the afforested undulating countryside South-east of Llyn Brenig. The route meanders through Clocaenog Forest, passes a hidden waterfall and an ancient standing stone before reaching the highest point of Craig Bron-Banog with its panoramic views.

Aled Isaf and More.

Distance: 10-11 miles. Climb: 1500'.
Start: Off road parking just before the dam on Llyn Aled. Grid ref: SH916579.
Leave Chester at 08-30 a.m.
This walk was originally planned for the end of last month.
This walk is taken from Dave Berry's book "Walks on the Denbigh Moors" or his slightly newer book "Hidden Heart of North Wales". The walk explores the expansive  tract of moorland and upland pastures around  Llyn Aled and  Aled Isaf. The route in part follows tracks not easily seen and is for experienced walkers only.  At one point the walk follows a delightful upland path via Llys Dymper, before returning South over the moorland top of Foel Lwyd. The extension allows us to explore moorland paths over Moel Bengam and Cefn Du along paths that I have wanted to explore for some time. Has been known to be boggy, but hopefully not too boggy at this time of the year. As an extra challenge we may complete this walk in an anticlockwise direction, the opposite way to the way we normally complete the walk!

Thursday 16th October 2014.

Llannefydd, Mynydd y Gaer and Moelfre Isaf.

Distance: 9-10 miles;Climb: 1700'.

Start: Car park by the village hall in Llannefydd, opposite the Buck Inn. Grid ref:SH982706.

Leave Chester 9-00 a.m.

This walk is taken from Lorna Jenner's book "Walking in the Vale of Clwyd and the Denbigh Moors", and is a walk that we really enjoyed the first time that we did it. This is a refreshing walk over Moel y Gaer, the site of an Iron Age hill fort. Again we will extend the walk to include Moelfre Isaf.

Saturday 18th October 2014.

Clip-y-Orsedd, The Druid Circle and Foel Lus.

Distance:11 miles. Climb:2400'.
Leave Chester 8-30 a.m.
Start: Car park behind the bank in Llanfairfechan. Turn right of Village Road. Grid ref:SH682747.
his walk uses two walks Dave Berry's book "Walks on the North Wales Coast." These two walks combine to make one of my favourite walks in this area as they explore the hills behind Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr. Hopefully we will visit the impressive Druids' Stone Circle and contour around the superb high level Panoramic Walk round Foel Lus.

Thursday 23rd October 2014.

Barber Hill, Vivod Estate and the Horseshoe Falls.

Distance:11 miles.

Climb: 2000'
Start: Mill Street, long stay car park (pay and display, £3-50). The car park is on the A542, East of the Station and adjacent to the Ponsonby Arms. Park on the bottom by the river. This is a new car park for us, so hopefully we will all find it.
Grid ref: SJ216421.

Leave Chester 9-00 a.m.
This walk combines two walks taken from Dave Berry's book "Walks Around Llangollen and the Dee Valley". The most memorable time that we did this combination of walks was in March 2006, when there was snow on the ground. It was a glorious sunny and the sun reflecting on the snow on the trees sparkled like jewels. This was a glorious walk, hopefully to be repeated again this time round, but without the snow!

Saturday 25th October 2014.
No walk.

The Roaches and Lud's Church.
Postponed until 15th November 2014.

Distance: 9 -10 miles. Climb: 2000'.
Start: Roadside parking below the Roaches North of Upper Hulme. Grid ref: SK004621.
Leave Chester at 8-00 a.m. 
This walk is taken from the Pathfinder Guide to the Peak District.  The Roaches has become one of our annual favourite walks, but this route is one that we have only done once before.  It includes the main Roaches ridge, and possibly Hen Cloud. The planned return route will be back along Black Brook. Can be boggy, especially on the lower route back from Lud's Church.

Thursday 30th October 2014.

Erddig, Wat's Dyke and Sontley.

Distance: 10 miles. Climb: 500'.

Start: Felin Puleston Car park, Wrexham. Grid ref: SJ325492. To get to the car park, take the A483 towards Wrexham, turn left onto the A5152 to Rhostyllen and Wrexham. Turn right onto a side road sign-posted Erddig, and almost immediately turn left down a side track sign-posted Felin Puleston Countryside Centre to a parking area by farm buildings.

Leave Chester at 09-00 a.m.

This walk combines two walks from Dave Berry's book "Walks Around Rhuabon Mountain, the Clywedog Valley and Hope Mountain". They are described as a walk through the Erddig Estate and the attractive farmland of Felin Puleston. It also includes an impressive section of Wat's Dyke.