Morda Valley and the Welsh Borders 8th October 2016

Autumnal colours.

Bracket fungi.

The view from our lunch spot - part of the Berwyns.

The first stones we came across, Worth sitting down and admiring the view.

The view towards the Llantyslio Mountains.

More fungi.

Another view of the Berwyns.

A Common buzzard.

"I've got my eye on you!".

Walk stats: Distance: 11.8 miles. Climb: 1080'.

Time: 6 hours 27 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walking average: 1.8  m.p.h.

Group: Martyn and LeRoi Walwen.

I wasn't expecting to get a walk today, as I thought that I was going to be "Billy No Mates" again after the intervention of a couple of tickets for the Rugby League Grand Final. However Le Roi came to my rescue and saved me from a bus trip to Holywell and a Wetherspoons breakfast. Instead I had to cook my own breakfast.

This turned out to be another good day for walking, rather overcast, but hardly any wind and not at all cold. 

This wasn't the best walk that we have done in this area, but did provide a good day's out and the nominally nine mile walk, ended being nearly 12 miles, thanks to talking too much at crucial times on route.

 The start of the walk was along Offa's Dyke Path on pleasant tracks, some on woodland edges, but we didn't get any real views until lunch time and after lunch as we started to cross moorland.

 Distant views included the Berwyns, the Llantyslio Mountains and Llandegla Moors.

  We didn't see that many people on route, although a car full of young women started to come up the track behind us, hoping to get to ride horses near Glyn Ceiriog. We pointed out that the road ahead came to an end just further on and that they were in fact in the wrong valley. Hopefully they would eventually get there in time to have a ride on a horse.

 Later on we met a young family, just have an afternoon out and pointed out the house where they lived. They even said we went past and knocked on the door that they would make us a cup of tea.

 Having retraced out route, we actually went past the drive to their house, but I think they would have been shocked had we called in.

 Not many birds seen or heard today, although we did see quite a lot of Ravens. Other birds seen or heard today included: Common blackbird, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Meadow pipit, Wood nuthatch, Common starling, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Mistle thrush, Eurasian jay and Common buzzard.

 I'm sure we will repeat this walk, but perhaps from a different start point, using the Old Race Course car park instead of the Craignant Car Park and Picnic site.