At the first gate in in Nettleford Wood, heading towards Eddisbury Lodge along the Sandstone Trail.
Foxgloves in flower in Delamere Forest.
Reminiscing of the days they did it!
Mike still searching for a Four-leaved clover.
Martyn is measuring the force of the wind.
Waiting for me to catch up again!
Their way.
My way around the ramparts of Eddidbury Castle.
You can just about make out the dishes at Jodrell Bank.
Coming round the ramparts of Eddidbury Castle.
In information board at the entrance to Eddidbury Castle.
All that is left of the entrance to Eddisbury Castle.
Still coming round the ramparts of Eddisbury Castle.
The main information board at Eddisbury Castle.
The creative work of a local artist!
Mike leads the way through King's Chair wood.
The rest follows!
Back at The Yeld - time to take our boots off and get ready to go to the Morris Dance in Kelsall.
Distance: 8.7 miles. Climb: 978'.Time: 4 hours 47 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walking average: 1.8 m.p.h.
Temperature: 16.2 17.8 Celsius.
Beaufort Wind Force: Max 3, just 11.2 m.p.h. Gentle breeze.
Group: Martyn, Mike, Nigel and Fran.
The weather forecast for today wasn’t good, but we decided to risk it, leaving a change of clothes in the car, just in case we did get soaked!
With dampness in the air, we all put waterproofs on before setting off. In reality, it wasn’t necessary as we got wetter inside than outside, thanks to the “boil in the bag syndrome”.
We decided to do this walk in a clockwise direction, in the hope that locating certain paths would be easier.
On entering Delamere Forest, I got my foot caught in a tree root, and ended up prostrate in s muddy wet patch. Thankfully I wasn’t heart, apart from a small cut on my forehead, just wet muddy trousers, knees and hands. Trying to remove the mud off my hands, knees and head wasn’t easy, although using hand sanitiser helped a little.
Birds seen or heard today included: Common blackbird, Goldfinch, Common pheasant, House martin, Barn wallow, European robin, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler, Blackcap. Carion crow, Raven, Common chaffinch, Common buzzard, Winter wren and Woodpigeon.
Lunch was taken at the old visitor centre in Delamere Forest, where we took advantage of the covered picnic benches formerly used for outdoor education.
Unfortunately doing the walk this way round, meant that we had our biggest climb of the day, from Delamere Forest Visitor Centre to Pale Heights.
Surprisingly today, we were alone on Pale eights. Distant views weren’t very good, although the main hills in Flintshire and Denbighshire could still be identified.
I hope of following the path through King’s Chair wood, was answered.
We arrived back at the car in warm sunshine, and happy that we had chosen to ignore the weather forecast of rain showers all day.
Overall, a very enjoyable walk, although I think we will revert to doing the walk in an anticlockwise direction next time.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Morris Dance, Kelsall, where the beer of choice was the Rudgate Brewery’s Oliver Twist, living up to its name when two of the group asked for more!
