Peregrine and Puffins at South Stack

22/06/14
Walking with; Ruthy

  Ever since I completed my ML things have been very busy and I've not had much of an opportunity to actually get out into the countryside, slightly ironic. Sunday, it was too nice a day not to get out and do something though and what with it being Puffin season and Ruthy never having seen one I decided South Stack might be the place to go!
   In truth there isn't a great deal of walking necessary to get a look at the seabird cities, a gentle stroll down from the visitor's centre takes you to the frighteningly sheer cliff edge and spectacular views of the nesting birds, rafts of Auks and the famous lighthouse (which was actually closed on Sunday as a feature film was being made). We spotted a beautiful Peregrine Falcon perched on the cliff face and the noise and smell of huge Guillemot and Razorbill colonies was overwhelming. As we traced our way along the narrow cliff edge passing patches of Thrift and Tormentil, we spied a couple of Choughs lifting off from the grass and drifting by overhead. The Puffins proved elusive and we were about to pack up and go home when a final scan of the floating flocks revealed a couple of this most distinctive and iconic of birds bobbing on the fringe of a large group of Razorbills. Mission accomplished!! It wasn't in truth much of a walk, a mile or two at best, but it was an extremely rewarding way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. Sadly the birds were out of camera range so I had to make do with a few of the lighthouse!

Bradshaw to The Strawbury Duck for Sunday lunch (and back again!)

18.8.13
Walking with; Ruthy, Paul, Jen, Emily and Kate

There can be few better ways to spend a Sunday than a gentle stroll in the Summer sunshine to a country pub with a bunch of good friends. I knew nothing of this area before yesterday, my experiences of the Bolton area being confined to playing various games of rugby there over the years, however by the time you reach Bradshaw the urban sprawl dissipates and rolling countryside opens out before you.
We set off from the houses on the site of the old Bradshaw Bleach works and were soon making our way through the Bradshaw Bottoms woodland, following the stream past old quarries and squelching through the occasional puddle until we hit the Jumbles Reservoir, an impressive body of water dotted with sailing boats and Canada Geese and sparkling in the sunshine. I like reservoir walking, the going underfoot is usually easy and walking by bodies of water always adds something to a ramble. There were plenty of wildflowers and birds flitting in and out of the foliage and it felt a shame to leave the shelter of the canopy and emerge in the cluster of houses. We climbed up through Turton before heading off along the path flanking our second reservoir of the day, Wayoh. The reservoir was completed in 1876 and is one of the two main sources of drinking water for the Bolton area. Along the path there were Wild Raspberries, Heather and plenty of Rose Bay Willow Herb and there were Cormorant, Canada Geese and Mallard on the water. We eventually wound our way up the hill and there before us like a welcome mirage loomed the welcoming sight of "The Strawbury (sic) Duck", a pub that as a group we can heartily recommend for treats including Potted Duck, Roast Beef and Cod and Chips, not to mention friendly staff and good beer....well worth the effort!
Replete and in need of walking off a few calories we retraced our steps back along the reservoirs and woodland paths to Bradshaw safe in the knowledge we'd had a Sunday well spent!

Another weekly wander or two..........

21/23.5.13
Walking with; Nobody

I love having the Peak District on my doorstep, it means when time is short or inclination is in lowish supply I can still get out and experience some of the finest countryside Britain has to offer without it really feeling like an effort....and so it was last week, two very different Peak District rambles, neither more than half an hour from home.
Tuesday morning, feeling a bit flat, I decided a gentle amble might lift the mood and headed to the undemanding territory of the Middlewood Way. A previous walk on this multi-use track, which follows the route of an old rail line from Marple to Macclesfield, had proved fruitful in terms of the profusion and variety of wild flowers http://www.comewalkwithmeuk.co.uk/2012/06/stroll-on-middlewood-way.html and this one was equally rewarding. Bluebells were starting to decorate the fringes of the path, as well as Forget-me-nots, Cow Parsley and Cranesbill. Bumble bees were dancing around the flowers and Orange Tip and Peacock butterflies were making the most of the patches of dappled sunlight cutting through the canopy. After twenty minutes or so I left the path and ascended to the Macclesfield Canal. I have a longing for the life of a narrow boat man and every time I see the immaculate barges, wood smoke curling from the chimneys and kettle on the hob I'm filled with an overwhelming urge to travel.....Dreaming, I pressed on deeper into the Cheshire countryside, there were male Pheasants in the fields, resplendent amongst the sheep and cows and a Kestrel hovered over head as I continued on to Lyme Park where I had lunch and watched a flock of Jackdaws tormenting one another. The Bluebells were out in force in Elmerhurst Wood and on emerging from the trees I regained the Ladybrook Valley Interest Trail before pottering back to my car refreshed in mind, body and spirit!
A couple of days later and I decided I was in the mood for some map work and a few more demanding miles. I parked at the Arnfield reservoir, on the outskirts of Tintwistle, and headed out across the Grouse moors towards Tintwistle Knarr. There were plenty of Grouse about, not to mention Curlews, and later on I saw a Peregrine, but very few people and progress was pretty quick up on to the edges above the chain of Longdendale reservoirs. As I left the edge the clouds which had been sitting on Bleaklow dropped and the short cross moor path to Lad's Leap was done in poor visibility. After a restorative cuppa I followed Hollins Clough North before making the Trig Point on Rakes Moss and continuing on to Chew Reservoir which I had only previously reached from Dove Stones http://www.comewalkwithmeuk.co.uk/2012/08/black-hill-via-holme-clough.html. Leaving the reservoir to the Canada Geese I followed the cliff top path above Chew Brook before striking off across Ormes Moor and eventually (after a few relocations) managed to make my way to the top of Ogden Clough. At this stage the sun came out!! Buoyed by the novelty factor I decided to lunch at Higher Swineshaw reservoir and after half an hour with the sun on my face ended up contouring round Lees Hill before enjoying more Bluebells in the Hollingworth Nature Reserve and eventually making it back to my starting point at Arnfield.
These two walks were very different in terms of scope, landscape and effort required, but I feel very lucky to have them both on my doorstep!

