Wepre Park and More 14th November 2018

Wepre Brook in Wepre Park.

Sandstone outcrop in Wepre Park.

Ewloe Castle.

Wepre Park from iside Ewloe Castle.

Autumn is here with many fallen leaves on the path.

Trying to avoid the mud.

Trying to avoid getting wet feet on the path approaching Aston Hill Farm.

Lunch at Northop Hall War Memorial.

St Mary's church at Northop Hall.

The old railway track through Broadoak Wood.

On the old railway track through Broadoak Wood.

Walk stats: Distance: 8.0 miles. Climb: 710'.

Time: 4 hours 36 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.3 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn, Sue and Michel, Roger, Celia, Mike and Wendy.

A good day for walking, dry, cool at first but warming up as the day progressed.

 Plenty of fallen leaves on the path reminding us that Autumn is well on the way, but many of the trees in the Wepre Brook  valley hadn't started to change colour.

 As usual we visited Ewloe Castle, and on this occasion some of us climbed the steps to the top section inside the castle. Although railings were present, it still didn't seem a very safe place to be, a good reason for most of the group to remain on firm ground at the bottom.

  Before lunch we had to cross several fields used by cattle an inevitably we had to go through sections that were very muddy, an experience not very high on our list of "must do this again". On the path heading North east from Castle Hill Farm, we had good views over the industrial heartland of Flintshire and beyond towards the Dee Eastuary.

 having had our fill of walking across fields, we decided to approach Northop Hall along Magazine Lane.

 Lunch was taken at the Northop Hall War Memorial where two benches had been placed. This war memorial had several silhouette figures representing all of the forces involved in conflicts since WW1.

 After lunch we decided to head straight back to the Wepre Park along the dismantled railway track through Broadoak Wood.

 Not many bird seen today, but those we did included: common blackbird Wood nuthatch, Blue tit, House sparrow, Herring gull, Black headed gull, Jackdaw, Rook and Carrion crow.

 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Fox and Grapes at Hawarden, where weetwood's Cheshire Cat went down well.