Rhuddlan and the Clwyd Estuary 19th January 2017

Grey skies above Rhuddlan Castle as we crossed the River Clwyd.

A single Whooper swan in a field East of the river.

The Whooper swan wasn't on its own, but all fourteen  swans nearby were Mute swans.

A Raven, first heard croaking and then seen at the top of a power pylon.

Looking across the Marine Lake, Rhyl from the South.

A few of the several hundred Lapwing flying above the Marine Lake.

Trees and birds - reflections in the Marine Lake, Rhyl.

Group photo - no trig point today so this is the best that we could do!

On the South west side of the Marine Lake, Rhyl.

The masts of Pont-y-Draig reflected in the marine Lake, Rhyl.

Looking South towards the Clwydian Hills across the Marine Lake.

Distance: 7.4 miles. Climb: 103'.

Time: 3 hours 42 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.5 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn and Tim (all of the walk), Sue and Michel, Roger, Sue and Dave P (deserted after lunch!).

Slightly unusual arrangements today, as we needed one car to be left by the Marine Lake at Rhyl, even though the walk was starting at Rhuddlan.

 The weather forecast for today was generally overcast, relatively warm and very little wind and chance of rain was said to be <10 p="">

 That was pretty well what we got, although at times there was a "dampness" in the air.

 Five of us set off along the river path on the East side of the River Clwyd as we always do. Thankfully we are creatures of habit, as we had set off not realising that Sue and Dave P were joining us.

Fortunately there were plenty of birds along the first section of the walk that meant that we had made several stops to watch them and they manage to catch us up, although Dave said at one point he was almost running!

 The unexpected birds of the day was a Whooper swan and a Raven, both clearly seen from the footpath.

 Other birds seen or heard today included: Lapwing, Common redshank, Grey heron, Pied wagtail, Woodpigeon, Shelduck, Teal, Wigeon, Herring gull, Black-headed gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Great black-backed gull, Great cormorant, Canada goose, Eurasian curlew, Black-billed magpie, Blue tit, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Feral pigeon, House sparrow, Carrion crow, Common blackbird, Common starling and European robin.

 Arriving at the Marine Lake at Rhyl, the water could accurately be described as being like a mill pond. There wasn't much sun about, but the reflection in the water were superb, even those of the huger flock of Lapwings that circled above the water could be clearly seen.

Lunch was taken at the view point on the Foryd where benches had been provided. This was a bonus that we hadn't expected as the original plan was to sit on stones on the beach.

 Fruit cake was provided, despite the fact that only two of us needed an energy input to complete the return leg of the walk.

 The riverside path on the West side of the River Clwyd is more direct than that on the East side, and we were back at the cars in Rhuddlan by 14-00. 

 This wasn't good news as the Blue bell Inn at Halkyn doesn't open until 15-00 and Halkyn is only 30 minutes away from Rhuddlan even if you drive slowly!

 I arrived at Halkyn at 14-30, and sat in the car listening to the cricket for half an hour. It was quite good at at that time, and arrived at home just in time to see England collapse and India win the match and series.

 It's a good job that I waited for the Blue Bell Inn to open and I can look forward to enjoying some Gwynt-y-Draig's Black Cider as I watch the snooker on TV.

 As ever an enjoyable walk and if Tim hadn't made the trip from the Midlands to join us, I would have been Billy No Mates on the return leg!  I suppose I could have caught a bus back to Rhuddlan, but I didn't have my bus pass with me!

Clip-yr-orsedd and the Druid's Circle 14th January 2017

Our first views of Anglesey and Puffin Island.

"Who do you think you are?" - residents of Idlewild Animal Sanctuary, Llnafairfechan,

Another resident of Idlewild Animal Sanctuary.

Our first hint of the white stuff on higher ground.

Clip-yr-orsedd ahead.

How did it get there? Answers on .....

guess who on the highest point on Clip-yr-orsedd.

"Why I am I here?"

On the highest point of the East end of Clip-yr-orsedd.

At the Druid's circle - well I think that is where we are"

Wild ponies near our lunch spot.

Our lunch spot with views towards Anglesey.

The tumbling river at Nant-y-Coed.

Our final back towards Penmaenmawr quarries and our outward route.

Walk stast: Distance: 7.6 miles. 1385'.

Time: 4 hours 30 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.1 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.6 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn, Mike and Ed.

We didn't know what weather we were going to get, but all of the forecasts suggested that it was going to be cold, windy with wintry showers. Most of the time it wasn't that cold,except briefly as we were at the top of Clip-yr-orsedd when it started to hail and taking just to photos with my gloves off made my hands unpleasantly cold. Our time around the Druid's Circle was unpleasant too,where we were walking in cloud and visabilty was down to about 50 metres - not the place to stop for lunch!

 Apart from that our outward journey had been good, a delightful zig-zag route giving frequent views towards Anglesey and the Menai Straights.

