Roger's Weekend - the video - now available on the August page

Whalley and Beyond, Wednesday Sept 30th, 13.5 miles

Leaders Dave & Alma Walsh

The unseasonably warm weather enticed 22 walkers, including 3 newcomers, out on the day. Unfortunately just as we started up the slope along the golf course one walker felt unwell & had to return to his car.
The remaining 21 of us headed towads Wiswell before turning up a track which led us around Wiswell Wireless Station. From here a pleasant walk over fields led us to the village of Sabden where we had a morning break next to the War memorial.
A track from the village took us northwards over Calf Hill to Chern Clough Reservoir. After walking around the Reservoir we headed South East before turning West & returning to Sabden for lunch. The park there provided toilet facilities & seating in the sun.
After lunch a track South West led us to the pretty village of Read where the local farmer at Houlker's farm had painted faces on his bales of hay with a variety of hats on top. Past Read Hall the track continued after crossing the A671 & despite pleas to stop at the garden centre cafe we soldiered on crossing the A680 at Cock Bridge.
The walk continued along the River Calder where we stopped for an afternoon break. We followed the river for a while before heading uphill to Whalley Banks before dropping down into Whalley & back to the cars at Spring Wood.
An ice cream van in the car park was a welcome sight for some, and for others a drink in the nearby pub before setting off home.

Dave & Alma Walsh

Photos

3rd Feather, September 20th, 26 miles, 5400ft ascent

A surprising number of 22 walkers set off from the Yorkshire Bridge Inn at 09:00 on a lovely but cool morning.
After a short walk downhill to cross the River Derwent at Yorkshire Bridge, we started the steep climb through the woods to the summit of Win Hill. After re-grouping, we headed down to cross the River Noe and the Edale Road before starting the ascent of Lose Hill. We had a short break here.
With an almost cloudless sky and a light breeze, we followed the ridge past Hollins Cross to Mam Tor, dodging runners doing the High Peak 40 challenge.
After crossing the road and heading for Lord’s Seat, we were warned of oncoming mountain bikers who were also in an event. It was all happening!
Soon we turned right to pass the top of Jacob’s Ladder and joined the Pennine Way, with lots of speculation as to what the large structure was in the middle of the moor. I thought it was a vent for the Cowburn Tunnel, but I wasn’t sure as all the other vents I’ve seen were round. This is square with castellations around the top.
On we went past Kinder Low to Kinder Downfall where we stopped for lunch with views down to Kinder Reservoir and Hayfield.
Soon after lunch we left the Pennine Way to follow Ashop Clough to the Snake Road just above the Snake Inn. Across the road and up through the woods to Oyster Clough where I was made aware that one of the walkers had fallen and hurt his knee. Unfortunately he had to retire when we got near to the Snake Road for the second time.
We had our last short break after crossing the River Ashop, then it was time for the 2nd ascent of Win Hill via Hope Cross.
All that remained now was the steep descent down through the woods back to Yorkshire Bridge and up to the Inn.
Thanks to everybody who supported the 3 Feathers walks, and also those who just did one or two.
Well done to those who completed all three.

Ken Noble

Photos from Ken

Photos from Julie

Forest Footprints, Sept 6th

Leader...Howard Smith...Miles 18.2, OR 18.6 OR WAS IT 19.2 ????

Frodsham and Delamere Forest is an area the East Lancs haven't  frequented in a number of years so with the help of Norman (aka Stormin' Norman) we decided to re-visit the area.
Frodsham railway station is the starting point for this walk and with free parking and an abundance of space at weekends it's ideal....we had a total number of 16 people on the walk, a mixture of East Lancs, Merseystride and even a couple from London. The walk consists of four landscapes : you begin with the River Weaver and its sweeping curves in its green valley, then rolling Cheshire farmland before reaching the beautiful Delamere Forest. The fourth landscape is the striking sandstone edge leading from Woodhouse Hill to Beacon Hill above Frodsham.
Unfortunately the first mile of the walk is down the main road to Frodsham Bridge but with no other right of way on the map it's unavoidable. It did'nt take long though before we reached the winding River Weaver and we had the company of several rowers in their boats as we made our way along the river. It was at this point we encountered a cow with its head well and truly stuck in what I think was a wooden feeding trough. After a game of tug of war it was eventually freed by Viv and a number of male onlookers. We left the river not long after towards the village of Kingsley and our first break of the day.
From Kingsley we navigated our way through Cheshire farmland and its many overgrown footpaths to the dense  conifers and deciduous trees of Delamere Forest. We reached the visitors' centre and took advantage of its facilities to stop for lunch. From the centre we meandered on up to pale heights,  The summit has a brilliant set of standing rocks that point you in the direction of each of the seven counties that are in the circling view. The English counties of Derbyshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and the Welsh counties of Denbighshire and Flintshire are all represented by a standing stone. In the centre of the summit platform is the biggest standing stone, representing Cheshire itself. Around the circumference of the platform there are topographical plaques pointing out all the surrounding summits and noteable features in view such as Moel Famau in the Clwydian Range and Shining Tor, the highest point in Cheshire.
It's from this point we picked up the wonderful Sandstone Trail through the northerly section of Delamere Forest where we came across some unicyclists heading in the opposite direction. A couple of them stopped and kindly offered one of the group a quick lesson in the art of one wheeled acrobatics. We continued out of the forest to Manley Common for afternoon tea and freshly baked scones on the lawn of Stonehouse Farm, thanks to Norman for phoning in advance the previous evening to pre-order the scones. Once refreshed we continud to head north on the trail and past Austerton Old Hall (a genuine 15th-century timber framed manor house dismantled and moved from Nantwich in the 1970s, it took 12 years to reassemble from 1974 to 1986) up to Woodhouse Hill, passing sandstone cliffs, one of the more dramatic parts of the Sandstone Trail and up to the war memorial at Overton Hill to admire the views of the Mersey estuary, Cheshire plain and the mountains of North Wales. It was only a 15 minute walk from here back to Frodsham station and a quick pint in the Helter Skelter pub.
Thanks to all who turned up on the day, and we even managed to stay dry.

Howard

Photos on Picasa from Howard - link

Photos from Julie Spencer