Walks and Dates January 2015

Updated on 19th January 2015.

Thursday 5th February 2015.

Our annual "walkers" meal will be at the Wheatsheaf at Raby.

I have said that we will meet at the Wheatsheaf at about 09-30, have a short walk of about 5 miles to be back at the pub for 12-30.
As there are likely to be 15 of us for the meal, they have requested that we send them a list of our choices about a week before.

You can find a copy of their menus on their web site www.wheatsheaf-cowshed.co.uk

Their web site menues have changed, the lunch time menu has been removedand replaced by a set menu.  I suggest you make your choices from the on line menus other than the dinner menu. Please let me know your choices by Thursday 29th January.
This gives me a short time to chase up people that may have forgotten!

Thursday 1st January 2015.

Hilbre Island.

Distance: 4-5 miles. Climb: 100' at a guess!

Start: South Parade, West Kirby Marine Lake, near to the old baths and opposite the Lifeboat Station. Grid ref: SJ214860.
Aim to be at the start ready to walk at about 10-00.

It's a few years since we last did this walk on New Year's Day, but after looking at the Tide Guide, it looks like being a good option today. High tide is about 08-00, so we should be able to cross the sands following the tide as it goes out.

 Bring binoculars, their should be plenty of Wintering birds to see and hopefully seals too.

Fortified fruit cake will be provided, ssuming that it hasn't all been eaten by those on the last two walks in December!

Saturday 3rd January 2015.

Tegg's Nose and Macclesfield Forest.
Postponed - this walk is now planned for 14th February 2015.

 Distance: 9 miles. Climb: 1865'.

Start: Tegg's Nose Country Park Car park. Pay and Display. Grid ref: SJ950732.

Leave Chester at 08-30 a.m.

This walk is taken from the "Pathfinders Guide to Cheshire". It is described as a varied walk with good views from Tegg's Nose. We will visit Tegg's Nose first, rather than at the end of the walk. The walk is also described as an undulating walk exploring the countryside on the edge of the Peak District.

Thursday 8th January 2015.

Rhuddlan L.N.R ., the Rhuddlan to Rhyl Riverside Walk with extensions to the Brickworks Pool N.R. and the Forydd.

Distance: 10-11 miles. Climb: 200'.

Start: Park at the Rhuddlan L.N.R. car park. Grid ref: SJ02076. 

The car park is on the Western side of Rhuddlan. To get to the car park, from the A55, turn right on to the A525 (St. Asaph Road towards Rhyl and Rhuddlan), at the next roundabout take the 3rd exit onto Station Road (to Rhuddlan centre / Castle). The car park is on the right, opposite a derelict pub. If you get to the bridge over the river you've gone too far!

This walk is an annual favourite, at least for those that like to birdwatch as well. It is a good time of the year as there are lots of Winter visitors that frequent coastal areas and river estuaries. Bring binoculars with you.  Last time we had lunch in the Rhuddlan L.N.R.  We will probably visit the Foryd first, to see if there are any Snow buntings there this year.

Saturday 10th January 2015.

Garreg Fawr and Coedydd Aber.
Postponed -This walk will appear later in the year, at a time when the risk of ice on the roads is unlikely!
See below for the new walk.

Distance: 10 miles. Climb: 1800 - 2000'.

Leave Chester at 08-30 a.m.

Start: Forestry Commission car park (pay and display)at Bont Newydd. Grid ref: SH62720.

This walk combines two walks from Dave Berry's book "Walks On the North Wales Coast" , well all of one walk and part of another!

The Garreg Fawr walk explores the foothills of the Carneddau between Llanfairfechan and Abergwyngeryn, giving us contrasting views of coast and mountains. The second walk visits Aber Falls using paths on each side of the valley. All the recent rain could make the falls spectacularly at their best.

Moel-y-Gaer and Halkyn Moutain from the Blue Bell Inn, Halkyn.

Distance: 8-10 miles. Climb: 1000'.
Start: Common ground opposite the Blue Bell Inn, Halkyn. Grid ref: SJ209702.
Leave Chester at 08-45 a.m. (Always a bonus time to start for some!)
This walk attempts to combine two walks from the Blue Bell Inn's web site, but it isn't that easy to extend the walk beyond the 6 miles in the described routes! The route includes many of the paths that we have used on our regular walks in this region, but many are in the opposite direction to the usual way that we go. We will probably extend the route by visiting the trig point on Halkyn Mountain.

Thursday 15th January 2015.

Leasowe Lighthouse to New Brighton.

Distance: 9-11 miles. Climb: 200'.

Start: North Wirral Coastal Park car park. Grid ref: SJ257915.

To get to this car park, instead of turning left towards the lighthouse, as the A551 turns right onto Leasowe Road, go straight on (past PC block on right and cafe/snack hut on left). This car park has a good tarmac surface.

