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Walks in detail
Ellesmere - 4th February 2007
This leisurely walk around the area known as Shropshire’s Lakeland starts from close by the largest of
the glacial meres and the Cremone Gardens. (There are public toilets here.) Our route follows the water’s
edge for a while before branching off into undulating farmland, eventually bringing us to the pretty village
of Welshampton.
We cross the main road and walk down a country lane until reaching a bridge over the
Llangollen canal. We take the steps down to the tow path and then begin the homeward route along the canal,
passing Cole Mere and Blake Mere and going through Ellesmere Tunnel. The final stretch goes past Ellesmere
Visitor Centre (and more public toilets.)
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Foel Fenlli / Offa's Dyke - 11th March 2007
| This walk incorporates part of the route of Offa's Dyke, an earthwork built by Offa, Anglo-Saxon king
of Mercia, to separate his kingdom from Wales. The walk begins with a short but steep climb to the top of
Foel Fenlli, providing views to Snowdonia on a clear day. We descend from Foel Fenlli and there follows a
long stretch of easy walking in the Welsh countryside along flat or gently graded land. The walk ends
with a steepish final ascent to the car park. The nearby village has a nice pub for a post-walk drink.
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Axe Edge Moor & 3 Shires Head - 14th April 2007
| The walk begins from the Devonshire Bridge car park at the head of the Goyt Valley and strikes off
across open moorland. In this area there are sealed off air shafts of long since abandoned coal mines. The
track crosses the A537 and continues over Axe Edge Moor down into Blackhole Clough. Our route down the
Clough brings us to the famous Three Shires Head at Panniers Pool Bridge where the three counties of
Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire converge. This is a popular spot for a break, especially on a nice
day. Our route takes us over the bridge and then up the valley to the right, along the Dane Valley Way.
When we reach the site of a disused colliery we head off up a steep path to reach the Congleton to Buxton
road. On the other side of the road our route follows the path across Danebower Hollow to the Cat and Fiddle
Inn, from where there is a road back to the car park from which we started.
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Kentmere Round - 9th June 2007
This walk is a bit further away than usual, in the fringes of the Lake District, though in fact this
area is similar in distance and time to going to Snowdonia. The Kentmere Round was one of Wainwright’s
favourite walks and takes in no less than seven tops in its 12 miles.
We will drive up the M6 and head for Kentmere Village, parking by the church. Kentmere had a lake
until 1840 when it was drained for agricultural land. The newly drained land turned out to be not very
drained so proved useless for farming. What’s more, local businesses suddenly found a drained lake meant
they were short of water, so eight years after the draining a new lake was dug at the head of the valley.
There would have been more, but the money ran out. Another example of great planning all round!
On our walk up to the first top we shall pass Badger Rock, alternatively known as Brock Stone. We
walk to our first top , Yoke (2309’) and then onto the impressively cairned Ill Bell (2476’) providing full
length views of Windermere and the fells to the west. We drop down a little and then up to Frostwick (2359’)
before rising to our highest point, Thornthwaite Crag (2569’). This path follows the route of a Roman road
before we leave it to ascend Mardale Ill Bell (2496’) and walk on to Kentmere Pike and our final top,
Shipman Knotts (1920’). We then drop down back into Kentmere Village. The plan is that those who wish to
(having sorted the transport appropriately before we set off) will then have a well-earned drink and a pub
meal in Staveley before driving back to Cheshire.
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Kinder Scout - 22nd July 2007
The windswept moorland of Kinder Scout is the highest point of the Peak District and the scene of the
Mass Trespass which led to several ramblers being jailed for unlawful assembly in 1932. This being the 75th
anniversary of the trespass, which led eventually to the setting up of National Parks and more recently the
right-to-roam, we shall follow in the footsteps of the estimated 400 protesters who set off from Bowden
Bridge quarry (now a car park) in Hayfield.
The route goes alongside the River Kinder and by one side of Kinder reservoir to the symbolic
"access to open country" gate on White Brow. A path ascends William Clough to Ashop Head and here
we shall join the Pennine Way heading south towards the dramatic scenery of Kinder Downfall – a 100 foot
waterfall where the river drops off the rocky plateau. It’s thought this could be the origin of the name
Kinder Scout, which may be Norse and has been translated to mean "water falling over a projecting
cliff".
