Friday 8 September 2023 - Around Delamere Forest

We couldn't possibly let the current warm weather pass without a walk. So on Friday Sue and I drove to Norley, where one of Jen Darling's 'More Pub Walks' adventures begins. We'd not done this walk before, but we are familiar with all the paths except those around Norley.

The walk started from the Tiger's Head pub. It's probably normally ok to use their car park, but today they were a wedding venue, with a huge marquee and lots of seating, so we parked around the corner and soon found the ginnel down which Jen's route starts. The view from the ginnel (above) indicates that we could have reached it from the pub's garden.

A leafy hedge soon produced mild claustrophobia!

A minor change to Jen's route to avoid passing close to the buildings of Home Farm found us beside a field of stunted barley.

After dropping to a farm entrance we turned right towards the building shown below.

That was a mistake, we should have gone left! Anyway, we did then go left, to reach Town Farm Lane, on which we passed a few more farms before taking a track to the right of 'The Oranges' then forking left past fields that are in fact the reinstated depths of Norley Sand Quarry. That quarry was one of the audit clients I dealt with in the early 1970s. I recall a brilliant bookkeeper, friendly staff, and the well kept records of a good business. As far as I know, it has now gone, though there are other sand quarries nearby.

The path dropped to a small stream in an area known as 'The Fishponds'. (No fish seen.)

Rising up the hillside ahead, we passed some flowers and walked through a motorcross track.

(As usual, click on any picture for a slideshow.)

Common Centaury

Tormentil

Bar Polypore

Motorcross rules

Another minor footpath change occurred at Brownmoss Farm, where walkers are now obliged to keep their distance before heading on a grassy track between fields, past Flaxmere.

Brownmoss Farm

Emerging at the Carriers Inn, we paused at the picnic benches next to Hatchmere. Very briefly. There were hungry mosquitoes.

We wound our way past the beaver enclosure and a 'Mr Fox' sculpture.

The shady paths on the hot day were most welcome. There were a few other walkers, and a cyclist or two, but this popular area wasn't exactly crowded, as we strolled on to enjoy a mosquito free elevenses break at a picnic table on the Sandstone Trail beyond Barnsbridge Gates.

After that it was a straightforward walk over the railway to a left turn beyond Eddisbury Lodge, past the new Visitor Centre, to Delamere Station, where we eschewed the cafe following our earlier picnic.

The path back to Norley soon left the forest and after an easily missed left turn just before 'The Firs', wound its way up along a grassy tractor track.

We missed the Gallows Clough Lane route recommended by Jen, and emerged onto the main road in Norley, beyond a profusion of botanic colour.

Just to the right of the next picture, a large number of bridesmaids were getting ready for action, so we decided against visiting the pub, admired the telephone box, and went home for lunch.

Here's our route - 13 km with 150 metres ascent, taking around three hours.

Followed by a superb dinner in P&J's garden on a perfect evening.

Friday 26 November 2021 - Around Helsby Hill

Graeme, JJ and Judith joined me on an overcast day (much better than the expected rain) for a walk described in Jen Darling's 'More Pub Walks' book. Jen's route used to start, in the original 2000 edition, from Netherton Hall, but I believe it has been updated to start from Beacon Hill. Unsure about parking at Netherton Hall, I had already planned to start from the Sandstone Trail car park at Beacon Hill, from near where the above photo was taken as we made our way along a field path between winter greens, to briefly join Manley Road. 

We soon reached the Sandstone Trail marked path at Snidley Moor Wood, where the last signs of autumn are evidenced by deep beech leaf litter.

Burrows Lane was soon reached, completely blocked for traffic by a large pile of branches. The residents of Alderhall, pictured in the distance below, must have to gain access by a road from Commonside, to the south.

Here's a picture taken from the same spot, on a path that leads towards Helsby.

At the edge of a wood with marked paths, a convenient picnic bench enabled us all to enjoy the contents of our flasks and refuel on the shortbread and scones brought by me and JJ. All gone by the time I got the camera out.

Dog walkers were parking nearby, so whilst Jen's description follows the road, we chose to wander as they were, through the wood, passing a disused quarry, and rejoining the road a bit further on, near the signed path to Helsby Hill.

The path goes past a farm with a large pond inhabited by a flock of Shelduck, before heading on to the trig point at the 141 metre summit.

There are fine views from the summit, across the bay to Liverpool and Lancashire, and in the other direction to Beeston and Peckforton, where it was showery today.

A good path led down through woodland to a stile that marks the end of some National Trust land. The stile is notable for the electric lazer-fence that catches the unwary (lazy) folk who try to by-pass the stile. It's just a sharp nip, not fatal to either JJ or Graeme, but Judith and I took no risks...

After a brief navigational faux pas (we should have turned sharp left at the stile) we walked into, then out of Helsby, heading east towards Beacon Hill, with pleasant views in the unexpectedly fine weather.