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On top of Cheshire

18.12.12
Walking with; Nobody

The forecast for this week showed Tuesday as being the only rain free day, so bearing that in mind I decided to have a crack at Shining Tor which had long been on my list of "I'll get round to doing that one day........"hills. At 559m it is the highest point in Cheshire and affords great views of Shutlingsloe and the Cheshire plains. I set off from Tegg's Nose on The Gritstone Trail, bypassing the noisy dogs of the Windyway Kennels and Animal Sanctuary and was soon into that familiar Cheshire countryside problem of mud and barbed wire. The farmers of Cheshire seem pathologically fond of both barbed wire and churning up footpaths as much as possible, but my new Berghaus boots are made of stern stuff and I plodded onwards through the mud eventually making my way to the Berristal Road where I watched a nuthatch, a suitably festive Robin and a flock of Long Tailed Tits making the most of a well stocked bird feeder. Given that I've been unable to attract as much as a Sparrow to mine so far this winter I was rather envious and as I followed the road up to the isolated farm at Snipe House.
I carried on to Lamaload Reservoir and followed the track around it initially through Pine forest before climbing a little and following the shoreline round to the carpark and lonely looking abandoned building from where I watched a few Tufted Ducks on the water. Carrying on to Andrew's Edge the gradient increased and the ground underfoot became increasingly sodden, but with the fortitude of Bunyan's pilgrim I slogged onwards and reached the ridge to be rewarded with a flagged path that led me to the Shining Tor Trig point and a great spot for a gammon roll with a view to Shutlingsloe looking more Alpine than ever today! Regretting I didn't have time to pop into "The Cat and Fiddle" for a fireside pint I followed the permissive path down to Torgate Farm and through fields of inquisitive sheep before following Charity Lane back to bottom of Buxton Old Road and meandering my way back to Tegg's Nose.

Ridgegate Reservoir-Higher Sutton-Sutton Common-Fox Bank-Ridgegate Reservoir

25.7.12
Walking with; Nobody

The bucolic pastoral landscape of Cheshire farming country seemed like it might be the place to stretch the legs on a lazy Wednesday with the sun shining and not much else going on and so I headed off to beautiful Ridgegate Reservoir sitting in the shadow of Tegg's Nose. There were a lot of wildfowl on the water, Tufted Ducks, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Geese and just before I arrived a deer crossed the road at some speed in front of me! I decided to strike out along a section of The Gritstone Trail and it got me thinking. A couple of years ago I walked the Wainwright's Coast to Coast, it took two weeks with tent and all kit on my back and it was one of the most satisfying challenges I've undertaken. It was much more satisfying though for being completed in one go and made me identify much more strongly with Munro baggers and their ilk whom I'd previously not really understood. Now I have walked most sections of The Gritstone but I would never consider myself to have completed it unless I did it in one go.......Still, I digress........
Walking through the countryside I found myself thinking that, as on previous occasions, in this part of the world there seems to be a very real difficulty in accommodating the needs of walkers and those of farmers. The track was already quite overgrown, but in a number of places the path had been chewed to pieces by dairy herds and in damper conditions would probably have been impassable. It's a tricky issue and not one I have a ready answer for but it seems particularly prevalent in this part of the world (http://howellseycomewalkwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/mud-mud-not-so-glorious-mud-round.html.) Passing through a couple of hamlets I diverted from The Gritstone onto the bridleway along Rossen Clough which was beautifuly lit in sunshine and flanked by wild flowers. Looming in the distance I could see the huge radio tower at Lingerds Farm, which whilst not exactly a beauty spot certainly ensured it was hard to get lost. As I climbed up towards the mast the views back to Tegg's Nose, Shutlingsloe and Macclesfield Forest were more than compensation for the sweat! Regaining The Gritstone I followed it along the ridge through more fields of cattle before dropping down Fox Bank. I passed over the road and headed up through hay fields where the mowing sent up clouds of insects and where I bumped into a family of Partridge fleeing ahead of the tractor, not to mention a couple of redstarts and a goldfinch! The last half mile or so took me past the magnificent (not to mention eccentric) pile at Meg Lane End and then a huge Canada Geese nursery (or goslingery) behind Mosslee Farm.
I may not have completed The Gritstone Track (as of yet) but it does provide good and varied walking and helps to showcase the diversity of the Cheshire countryside!

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