Our next stop will be the trig point at Kinder Low before we make our way along Kinderlow End to
drop steeply down some stone steps and head back to Bowden Bridge.
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Moel Siabod - 5th August 2007
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After passing derelict quarries, barracks & Ellyn y Fowl, a huge tarn shaded by the immense rocky slopes of
Siabod, it is an exhilarating ascent on easy rock, right to the summit and the view of Snowdon is as good
as it gets. You can see the whole of the Horseshoe and all the major peaks, Glyderfach' s rocks &
Tryfan's distinctive buttresses. You can see all the 3000ft peaks without having to turn your head.
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Cnight (the knight) - 19th August 2007
After a steady climb past sparkling tarns, the two tops are reached by weaving through the rocks; a grassy
& safe ridge joins the two and is one of the most pleasant walks in Wales.
Descent is past two more large tarns housing trout & the breeding grounds of many species of birds
& following roughly the outfall of these two tarns.
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Baker Way - 1st September 2007
This is a walk which will take us from Chester station to Delamere station - it is 13 miles (21km) in all.
It begins by going along the towpath of the Shropshire Union canal as far as Rowton Bridge. We follow the
opposite side of the canal before crossing more field paths (currently with a maize crop) and across meadows
to Hockenhull Platts to cross the Gowy over a series of ancient bridges and urban footways to reach Tarvin.
From Tarvin we have a mixture of tracks and field paths to Brines Brow and then through the Delamere Forest
Park to Delamere rail station.
Because this walk is linear we will start and finish at Delamere Rail Station. The walk programme
shows us meeting at Acton, which will still take place. From Acton cars will go to Delamere Station and
all walk participants will catch the 10-31 train to Chester and will need to purchase a single ticket to
Chester (fare around £3-40 single). There will be time to have a coffee at the Delamere café and it is
anticipated that the walk will take around five and a half hours with stops. The terrain is generally
‘flat’ so regular walkers should have no difficulty completing the distance. It's well worth the effort!
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Berwyn & Velvet Hill - 4th November 2007
| The walk starts from the car park at the bottom of Velvet Hill. We first climb down steps to the
Llangollen canal and walk along it for about half a mile to the end. Then we go into a meadow by the
Horseshoe falls and up to Llantysilio Church. We walk for a short distance through the village and then
climb a stile into a meadow and up to Llandynan. The path now gets steeper up to disused quarry from where
if clear we get spectacular views of the upper Dee valley. We now start to descend down to the Britannia Inn,
then back towards Crucus Abbey and climb up and over Velvet hill, where there are also fine views, and back to the car park.
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Beeston & Bishop Bennett Way - 24th November 2007
| This eight mile leisurely walk starts from the car park at Beeston Castle and heads southbound on the
Sandstone Trail. Soon our route leaves the Trail and picks up farmland footpaths to link up with the start
of the 34 mile Bishop Bennet Way. This bridleway is named after William Bennet, who was born in 1745 in the
Tower of London. He was appointed Bishop of Cork and Ross in 1790 and four years later became Bishop of
Cloyne, a post he kept until his death in 1820. He carried out some of the earliest detailed surveys of the
old Roman roads of England, including those between the Roman forts at Deva (Chester) and Mediolanvm
(Whitchurch). He won’t have had the pleasure of popping into Cheshire Ice Cream Farm, which we shall have
the option of doing as we leave the Bishop's route and head towards the Shropshire Union Canal. We shall
keep to the canal towpath for about three miles, passing the Shady Oak public house on the other side, and
eventually pick up the Sandstone Trail again to complete the circle. Throughout, we shall have great
views of the medieval ruins of Beeston Castle, the formidable “Castle of the Rock” and, at times, the
much more modern Peckforton Castle.
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Deep Hayes Country Park - 16th December 2007
| This walk starts by walking along the canal as far as Cheddleton Flint Mill where we walk through the
village to Hollow Lane. After passing the church & old school we walk along Shaffalong Lane then down a
meadow to Coalpitford Lane. We then climb up to a good viewpoint at Knowsley Common and down Old Mill Lane
to Stanley Pool. We then pass through Stanley village and then down to the canal again and past the
Hollybush Inn. Then back along the canal to the Deep Hayes Car Park.
