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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.

Wednesday, 7 March 2018

Llantysilio Green and around Barber hill and the Vivod Estate 7th March 2018

The Horseshoe Falls from the Llantysilio Green Car Park.
The Horseshoe Falls and the River Dee.
Taken from the Llantysilio Green Car Park path to the Llantysilio Green parish church.
Llantysilio Green parish church.
Snowdrops in the grounds around Llantysilio Green parish church.
The start of the steady climb through the trees out of Llangollen 
On the snowy path through Cae-Madog Wood.
Not one of our best lunch spots, but at least we would be in the Sun, if it decided to  escape from behind the clouds.
Looking North east over Ty Newydd towards the Llantysilio Mountains, Rhuabon Mountain and The Eglwyseg Escarpments.
Time for a rest, but some claimed they were just admiring the view towards the Eglwyseg Escarpments.
Castel Dinas Bran from the seat near Bryniau-mawr.
The Chain Bridge Hotel from Berwyn Halt Station.
Looking towards Llangollen from the middle of the Chain Bridge.
Walk stats: Distance: 7.9 miles (8.4 miles on newest GPS). Climb: 1241'.
Time: 4 hours 35 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.5 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, Ed, Mike, Celia and David S.
 This turned out to be a glorious day for walking and we set off in warm sunshine. Thankfully I had decided to leave my jacket in my rucksack -  others discarded layers on route. We experienced very little of the cooling wind that had been forecast and little more than a few spots of rain towards the end.
 We did encounter a little snow on the path through Cae-Madog Wood and the track near Bryniau-bch and Bryniau-mawr.
 Our main objective was to visit Llantysilio Green Parish Church, hoping that the Snowdrops would still be flowering  - they were, but past their best according to the "experts"!
 After emerging from Cae-Madog Wood, most of the group rebelled and refused to take the snow covered path heading South east towards the North Berwyn Way. This meant a trek up the road in search of a different lunch spot as the one I had planned was on a section of the North Berwyn Way.
 as a last resort we ended up having lunch on the road junction before heading downhill towards the Vivod Estate. Three found tree stumps to sit on, one found a convenient stone and two just sat on the bank. Not the best location, but at least we were in the Sunshine and had a decent view, It was a bit breezy at this the highest point on the walk, so it was necessary to put on jackets again.
 As ever when descending the road towards the Vivod Estate, we had superb views across the Dee Valley to the hills beyond.
 We arrived back at the cars, quite tired, with legs complaining that they weren't used to 1200' climb!
 Birds seen or heard today included: Blue tit, Great tit, Dunnock, Mallard, Grey wagtail, Black-headed gull, Common pheasant, Woodpigeon, Wood nuthath,, Jackdaw, Common starling, Black-billed magpie and Mandarin duck.
 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Chain Bridge Hotel, where brews from Stonehouse Brewery were sampled (Sundander and Station Bitter).
 after ordering our drinks Mke decided that we needed more fresh air, so we sat outside, still in sunshine, but not entirely convinced that we had made the right decision to agree with him. It was as  we sat outside overlooking the river that David spotted two ducks on the water - these turned out to be a pair Mandarin ducks, I suppose this made it worthwhile sitting outside, spotting the two coach diesel train pass through Berwyn Halt on its way to Corwen certainly didn't!

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