2024/06/24 Mynydd Rhiw, Penarfynydd and Treheli

 

Monday 24th June

When I got up around 8 am the mist was well down, and i couldn’t see the beach. By 9.30 it was lifting.

After breakfast Harry suggested we take advantage of good weather and walk - to Mynydd Rhiw, then along coastal path to Treheli and back.

Low mist to start with, which cleared to sunshine, then clouds, but warm and dry.

We saw stonechats and a meadow pipit. 

Coffee at roadside near Bryndol,

then followed the road to the track to Penarfynydd Farm. No coffee signs now, no goats, just one dog and a boat. Maybe it has changed hands.

We followed the coastal path round to Mynydd Penarfynydd past the pig

This pig used to be in the nearby farmyard!

which used to stand on the farmyard, and the trig point, then along the coastal path ,

past lots of free roaming horses, stopping for lunch just before the very steep section of the path which leads to the wood and field just before Treheli.

Stopped for an ice-cream and a longish chat with the owner and her daughter.

Then up the steep track we came down yesterday, and back home for around 5pm. 

Brilliant day’s walk. - 7.7 miles, and 1100 feet of ups and downs. Quite tough at times.!

Glow worms in the late evening too. Late June/ early July is the best time to look for them.

2024/06/23 To the cafe!

 Sunday 22nd June 

We walked down to Treheli camp site cafe. Very steep path and not easy to find at first. Then we sat around for ages before deciding to knock on the door. The guy came out and we had a long chat about Welsh and other things!

Return up another path, past Plas yn Rhiw and a couple of houses, plus notices about bulls and dogs! Still it was a public footpath and no problem. A couple of noisy but friendly dogs with their man. 2 miles including a couple of off-piste sections. 250 feet of down then up, and quite strenuous. Steeper going down than coming up.

2024 /06/22 Mini wander lunch stop - Sycharth Castle

While travelling over to Wales, we stopped at Sycharth Castle, near Oswestry - a green mound with a view that was once the home of Owain Glyndwr. Very steep, but short, and a pleasant place for lunch.

2024 18th June - Tilton, Maresfield, Lowesby

 With Marta.

Some of the paths were unclear/overgrown, so we modified our original route slightly.

Lowesby, as always easy enough, and the walk back to Tilton, was fine apart from overgrown section between hedges. Lowesby Station looks more run down than previously.

The walk felt pretty strenuous. Marta and I agreed on that one! Almost 8 miles, but felt like more.

2024/06/17 - Circular from Foxton Locks

 Monday 17th June 

I collected Maureen at 9.30 and drove out to Foxton Locks on a lovely warm morning! We parked at the top car park.

We walked down the path close to the museum,

and followed the towpath north across Bridge 61 until we passed Debdale Wharf Marina. 

We continued to a footbridge where a footpath leads south, Debdale Grange Farm. We took the opportunity to eat a scone and have a drink. 

 We followed the field edge rather than the footpath route, all slightly uphill, as this was clearer.

The foxgloves are tall this year!

When we reached Debdale Lane we turned right and walked for a short distance. Before reaching a road junction we took a footpath to our right (roughly south). Again we followed field edges, as the path through the field was unclear. Easy enough to find the gate and footbridge,

which took us through a field of cows who showed very little interest in us.

Through some farm buildings where the footpath appears to have been slightly rerouted round the edge of the field, rather than across, but it soon enough joined the Leicestershire Round path and we crossed Footbridge (bridge 63) over the GU Canal, turned right and were very quickly back at Rainbow Bridge and the Bridge 61 pub for coffee and a sandwich.

Just over 5 miles by the time we arrived back at the car park to be greeted by a few drops of rain.

Boat names - Trent Weaver, Tacet, Moon Dancer,  Hazelwise, Chatsworth

2024/06/11 - Thrapston to Stanwick Lakes

 

Tuesday 11th June

I drove to Geddington, then Marta drove us both to Thrapston and we asked permission to park in the pub car park.

“Yes, of course, no problem!”

“We were thinking of buying a coffee, “ says Marta, ‘What time does the pub open?”

“Not until 12,” replies the woman, “So it’ll be a long walk”

In fact we didn’t get back until 3pm, since we walked the 5 miles to Stanwick Lakes Visitor Centre and had lunch before walking back. 

 

11 miles in all - legs are complaining, even though it’s one of the flattest walks around!

A cuckoo accompanied us as we approached the Visitor Centre, and we heard it again, very close on the return leg. Also a black cap. 

Very few drops of rain.

2024/06/10 Empingham, Normanton, Rutland Water

 Monday 10th June

With Kate, Norma and Maureen. We decided as a group that we needed to wander slightly further afield than of late. It’s an old favourite walk, from Empingham via the path through the woods to the dam,

and then to cafe at Normanton car park.

We followed our usual route back, taking the road past Bracknell House and Oak Farm, then the footpath close to the wall near Whare Koa. 

Then it’s the quiet road past Normanton Cottages. 

At the road junction, we turned  right, continued slightly uphill until we reached two footpath signs on our left. We took the left hand path which goes downhill over a couple of fields, then crosses a road, and continues, eventually crossing the river Gwash and reaching the road to Mill farm.

A little further on the footpath leaves the road , crosses a footbridge, and  another field, and leads into Empingham.

There were couple of brief showers while we were out, one while in the cafe, otherwise windy but quite warm in the sun.

7.3 miles.