 It was surprising to see how far the Penmaenmawr quarry had encroached since our last visit and now it almost up to the tone wall below Clip-yr-orsedd.on the North side.

 we were very fortunate to be able to have lunch on stone adjacent to the North Wales path South West of Clip-y-orsedd when the clouds had lifted and the rain had stopped. 

 About twenty wild ponies had chosen to graze on this side of Clip-y-orsedd., so I suppose we were in good company.

 Approaching Blaen-llwyn we had our best sightings of the day a Red kite and  a Red billed chough.

 Birds seen or heard today included: House sparrow, Common blackbird, Jackdaw, Blue tit, Great tit, Rook, Raven, Common buzzard, Red-billed chough, Herring gull and Black-headed gull.

 Thankfully today we had three dry spells, just before we set off, lunch and just as we arrived back at the car and a bonus was the fact that it took me just five minutes to clean my boots when I arrived home.

 In a funny sort of way, I enjoyed this walk despite the often challenging weather conditions.

 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Blue Bell Inn in Halkyn, where Sheppy's cider went down well and Desmond the rescue dog welcomed us!.

Wepre Park, Aston Hill, Ewloe and Northop Hall 12th January 2017

The start of the walk through Wepre Park, heading for Ewloe Castle.

Wepre Brook on the way to Ewloe Castle.

A Little egret in trees above Wepre Brook.

Climbing the steps to Ewloe Castle.

Ewloe castle from the South side.

Church of the Holy Spirit, Ewloe.

Lunch time in Northop Hall.

Savage legacies.

On the old railway line through Broadoak Wood.

Walk stats: Distance: 9.3 miles. Climb: 727'.

Time: 5 hours 40 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.6 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn, Roger, Sue Pelissier, Phil and David S.

We arrived at Wepre Park with a little rain still in the air and the  temperature just above freezing. The section through Wepre Wood up to Ewloe castle was a delightful. In fact the whole of Wepre Park was a surprise to us all, even those of us who had visited it previously. Much work has been done and is still being done to make park a real treasure with its reputation enhanced by its inclusion in Iolo William's  TV series on Welsh Parks.

 Just before climbing to Ewloe Castle we saw three possibly four Little egrets on Wepre Brook

 We explored Ewloe Castle before setting off in the direction of Aston Hill which gave us views over Deeside Industrial Zones. 

 It was to the West of Seaview Farm that we encountered our first problem, where a fallen tree block our way forward. Thankfully we saw a local dog walker taking a path that detoured around the wood and rejoined the path beyond the blocked section.

 Just after Aston Hill farm, David spotted what looked like a church tower in the distance, so we made a short detour to investigate. It turned out to be the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ewloe, built around 1937. As we were looking around the outside of the church, a lady spotted us and invited us to look inside the church, a bonus that we weren't expecting.

 After this little detour, we headed straight for Northop Hall, where had lunch on a bench by the bus stop.

 On the way to Northop Hall we could see Moel Famau with a snow covering, particularly on its lower slopes.

  Little did we know at that time what challenges lay ahead! Mud glorious mud, difficult stiles, overhanging brambles waiting to attack us (David's nose pays testimony to this) and finally a hail storm.

 We were glad to get onto the old railway track through Broadoak Wood and the last part of the described route.

 I'm sure the extension from Northop Hall to Northop Hall Farm and Merllyn will never be repeated, well at least not by us!

 We arrived back at the car, and once again it started to rain, encouraging us to change quickly and head for the Blue Bell Inn at Halkyn with its welcoming fire and excellent range of beers and ciders.

 Birds seen or heard today included: Blue tit, Great tit, Goldfinch, Common blackbird, Little egret, Grey heron, Woodpigeon, Wood nuthatch, Common pheasant and Common starling.

 Heading towards along the A55 from Northop towards Conwy, we went through a blizzard that only stopped as we entered the car park at the Blue Bell. By the time we left, even the dusting of snow on the tree branches had disappeared, the road was clear and there was even blue skies to see!

Prestbury and Whitley Green 7th January 2017

Wood carvings at Prestbury.

The River Bollin as we left Prestbury.

Walking in the mist alongside Dumbar Hollow.

On the access track to Mount Farm.

Approaching Lowerhouse.

Walk stats: Distance: 5.4 miles. Climb: 282'.

Time: 3 hours 4 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn and Mike.

Not a good day for walking, misty all morning and in reality it was accompanied by a very fine rain. Needless to say we didn't get the views opening up as we crossed Tytherington Golf Course or views of the Kerridge and White Nancy above Bollington.

 The described route suggested that it was only 4.5 miles, but in reality it was probably nearer five.

 Some of the roads used were quite busy, but the route description was pretty good on this occasion and we did the whole walk without referring to our OS Maps.

 Birds seen or heard today include: Wood nuthatch, Common blackbird, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Black-headed gull, Rook, Great tit and Grey heron.