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Forest of Bowland - 21st June 2008
| The walk starts at Fell Foot. The highest point is Fair Snape Fell giving tremendous views to Blackpool
Tower, the Isle of Man, the Southern Lakes and the Yorkshire Peaks. We continue through an area of wild
moorland with special protective status for some of the bird species living there. We drop down to Langden
Brook and then return via a circular route to the starting point.
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Chilli Curry Evening - 5th July 2008
| A social evening for Group members will be held in Nantwich on the 5th July starting from around 19-00.
A selection of curries and chilli will be the main courses and as in the past we will ask guests to bring
along salads and desserts with of course your own favourite tipple.
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Blencathra - 6th July 2008
Once subject to a conspiracy to call it "Saddleback" (to Wainwright’s annoyance), a name deriving
from the shape of its top, most now use the more ancient Norse name of Blencathra for this Cumbrian peak.
Wainwright described Blencathra as "one of the grandest sights in Lakeland", and it is clearly
recognisable north of the A66 on the way into Keswick from the M6. Blencathra provides a relatively short
walk, but a very rewarding one, with superb views towards Derwent Water from its summit.
When we climb Blencathra in June a choice of ascents will be provided. We all walk to Scales Tarn,
but at this point we split. I will lead the foolish and the brave rightwards to Sharp Edge, "the
highlight of the walk", whose crest is "sharp enough for shaving", "a rising crescent
of naked rock and spectacular appearance", enough to make a walker "forget all worries, even
a raging toothache" (all quotations from Wainwright). Sharp Edge is narrow and exposed but can be
climbed quite easily, is quite short and the difficult bits can be by-passed. Those who don’t want to do
Sharp Edge will be led leftwards on an alternative route, which is quite steep but with no exposure.
Blencathra even has the bonus of a nice pub at its foot near which we shall be parking.
Frank Jones
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Carnedds, Dafydd & Llewelyn - 10th August 2008
You can take the difficult way and climb Snowdon via Crib Goch, but really it’s quite easy to get up
Snowdonia’s highest mountain. The Pyg Track and the Miner’s Track are quite straightforward and even let
you start about 1000 feet up from Pen y Pass (if you can find space in the car park). You can even cheat
completely and take the train from Llanberis. The slightly lower mountains can be trickier which leads to
the highest adventure in the programme (though this can’t compete with those who went up Kilimanjaro!).
In August I’m leading a walk to the top of three of the Carneddau. From the south this is a hard
and scrambly climb, but the route I’ll be taking is from Bethesda, a walkers’ route, not a climbers’ route,
following the Afon Llafar valley onto Cwm Llafar and onto the first 3000 foot top, Carnedd Dafydd,
named after another Welsh prince, brother of Dafydd, also killed by the English. We follow the ridge to
our final 3000 feet top, Yr Elen (not a Welsh prince, therefore not killed by the English). From here
we get splendid views of the whole range. From Yr Elen, it’s downhill all the way, having completed three 3000 feet tops in a day.
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Roman Road, Aber - 31st August 2008
We start at a small car park on a no-through road at Bont Newydd - not the Aber Falls car park but we
can call at toilets at Aber Falls car park if required.
We make our way up to the North Wales Path which we follow to the Roman Road (not visible). We pass
some ancient incised stones where we leave the North Wales Path and continue on the Roman Road. There are
excellent views of the coast if we are lucky with the weather. The highest point is about 400 metres
(1300 feet). After walking for 4 miles we come to a gate at the start of a metalled road which is our
destination so we return back to the start on the same path but with different views in front of us.
The walk is not steep but rises about 200 metres (650 feet). The path is good all the way with open moorland.
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Cannock Chase, Staffs - 26th October 2008
| We meet at 9.00am at Nantwich Lake car park then drive to Seven Springs car
park on the edge of Cannock Chase map ref: 003206 OS Explorer Map 244.
Initially the walk follows the Staffordshire Way along the Trent and Mersey
canal.The route then leaves the canal entering the parklands of Shugborough Hall
a NT property. Still following the Staffordshire Way we re-enter the woodlands
of Cannock Chase which should be quite colourful at this time of the year.
Following a gentle ascent of Coppice Hill the walk drops down to Stepping Stones
where, weather permitting, we will stop for a picnic lunch. We then return to
Seven Springs.
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