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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.

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Holywell Common, Racecourse and Pen-y-Ball Monument 17th October 2018

Heading for the racecourse.
The way across fields o the racecourse.
"Retracing our steps across all those fields!"
(after Ed had finished investigating the supposed paths in Coed Moel-dda)
The statue of Christ at the Pantasaph Friary.
The main church at Pantasaph Friary.
Looking towards the Dee Estuary as we approached Pen-y-Ball Top.
The Pen-y-Ball Top trig point in the middle of a crop of Turnips.
The North side of the Pen-y-Ball Monument.
The South side of the Pen-y-Ball Monument.
Looking towards Moel Famau from the Pen-y-Ball Monument.
Walk stats: Distance: 8.4 miles. Climb: 584'.
Time: 4 hours 6 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Celia and Ed.
This was almost perfect weather conditions for walking, cool at first, but pleasantly warm when the Sun broke free from clouds. The only breeze encountered was briefly towards the end of lunch.
 This was Celia's first walk with the group for some time, so she was quite pleased to have survived the challenge without any cause for concern.
 Although we have walked in this area many times, we did use two new paths and investigated a wooded area called Coed Moel-dda and Plymouth Copse.
 Arriving at Coed Moel-dda, it didn't take us long to decide that the path was so overgrown that it would be pointless investigate further - retracing our steps was the only sensible option.
 Crossing theses fields through grass heavy with due ensured that at the end of the walk our boots were clean but still wet and would need to dried and reproofed before the next walk.
 lunch was taken at the Panrasaph Friary, where two new benches had replaced the old wooden pew that we had been grateful to use in the past. It was good to note that toilets were open, even though the cafe was closed (open Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday).
 The highest point of the day was Pen-y-Ball Top, but once again the trig point was inaccessible being surrounded by a crop of Turnips.
 Distant views were somewhat hazy, although we could just about make out Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral.
  Similarly we only had hazy views from the Pen-y-Ball Monument, although the outline of Moel Famau and the Clwydian Hills could just about be made out.
 Birds seen or heard today included: House sparrow, Soarrowhawk, Common blackbird, European robin, Jackdaw, Common gull, Woodpigeon, Collard dove Pied wagtail, Carrion crow and Common buzzard.
 Overall an enjoyable walked capped with an excellent pint of Lees Bitter at the Britannia Inn at Halkyn.

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