 On arriving back at the car, I decided that I had had enough walking in the mist/rain for one day and that I would not be setting off on the afternoon extension.

 Mike declined the offer of me staying in the car while he did a "power walk" in the afternoon.

 We had lunch sitting in the car, listening to an FA Cup match on Radio 5, but that didn't cheer us up either.

 After lunch, we headed homeward, stopping at the Farmer's Arms at Kelsall for refreshments, where Weetwood's Cheshire Cat went down well as did the tea!

 In conclusion our next walk from Prestbury must be in the dry season, where at least we should be able to see where we are going!

Rhosesmor, Northop and Sychdyn 5th January 2017

Our first view of Moel Famau.

A different view of Moel Famau.

Gwysaney Hall from Bryn-cae Tudur track. the path.

St Eurgain and St Peter's Church, Northop - our lunch spot.

Leaders in the making - no not the sheep!

Looking for a friend.

Roger's stile, but no Roger!

Walk stats: 8.8 miles. Climb 619'.
Time: 4 hours 37 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.9 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Celia, Sue Pelissier and Phil.
This was a glorious day for walking, bright sunshine all day, too bright at times! Cool at times whenever we happened to be walking in the shade. Much of the ground underfoot was still fairly frozen, an advantage on sections that had great potential for being somewhat muddy/boggy.
The only problem encountered was trying to find a suitable lunch spot, we didn't find one until we arrived at Northop, where most of us were able to use a bench, Celia chose to sit on the grass in the Sun.
We had completed over six miles at lunch, so hopefully a little fortified fruit cake helped revive everyone for the rest of the walk!
The walk through Northop village allowed us to see some of the old parts of the village when it was an important staging post on the London to Holyhead Postal route.
 After lunch we took a few short cuts by staying on the road a little longer than on the described route, but it didn't stop us using Roger's stile on the way back to Rhosesmor.
Birds seen or heard today included: House sparrow, Sparrowhawk, Common blackbird, Common buzzard, Common starling, Common buzzard, Woodpigeon, Red legged partridge, Black-headed gull, Rook, Wood nuthatch and Treecreeper (Thanks to Celia hearing then and Sue spotting them).
Special celebrations at the Blue Bell Inn at Halkyn today, enjoying Castle Rock's, Rum and Raisin, knowing that Michel now has his certificate of permanent residence.

West Kirby, Red Rocks and Grange Hill 2nd January 2017

West Kirby Marine Lake from its Southern end.

Roger's bird - the Little egret.

Brent geese between the Royal Liverpool Golf Course and Hilbre.

Point of Air Lighthouse seen between Middle Eye and Hilbre Island.

Leaving the beach at Red Rocks.

Grange Hill Memorial see from the path on the West side of the Municipal Golf Course.

Hilbre Island from Grange Hill.

Looking towards Leasowe and New Brighton from Grange Hill.

At the trig point on Grange Hill.

Birds roosting on the rocks by the old baths on East side of  the Marine Lake at West Kirby.
Mainly Dunlin?

Walk stats: Distance: 5.8 miles. Climb: 217'.

Time: 3 hours 7 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.5 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.9 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn, Sue and Michel, Roger, Annie, Sue and Dave P and Terry Wellerman.

Oveall this was as uperb day for our first walk of the New Year. Glorious sunshine and temperatures that may have justified it being a shorts walk!

 The walk started with a clockwise circuit of the Marine Lake, followed by stroll along the beach to Red Rocks.

 This is always the best part of the walk, especially as the tide was starting to come in and the wind was a North westerly, carrying the evocative sound of the tumbling waves so that we could clearly hear them as we walked along the beech.

 There were plenty of birds to see as well, including over twenty Brent geese.

 The next high point was on the top of Grange Hill where we ha superb views in all directions, n one direction Hilbre Island was now completely surrounded by water and the massive cranes at the new mega dock facility at Liverpool docks could be seen in another direction.

" Lunch" was taken on Grange Hill, taking advantage of some of the Sandstone rocks avalable and some even used one of the many benches available on this delightful spot. The usual fruit cake and on this occasion crystallised ginger was provided to those that dared to sample.

 We arrived back at the cars to find that West Kirby Promenade and its Marine Lake was now the must go destination on this gloriously Bank Holiday . We were all glad that we had made a much earlier start that they had!

 Birds seen or heard today included: Red breasted mergansar, Great cormorant, Turnstone, Common redshank. Grey heron, Common buzzard, Jackdaw, Little egret, Herring gull, Black-headed gull, Brent goose, House sparrow, Feral pigeon, Common coot, Moorhen, Shoveler, European robin, House sparrow, Canada goose, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch and Common blackbird.

 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Wheatsheaf at Raby where Trappers hat and Plum Porter went down well.

 Let's hope that all our walks in 2017 will be as good as this one.