Leave Chester at 09-00 a.m.

This is a walk along the beach to Perch Rock Fort, assuming that the water on the incoming tide is low enough. It should be, Low tide is at about 12-32!  From there, we will continue onto Vale Royal Park (where we in the past we have had lunch) and onto Wallasey Gardens. Hopefully the weather will be kind as it was last year.

On the return there will be plenty of birds to see as the tide comes in, so bring binoculars with if you have any.

I wonder if the drift wood ship is back to its former glory after being destroyed in the inter storms a couple of years ago.

Saturday 17th January 2015.

Fron Hen and Bryn Alyn.

Distance: 10-11 miles. Climb: 1800'.

Start: Layby on the A494 Mold to Ruthin Road, about 1/2 mile South of Llanferres. Grid ref: SJ187597.

Leave Chester 09-00 a.m.

This walk uses two walks from Dave Berry's book More Walks in the Clwydian Hill".  We have combined these walks on several occasions before and the section over Bryn Alyn is always good. It will also give us another opportunity to test our route finding skills through Nercwys Forest!

This good walk is usually a Thursday walk, but I decided that those that can only walk on a Saturday should be allowed to experience the challenge and delights too!

Thursday 22nd January 2015.

Thurstaston Common, Stapledon Wood, Caldy and More.

Distance:8-10 miles. Climb:1000'.

Start: Thursaston Visitor Centre Car Park. Grid ref:SJ239835.

Leave Chester at 9-00 a.m.

This is a repeat of the walk that we did on 1st January 2010 and combines two walks from Raymond Roberts' booklet "Wirral Walks - the West Wirral Six". This is a relatively easy walk with good views along the way, especially from Thurstaston Hill. We hope to walk back Thursaston along the beach, so bring binoculars with you. High tide is at 12-14, even though it is a 33' tide (10.1 m), it should have gone out far enough by the time we get to the coast. If not we have always got the Wirral Way.

Saturday 24th January 2015.

A Walk on Halkyn Mountain from the Blue Bell Inn.

Distance: 9-10 miles. Climb: 1000'.
Start: Common ground opposite the Blue Bell in, Halkyn. Grid ref: SJ209702.
Leave Chester at 08-45 a.m. (Always a bonus time to start for some!)

This is a walk devised by Steve at the Blue Bell Inn, Halkyn. It covers much of our regular walk that we do called "Halkyn Mountain, Limestone and Lead". However this route takes us in a clock-wise direction and around Moel-y-Gaer before heading to Rhes-y-cae. It also takes us  around the North of the Pen-y-Henblas quarry - we have only seen the quarry from its Southern side.

Thursday 29th January 2015.

A Circuit of Holywell.

Distance: 10 miles. Climb: 1200'.

Start: Holywell, Halkyn Street Car Park, opposite the cottage hospital: Grid ref: SJ18957545.

This walk is taken from a new booklet "Walks Around Holywell" by Ron Williams and Elfed Jones.

It is a variation of one of the walks we have done before, but includes some new sections too. This walk starts in the centre of Holywell. This walk includes many of the paths that we have used before when following Dave Bery's routes. The section along the coast is also done in the opposite direction. A special challenge for Roger - I'll provide a route description is in Welsh just for him!
I may include this as a Saturday walk as well, but it will be later in the year.

Saturday 31st January 2015.

Around Stocks Reservoir.
Postponed - see below for the replacement walk.

Distance: 11 miles; Climb:1600'.
Start: Slaidburn village car park. Grid ref:SD713524.
Leave Chester 8-00 a.m.
This is another walk is taken from Terry Marsh's book "Fifty Classic Walks in Lancashire", starting at the picturesque village of Slaidburn.  We enjoyed this walk when we last completed it in September 2010, so I thought it would be good to experience it in a different season.

Replacement Walk.

Around the Little Orme to Rhos On Sea.

Distance: 8-9 miles. Climb: 700'.
Start: Roadside parking next to Paddling Pool and PC on Coast Road at Craig y Don, East side of Llandudno.
Leave Chester at 08-30 a.m.
This has become a regular walk at any time of the year, but it will be the first time that we have done it February. The views from the top of the Little Orme are always superb, but the main reason for doing the walk so early in the year is to see if there are any Seals around Porth Dyniewaid.

Thursday 5th February 2015.

Annual Walk and Meal.

Raby and More.

Distance: 6.0 miles. Climb: 100' - Very little - walk profile is almost horizontal.

Start: Wheatsheaf Inn, Car Park. Raby. SJ310798

This walk is a variation of walks by Anthony Annakin-Smith, that we have done starting in Willaston. One point to note, at this time of the year, gaiters are probably a good thing to wear!