Saturday 24 April 2021 - Beacon Country Park and Ashurst Beacon

Enticed by continuing blue skies and an invitation that we couldn't refuse, Sue and I met up with Keith and Carol, and Richard and Jenny, at Parsonage Brow, next to an entrance to Beacon Country Park.

We made our way to Dean Wood, passing en route this delightful property.

Yours for just £750K plus the cost of a sit-on lawnmower!

A path through the golf course led us down into Dean Wood, where the Wood Anemones are flourishing.

According to what I've just heard on Countryfile, Wood Anemones spread, via their root systems, at a rate of about six feet every 100 years. That makes this woodland at least 400 years old. It's also home to vast numbers of Bluebells and Lesser Celandine, as well Ramsons (Wild Garlic) and many other species.

Soon after elevenses beside a carpet of Lesser Celandine, and before reaching Roby Mill, we passed a garden that is set up as a much more comfortable spot for elevenses - if you can avoid the attention of the local crocodile!

 

More pleasant paths took us from Roby Mill towards Ashurst Beacon, past some stunning clumps of Dandelions, a good view to Winter Hill, and hedgerows full of Yellow Archangel.

Even the Daffodils were still flowering in huge numbers in one spot.

We quickly established that the wood shown in the next picture is far from ancient, as it must have grown after the now useless orientation plaque was placed near Ashurst Beacon.

We lunched at the Beacon, at 173 metres the high point of this walk, and according to bagger Keith, it's a 'Tump'. In my book it's an 'Other' hill.

The beacon was built in 1793 by Sir William Ashurst as one of the Lancashire Beacons that would be lit as part of an early warning system in the event of invasion. More recently the area has attracted attention from the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, who are attempting to control the spread of tree cover in order to preserve ancient grassland habitats.

As we strode away, duly refreshed, from the Beacon, my phone and Sue's phone bleeped to indicate an unexpected WhatsApp photobomber on our walk. How did the next two pictures manage to enter my photo gallery just seconds apart?

From here it was a short stroll back to the cars using a choice of paths through Beacon Country Park. On the way we couldn't help stopping at the Club House for ice creams and coffee, where they were very friendly even if they had taken the picnic tables away.

We were supposed to be able to see many distant landmarks from the Country Park near here, but even the fairly close Welsh hills were almost obscured by the haze that seems to be increasing in the current bout of fine weather.

Here's our route - about 13 km with 250 metres of ascent, taking us over four hours, including three breaks.

Thanks to Keith for cleverly devising this excellent route and managing to fumble lead us along it. And congratulations on his half marathon efforts today, Sunday. (1:58:19, beating his two hour target.)

Happy Birthday Jacob!

Jacob's Big Birthday!

Jacob has made more than 50 appearances on these pages since he came into the world ten years ago, and I've enjoyed them all.

I hear that amongst yesterday's presents is a tennis set that I hope will encourage him to enjoy the towpath walk to the courts at Walton Park next time he visits.

I hope you had a great day, and have a lovely weekend, Jacob.

Friday 23 April 2021 - The Bowstones and Sponds Hill

Today's Friday morning 'Rule of Six' walk took place in summery weather, on a route devised by JJ, who wrote about it here. I have deliberately not read JJ's report before writing this version.

Parking up at Nelson Pit, in Higher Poynton, I was joined by Sue, Jenny, Graeme, Bridget and Graham B. We went over the canal bridge, glancing across to the scene above, and took the path into Lyme Park towards Lyme Hall. This is as close as we got to the hall.

Whilst I think JJ did an extra loop here, we joined the Gritstone Trail path for a few km, initially rising beside Knightslow Wood.

Emerging from the wood, we strolled in the face of a cool breeze up a gentle slope to the broad ridge on which the Bowstones are situated.

The Bowstones are the shafts of two late Saxon crosses, dating from the 9th or 10th centuries AD. The crosses were probably destroyed after the Reformation in the mid 1500s. Two cross heads ploughed up near Disley in C19 may have belonged to these shafts, which were perhaps placed in their present position as boundary stones or guide posts by Sir Piers Legh in the late 16th century.

We turned right along the crest of the ridge, diverting shortly to the trig point that marks the grassy 410 metre summit of Sponds Hill.

From the approach to the Bowstones, and all the way along the path to the road that leads to Brink Farm, there are fine views towards Shutlingsloe and other Peak District summits, as well as views past Jodrell Bank and right across Greater Manchester to the huge mast on Winter Hill and the windfarms of the South Pennine hills.

We continued along the Gritstone Trail path towards Bollington, with the bulbous shape of White Nancy coming into view before we took a sharp right turn to bring us on course for a visit to Pott Shrigley.

The industrial estate at Pott Shrigley was very quiet, being manned quite calmly today by a skeleton staff.

Public Footpath number 155 soon followed, and on the descent to West Parkgate we found an excellent spot at which to enjoy our lunch and admire extensive views towards Manchester and beyond.

After descending through a flourish of Wood Anemonies, a short section of road drew us to a tunnel under the Macclesfield Canal and steep steps up to the towpath past lavish clumps of Lesser Celandine.

There was some debate as to the identity of the ancient plants growing plentifully beside the canal just here. I think they are Horsetail (or they may be called mares-tail), Equisetum arvense.

A short stroll beside the canal brought us back to our starting point after a very enjoyable walk, in time to return home for beer in the garden by 3 pm.

Here's our route - about 14 km with 350 metres ascent, taking us about four and a half hours including a couple of generous breaks.

Thanks again to JJ for the route - sorry you couldn't join us.

28 to 31 December 1979 - A Trip to Wasdale

This posting arises from the scanning of my '1980' Kodachrome slides, which curiously start at the end of 1979 with a 'New Year' visit to Wasdale.

This trip took place shortly before the diaries that are now up to Volume 102 were inaugurated, so I'm in no better position than my erstwhile companions as regards recollections from the trip, other than my brief annotation to each slide.

Anyway, I hope this brings back memories for Dave and for Ian, and even from beyond Daffyd's grave.

It looks as if we headed up Pillar on 28 December, snapping the view down Ennerdale (above) on the way up, and celebrating arrival at the summit a little later.

The next picture indicates the view to Wasdale, and Burnmoor Tarn, from the path down to Black Sail Pass.

Then we admired the view towards Skiddaw, with Fleetwith Pike in the foreground.

29 December reveals only one slide worth scanning. Several readers may identify this as Styhead Tarn, looking towards Borrowdale. We continued to Esk Hause, but I can't remember much more than that. I presume we returned to Wasdale via Great End and Scafell Pike.

The first image from 30 December, shows Ian, about to leave the campsite at Wasdale Head - the field outside the Inn that was always crammed full of tents at New Year.

It appears that we, led by Dave, took the direct path up Kirk Fell.

Looking back to Wasdale, Daffyd lumbered into view.

After climbing both Kirk Fell and Great Gable, we descended, with this view towards Styhead Tarn and Seathwaite Fell.

The view across to Scafell Pike, Piers Gill, and Lingmell, was clearly a struggle for Kodachrome.

However, a little later the camera had a fair crack at recording the sunset view from our campsite to Great Gable.

Next day, 31 December, we probably woke with hangovers, and returned to Manchester to spend New Year with loved ones.

Pictures of Skiddaw and Castlerigg Fell, not worth replicating here, indicate that we returned home via Keswick.

I wish I still had that pullover knitted by my mother, and some of the wool shirts she made for me. I'll have to buy her some wool, and a magnifying glass!