The North Cheshire Way provided a good path along the western border of the woodland below Woodhouse Hill.

A weathered set of steps leads up to Carriage Drive, where we turned left and headed down to Netherton Hall, from where Jen's route starts.

If starting from the pub - on the main A56 road south of Frodsham - it would be courteous to seek permission to park. Jen's 2000 dated guidebook describes appetizing meals and snacks. We didn't take the opportunity to provide an update on this, but the pub was busy.

Turning back up Carriage Drive, we regained the Sandstone Trail and turned sharply left up some steep steps to reach Frodsham Golf Course.

The path across the golf course is poorly marked, resulting in our following the perimeter rather than the designated path. You can see that near the car in the image below that records our 11km route with 350 metres ascent. It took us a leisurely three and a half hours.

Thanks for your company, everyone; there should be another outing next Friday (3 December). Let me know if you'd like details and are not on my circulation list.

I'll insert links to JJ and Judith's reports when they are published.
Here's JJ's report.

A visit to Wilkinsons in Warrington (very busy) confirmed that my damaged Canon G16 camera is not worth repairing. Scrap, unless anyone would like to have a go at mending it...

Primrosehill Wood

This was another recce for Jen Darling, should she get around to issuing a new edition of 'Walks in West Cheshire and Wirral'. It's basically a shortened version of her 14 km route described in 'More Pub Walks in Cheshire and Wirral', which we walked on 5 April 2019 - report here. Neither of my companions on that occasion were present today.

Seven of us - me, Sue, Jenny, Graeme, Philip, Keith and Carol - assembled efficiently at a lay-by on Stoney Lane, Delamere (SJ 553 683), on an overcast but comfortably warm morning.

After a brief period of unpleasantness on the pavement of the A54 main road, we found ourselves making our way through damp grass at the side of a field to a wooden post that neatly housed my camera for the self-timed group picture shown above.

We then ascended a path at the edge of Primrosehill Wood, into which we could see other pathways leading to the interior of the wood, with magnificent beech trees in this detached segment of Delamere Forest.

From the edge of the wood at its high point, Philip assured us that on a clear day we would be able to discern the distinct outline of Shutlingsloe. Today it was a little hazy for that, and some imagination was needed in order to pick out the outline of the Peak District in the distance.

After joining Tirley Lane, and passing Tirley Farm, our path took us pleasantly around the Tirley Garth estate. The large country house seemed to be shielded from public view. Built in 1907, the building has an interesting history, and was bought by Mersey Television (founded by Phil Redmond) in 2002. That is now known as Lime Pictures, so perhaps the internal cloisters of the building provide the set for many a Lime Pictures production?

A quiet lane, John Street, led into the pretty village of Utkinton where we turned right down a snicket and passed an unusual wall structure, despite a 'footpath closed' sign. We soon discovered the reason for the sign - about five metres of pathway have disappeared, leaving a 3 metre chasm with vertical sides.

We adjourned for elevenses and some of Sue's chocolate caramel shortbread.

The path may have completely disappeared, but five of us found a way round, whilst Graeme and Philip were sensible - their longer route to a rendezvous point got them there rather more speedily than our adventures in the gully.

Once 'out of the woods' we could enjoy views across the Cheshire farmland to Beeston Castle. (Click on any of these images for a better version/slideshow.)

The Sandstone Trail path was now joined, and a good footpath led around the side of a field.

Note, below, the yellow latch on a kissing gate. Under the initiative of Michael Gove, supervised by Dominic Cummings, the Tory government would appear to have required each Local Authority to appoint a 'latchperson' to paint all gate and stile latches yellow so that their voters, now released into the UK countryside instead of being allowed to stumble around the crowded beaches of Spain, can find their way from yellow latch to yellow latch across the countryside of their homeland where they've never previously set foot ...

Jen's book eulogises Summer Trees Tea Room. Sadly, this former haven for walkers was sold some time ago and is now a private house.

Soon after this, we veered right, off the Sandstone Trail, heading past a meadow filled with buttercups and Ribwort Plantain, before returning to the delights of Primrosehill Wood.

Beyond the wood, gallops and horsey infrastructure - believed to be part of the Michael Footballer Owen Empire - on an industrial scale lay before us, but luckily the yellow latches (not to mention the footpath signs) led us with the aid of our resident cow-whisperer (Sue), through a field of cows and back to Stoney Lane.

Here's our route - 9.5 km with 200 metres ascent, taking rather less than three hours.

Graeme and Phil returned home. The rest of us drove a very short distance to Abbeywood Gardens for lunch after this sociable outing in lovely countryside.

Our next Friday walk will be as follows; all are welcome under the current rules:

Friday 18 June, 10.00am start - A 14 km circuit from Rose Hill, Marple. Park by the Middlewood Way trail at Rose Hill station, SJ 949 887. Bring a sandwich.