Tuesday 17 September 2024 - Whitegate

This is Tony Bowerman's 'Walks in Mysterious Cheshire and Wirral' number 11. It was a beautiful day on which to stroll around this scenic 5km route. Longer walks are available from this starting point outside St Mary's Church, the history of which can be deciphered from a nearby information board.

Click on any image for a better view or a slideshow

I started up Vale Royal Drive, at the end of which parking is available, though I found a spot on nearby Grange Lane. Wrens busied themselves in the undergrowth.

After 300 metres beyond a gate, a partly obscured sign pointed across a field of harvested crops.

Looking back across the field, I wondered what crop would be sown next.

After wrestling my way along a path littered with fallen trees and unkempt undergrowth, I emerged at a fence on the boundary of a massive lawn. I turned right and soon entered this dewy expanse by way of a ladder stile.

After cutting off the corner of the lawn, field paths took me along to the River Weaver, and a narrow path through more woodland to meet a tarmac driveway where two right turns took me over a black and white bridge to Vale Royal Locks, part of the Weaver Navigation that saw large ships pass this way until 1969.

After some tea and cake beside the locks, I made my way back over the black and white bridge and onto the tarmac driveway.

After turning left along the driveway, a few metres on were some steep sandstone steps that I followed to reach anothe harvested field.

My route then crossed this 500 metre expanse of field. You can see in the next picture the undulating path, with some people on it just beyond a pylon in the distance.

There followed a short strip of woodland before entering a golf course and carefully making my way along a well marked path and past an ornamental pond.

Exiting the golf course, a stroll along St Mary's Drive brought me to a thin path that led to a right turn along Vale Royal Drive to return to Whitegate and this picture taken from the corner of Grange Lane.

Here's the 5km route. Ascent is minimal. It took me little more than an hour plus stops, of which there were many, with numerous folk enjoying these nice paths on a wonderful summer's day.

Monday 16 September 2024 - Manchester Jazz at Eagley Jazz Club

As Bolton is more or less on my way home from the Yorkshire Dales, and thanks to Markus and me eating fairly early, I was able to return home via Manchester Jazz Band's gig at Eagley.

I don't think this band has performed at Eagley before now, but it was good to see the familiar faces of Mike Pembroke (trombone), Jim Lucas (trumpet), and Eric Newton (reeds). They are pictured above with Roger Browne (piano and band leader).

The other two members of the band have crept into the pictures below - Chris Pendlebury (percussion), and Allan Wilcox (bass). I hope I've got that right! Jim was just making a guest appearance tonight, and there may usually be a guitar/banjo player in the line up, so I guess membership of this band is quite 'fluid'.

I'm glad I made the effort, it was a most entertaining evening, and great music.

Monday 16 September 2024 - A Sedbergh Circuit

I was supposed to meet Markus on the summit of Ingleborough yesterday lunchtime. It would not have been pleasant. Driving rain was forecast all day, and that turned out to be correct. A last minute adjustment to plans was necessary, though without Wifi or a phone signal, Markus was completely in the dark. Instead of going to Chapel-le-Dale on Sunday, I went to Sedbergh on Monday, in the knowledge that Markus was booked into a hotel there. From there I walked along the Dales High Way (DHW) route to beyond Dent, and I met Markus coming the other way after having climbed Whernside, pretty much exactly where I expected him to appear.

I faffed on riverside paths and returned to the car to take it to a better place in a layby beside the River Rawthey, on the DHW route. Autumn has yet to trouble the greenery in the Yorkshire Dales.

Sedbergh and the Howgills from the DHW path

Panorama (click on it to enlarge) towards the Howgills from Long Moor

Elevenses on Long Moor

View towards Middleton Fell on the descent from Long Moor

Hover Fly on Rampion

On the descent to Dent, a very narrow lane winds up to this vacant cottage.

The road to Dent is encountered at Barth Bridge, from where the DHW and Dales Way paths lead on to Dent beside the River Dee. I'd met not a single person before reaching the outskirts of Dent.

After passing through Dent, and checking that Markus wasn't there, I continued to Church Bridge, for a long lunch on a bench in the playing fields with this view:

Church Bridge

Just a bit further on, I met Markus at Double Croft. I turned around and we enjoyed good views of the river, and refreshments at the cafe in Dent Village Heritage Centre..

Knapweed

Oxeye Daisy

Markus, the camera shy Austrian, insisted that he take my picture outside my Bank.

We then continued on along the Dales Way path until we reached a tempting new footbridge at Ellers.

Appearances can be deceptive, it's already starting to fall apart!

Other walkers continued along the Dales Way, but we took a nice alternative route on sometimes vague paths via Mire House and Burton Hill to rejoin the Dales Way route at an attractive bridleway at Gap.

Markus strides along the scenic bridleway that leads to the hamlet of Millthrop

After a gentle rise, the Howgills and Sedbergh came into view.

One of the gardens in Millthrop was overflowing with plants of all colours. It must win awards.

The River Rawthey was crossed for a final time, before we made our way past the sports grounds of Sedbergh School and through the small town to the Dalesman Inn.

Here's my route - an excellent day's walk of about 23 km, with just 350 metres ascent. It took me around 7 hours, at least 2 hours of which was at rest.

We were both glad that I'd delayed my visit for a day, and we enjoyed beers and a good meal at the pub before I wended my way home.

Amongst what I observed today:

Thistles, Dandelions, Knapweed, Harebells, Oxeye Daisy, lots of Tormentil on Long Moor, Yarrow, Pineappleweed, Meadow Cranesbill.

Not a lot of birds apart from the usual common ones, but I did spot a Wheatear - shouldn't it have migrated by now? ["Not this week, it's still summer here..."]