and occasionally rides a bike.
A word of warning. The walk descriptions are not detailed enough to guide you - please take a map. The batteries never run out, and you always have a signal. Oh, And don't take left or right as gospel!

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Catch up: 25/10/23.Rutland Water Normanton - Manton and back,

Wednesday 25th Oct



After lunch Harry took bike to Rutland Water.



I walked from Normanton car park to the Manton Bird watch centre and back - around 5.6 miles in all.Lovely afternoon. 

Coffee at the car.


Catch up . 23 Oct ‘23 Hambleton Peninsula Rutland Water.

 1.  Monday 23rd Oct. Walk around Hambleton peninsulawith harry, Kate and Maureen.  Road closures and floods ensured a rather roundabout route! Kate picked us up - it took almost 45 mins to get out there, so we set off at 10.04. The lake was very misty at the start of the walk.


 We walked anti-clockwise to get the hilly part over and done with.




 Not too many people on the northern side.

We had a break on the southern side, which was sheltered and even slightly sunny. More people walking round by now .  I had forgotten to put coffee powder in, so a drink of hot water had to do, along with Maureen’s scone.





We saw. a bird which was either a very pale heron or possibly an egret, along with lots of swans and a few geese.


Tuesday, November 7, 2023

The Roaches and Lud’s Church (14th October)

Saturday 14th October, with Harry.


 Lovely sunrise, swallowed rapidly by mist, which then flowed pink from time to time - all in half an hour or so. Temperature rather colder. 




The weather brightened rapidly, so we got ourselves organised and on the road. 




Great walk from Upper Hulme Paddock Farm Tea room (park in lay-by opposite) We arrived just after 9. and and were walking at 9.16.



Over the Roaches via path from the road, below Hen Cloud. 



We reached the trig point just after 10 am.

A convenient bench was a good place to stop for coffee at Roach End. 


then along the ridge following signs to  Swythamley.


Later we turned down into Back Forest to Lud’s Church.  









We followed the path back to Roach End again,


and decided to walk along the ridge once more, rather than take the road.


We paused for lunch with a view.  Soon afterwards came a few drops of rain and a rainbow,




Not long after we reached low ground there was a mighty hailstorm.


Somewhere between 8 and 9 miles,with around 1200 feet of climbing. Great combo walk. We decided to head ‘home’ rather than to the Tea room, as we were soaking. 

 




It has hailed again since we got back, so I’ve rinsed out my soaking socks, and stuffed my boots with old newspapers. Tomorrow we head for ‘home home’. Reluctantly. 


Saturday, November 4, 2023

Errwood Reservoir to Shining Tor - 12th October

 Thursday 12th October, with Harry.

We parked in the car park towards the northern end of the reservoir, and walked south towards the ruins of Errwood Hall.


We didn’t visit them on the way up, but followed the path steeply up the shoulder of the hill, until it flattened out a bit, and we came to the signpost for Shining Tor.


Shutlingsloe


We chatted to a woman walking, and recommended Chrome Hill. Then at the summit cairn, we met four women from Leeds who were on a walking holiday, and wanted their photo taken together.



We had coffee and scone on the benches at top of Shining Tor. This is the highest hill in present day Cheshire at 559 metres (1834 feet). We could see Shutlingsloe and Sutton Common Radio Tower to the south (ish). 

Shutlingsloe and the radio tower


The path continues along to Cat’s Tor, paved most of the way, and keeping to the ridge.


I wonder if it was an old packhorse trail, though the stones are not as old as that.


https://all-geo.org/metageologist/2014/10/paths-across-the-cheshire-peak/


The Cheshire/Derbyshire border is also Alan Garner country.  Folklore, magic and history. I had not realised that Thursbitch was a) a real place or b) so close to Shining Tor. 

http://alangarner.atspace.org/votd.html



Enough of that for now. We continue via Cat’s Tor and Oldgate Nick to the road, which we follow downhill for a short distance before picking up a path to the right.


This climbs Foxlow Edge and then goes downhill to a path by woodland, leading down to Shooter’s Clough Bridge.




We decide on a detour to the ruins of Errwood Hall for old times’ sake.



The hall is being repaired - because of ‘anti-social behaviour/ vandalism’, according to the Goyt Valley website. At one time raves were held there.

http://www.whaleybridge.net/localhistory/errwood.html





In total we walked 7.5 miles and climbed a bit over 1100 feet in much better weather than when we were last here in October 2017.