Friday 20 February 2026 - Pen y Bont

We are on holiday for a week with Paul and Jeanette and Rufus in this lovely house in the Ceiriog valley.

We have already had far more sunshine than on our recent trip to the Trossachs, despite rain on the hour and a half journey.

There was even time for a 5km stroll from the house to Tregeiriog and back before the light started to fade.

The views are towards Tregeiriog from the high road. We returned via the low road, via a farm path full of Snowdrops.

Sue is studying the Tesco delivery for tomorrow's veggie meal. She thinks she may have ordered an incorrect quantity. 

Here's our house from the end of the drive.

Pictures of the kitchen and living room whilst P & J study the Peregrine hunting outside.

Friday 13 February 2026 - Knutsford to Northwich (Altrincham to Chester Stage 2)

For this stage, eight of us met up on the 9:36 train from Altrincham to Knutsford, where we enjoyed a leisurely coffee in the most hospitable Booths café. (Stage 1 report is here.)

It has taken me some time to produce this report, thanks to various distractions ranging from grandchildren to TGO Challenge vetting. Meanwhile, AlanR has composed a very comprehensive report on the walk. His full report is here, and the snippets I've used in this report (why reinvent the wheel) are included in blue text. Thanks go to Alan for all his research. Readers may also enjoy visiting his posting concerning the project that distracted him from attending the last few GM Ringway walks - that's here.

After passing several interesting buildings in Knutsford, including this Victorian building dating from 1897, recently refurbished and now in use as offices....

....I tried to find a rural exit from Knutsford, via Blackhill Farm, onto a field path around which it looked as if dog walkers enjoyed their stroll without crossing the M56 motorway. The gang (sort of) posed for a less distorted record of attendance than the one shown above.

The exit from a large field looked unlikely, but when we reached the far corner we were pleased to find steps concealed by vegetation that gave access to a welcome footbridge, without which a long diversion would have ensued. 

Reaching Parkside Farm was a mud fest, in some parts knee deep, we tried our best to navigate the sink holes. Quite a few farming relics were left to die here but I couldn't get close enough to get detailed images so had to settle for zoom.

I think Alan must have gone looking for mud. There was an easier way!

More fields were crossed and a wobbly stile led onto a minor road.

Over the road stood a very old cottage with a thatched roof. Parkside Cottage was unoccupied and looking quite sorry for itself. It is grade 2 listed and would probably take a good amount of money to restore it to a liveable standard.

A viewing platform (above) for Holford Hall was advertised, but it was something of a disappointment.

The hall is now a private home and wedding venue. It was built in 1601 and is Grade 2 listed. It is timber framed and was built on an earlier 13th century moated site. The house was built for Lady Cholmondeley 1562-1625 who was known as the Litigator due to the amount of time she employed in the courts fighting for the the family estate.

I had intended walking around Plumley Lime Beds Nature Reserve, but we soon discovered that not all Nature Reserves are open to the public. This one was very private, so we were restricted to the public path around the perimeter, lined with recently planted trees.

Around here we found a variety of fungi and lichens, just a few of which are shown below.

Witch's Butter - this is about as big as it gets after a lot of rain, and it's edible uncooked

Silverleaf Fungus

Jelly Ear

Hairy Curtain Crust

We carried on along a good path, crossing a railway line and joining a minor road. Between the railway and the road were 2 large pipes containing water. Very unusual; we were to come across these pipes numerous times on the route ahead. 

Also within the tree line to the south of the road ran an old overgrown railway track. It took me some time investigating and I found out that there used to be a chemical works and it had its own railway siding leading off from the main line.

The chemical works was the site of a former Ammonia Soda company factory (later acquired by Brunner Mond), historically significant for producing ammonium nitrate for explosives during WW1. It was designated a scheduled monument in 2018 for its role in war time munitions. But there doesn't seem to be much left.

We went under the A556 main road bridge and eventually joined the road at Lostock Gralam. It was lunch time and so we went to St John's church to find a bench but someone must have known we were coming and hidden the benches. We retraced our steps and had lunch in the shelter on the railway station platform.

That was a good move. The waiting area (it could hardly be called a 'room'), sheltered us from a very nippy breeze.

For miles around a large factory dominates the skyline. The plant is an energy from waste facility that will export 69.9 MW of electricity to the power grid using residual waste. The waste remaining after processing can be used as fuel.

Heading south along a very flooded road we found a footpath east which would take us into the old Bonners Green factory grounds (used to be a power station prior to the waste facility), adjacent to the Trent and Mersey canal.

A footbridge we were hoping to use was blocked off and so we had a short distance of road walking until we came to an access point on the towpath at the Lambs Wharf pub. We were lucky with timing as the narrow boat repair yard was just lifting a boat out of the canal and into the yard. Impressive.

A menagerie adjacent to the canal stopped our progress for a few minutes. Many peacocks, chickens, and other heritage animals can be seen. The house, Canalside Cottage looked very run down.

Next to the run down cottage, an attempt at a very ambitious tree house?!

At the first bridge over the canal we turned off the towpath to find a footpath that was being restored by a very friendly chap. It seemed a shame to walk over the area he had just levelled and raked but he was quite happy with that and engaged us in a long conversation regarding devious practices that led the owner to abandon plans to provide additional footpaths and other facilities. He had been told there was no point in his buying part of the land as it was blighted by mining subsidence. The truth of that has been placed in doubt by the appearance of a large housing estate on this 'blighted land of no use to anyone'.

Across a field led us to a bridge over Wincham Brook and again the huge pipes went overhead. They looked as though they had only recently been installed. Then we were into Northwich suburbs. 

Our path exiting a small trading estate was at first missed as the sign was overgrown and the fencing blended in so well that we actually walked past it. A quick look at the map put us right. The path was narrow and very overgrown. At the end a very old set of concrete steps were descended. I thought at the time that these steps must have been used for something more demanding in the past. I checked the map again and we were now dropping down and across an old dismantled mineral railway. 

It was difficult to tell exactly where the line went because it was now overgrown and quite boggy in places. The path led us again to a wide bridge across Wincham Brook, but before we crossed we spotted more Silverleaf fungi on a tree.

We then made our way on easy tarmac to the railway station in Northwich, where we had 40 minutes to wait for the return train to Altrincham. So we enjoyed a visit to Costa coffee in the nearby Tesco for refreshments and a warm up. It was bitterly cold now, especially when we stopped walking.

Here's our route - 15 km with 50 metres ascent (= flat), taking us rather less than 4 hours. Click on the image for a better version.

Thanks to everyone who came along today and made it both an enjoyable walk and a social occasion, and thanks again to Alan for letting me use some of his excellent text.

The third stage of this walk will start from Northwich station on Thursday 5 March. Here's the flier.

Altrincham to Chester - Stage 3 - Northwich to Cuddington.
9:36 train from Altrincham to Northwich (10:05),then walk to Cuddington, approx 18km. Return on 16:18 train.

Thursday 12 February 2026 - A Visit to Shrewsbury

After a gap of some years, Sue and I arranged to see my cousin Richard and his wife Kathy at their house in Shrewsbury. Tea and cake was on offer to celebrate the occasion - Kathy had baked a delicious chocolate cake.

Before the afternoon with R & K, Sue and I enjoyed a 9 km stroll from the 'Love Plants' garden centre/caravan sales park at Emstrey. A giant sculpture of a dragonfly marks the entrance.

A field path led down to the River Severn, quite full after recent rain. We thought there might be a nicely surfaced walking route, but all we found was a muddy footpath.

After a couple of km we left the river bank in favour of footpaths towards the town centre. We soon passed Lord Hill's column, a 133 foot Doric column (the tallest in England). It looked splendid, apparently recently refurbished according to Richard, whose home is very close by.

Lord Hill (1772 - 1842 was a renowned British Army commander from Shropshire, famous as Wellington's trusted right-hand man during the Napoleonic Wars.

I have memories of enjoying the views from the column when I went up it as a 5 year old during a six month period when we lived in the nearby rectory with my grandparents. My grandfather was the vicar at nearby St Giles. I still remember going to my first day at school in Shrewsbury.

Sue and I continued past the abbey. Time constraints meant for a very brief visit, so we couldn't admire the stained glass windows and other features of this and other buildings.

After a while I spotted a route that avoided any roads. It was muddy.

 

As we were short of time, lunch comprised a couple of sandwiches from Greggs, before we returned to the car and made it to Richard and Kathy's nearly dead on time.

Here's our route - just 9 km, with 60 metres ascent, taking less than a couple of hours.

We'll be back. And we will arrange to see Richard and more of his family again soon.

2 to 8 February 2026 - Another Week at Tigh Mor

Index:

Monday 2 February 2026 - Our house at Tigh Mor

Tuesday 3 February 2026 - Primrose Hill

Wednesday 4 February 2026 - Conic Hill

Thursday 5 February 2026 - Stank Glen

Friday 6 February 2026 - Callander to Tigh Mor

Saturday 7 February 2026 - University of Stirling parkrun, and Lewis Hill

Sunday 8 February 2026 - Inversnaid to Stronachlachar

2025

4 to 9 February 2025 - A Week at Tigh Mor

Sunday 8 February 2026 - Inversnaid to Stronachlachar

Steady rain fell as Sue and Phil and Mike packed up to go home to look after Phil and Mike's mother. That left Alison and Russell, who did their own thing, David who went up a hill in a cloud, and seven of us - me, Sue, Julie, Tom, Richard, Jenny and Jessica - who enjoyed a short walk along the Great Trossachs Way.

By the time we reached Inversnaid, where the large hotel pictured above was closed, the rain had subsided to a light drizzle, so as on every day of this trip waterproofs were donned but any dampness was due to condensation.

The waterfall next to the hotel was in full flow. It's a busy place 'in the season' as the West Highland Way passes through here.

Initially the path rises steeply out of Inversnaid.

 

The view across Loch Lomond confirmed our wise decision to stay low!

The air must be clean here - a good breeding ground for lichen.

After emerging onto a road at the top of the forest walk, we passed a bunkhouse much used by WHW walkers - a defunct chapel put to good use.

There's an RSPB reserve here. Lots of enclosed geese, and a young cow tucking in to a tree.

The earlier rain had cleared the air a little. 

Looking back, Garrison Farm used to be a military barracks. It has a rich history that features Rob Roy and others.

Our well laid path passed the dam at the end of Loch Arklet.

In between showers we enjoyed views across the Loch.

Lunch was taken in the middle of a downward section of path. It wasn't busy, we saw three people.

After that, a straightforward walk to Stronachlachar, where we had left a couple of cars.

Here's our route - 8.5km with 220 metres ascent, taking rather less than 3 hours. 

The tea room at Stronachlachar is excellent. Here's  Julie enjoying welcome refreshments, as a Highland cow looks on.

Some of us bought walking guides - perhaps after the horse had bolted, as we go home tomorrow. 

But we'll be back, hopefully to enjoy more than just this glimmer of sunshine that graced the view from Inversnaid when we arrived to collect the cars.

Last night all 13 of us dined at Scott's Bistro, about a 20 metre walk from our house. Here's our group at dinner time.

Tonight it's our home made lasagne.