A wonderful 3 days were spent in Manchester at the home of Allan and Ingrid Gilbert at Didsbury.
Their beautiful home gave us much needed rest and the chance to prepare for the next stage. We enjoyed watching a family of foxes playing in the garden each evening.
It gave us the opportunity to spend a bit of time exploring this great city, to admire its architecture and to visit a couple of museums. These included the Rylands library and its private collection of priceless books and manuscripts including pieces from the first printed Bible, and the very impressive Lowry Centre at Salford which featured a gallery of his work. We were also appreciative of the enjoyable luncheon hosted by Allan and Ingrid which raised funds for our charity, the Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia.
Rather reluctantly we farewelled Manchester and returned to Broadbottom where an east stroll took us to Crowden and the much anticipated start of the Pennine Way. A steady plod took us up past Ladlow Rocks on a steep, rocky and very wet path on to the moorland. Our destination was Black Hill which had been described as infamous because of its extensive peat bogs. The peat-coloured streams were fast flowing due to the heavy rain and could only be crossed by wading in ankle-deep water. There was often much pole-prodding to test the depth of the bog before we moved on and progress was quite slow. However as we drew closer to Black Hill we were relieved to find the path had been paved and we were able to move on quite quickly to Wessenden Head. From here the Way followed a series of small reservoirs before we left it to descend into Marsden.
On the way in to Marden we passed the largest of the 3 mills which manufactured the wool and the cotton which the town relied on for its livelihood. The last closed as recently as the late 90s but the soot-stained buildings were reminders of its past. The following day we continued our trek on the Pennine Way on the western escarpment of the South Pennine chain in at times drenching rain. We are beginning to hear mutterings of it being the wettest July on record!!!
At Blackstone edge it followed the ancient cobbles of an old Roman road. A highlight of the road was seeing a 600-year old waymark called the Aiggin Stone. Beyond this the path continued past several large reservoirs before making for the unmistakable landmark of Stoodley Pike which has stood since 1856 to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon. From here we descended into Hebden Bridge, a lively and attractive mill town tucked beneath steep wooded hillsides, again with a number of old mills and factories but now home to a vibrant artistic community.
Another overnight downpour forced us to reconsider a full day on the high moorland and instead we took a more direct route through to Stansbury in the heart of Bronte country where we had lunch at the aptly named Wuthering Heights Inn. The Bronte home was about 3 miles away at Haworth and is now a museum - so populat the signpost is also in Japanese. A definite highlight of the morning was however a visit to the very beautiful waterfalls at Lumb Hole. Former poet laureate Ted Hughes was so inspired by the falls that he wrote a poem at the site to commemorate the lives of 6 soldier friends. Another wet afternoon's trudge across wet and muddy field paths, often invisible and confusing, then saw us descend into Cowling to dry out overnight.
An early hail storm the following morning gave us a similar start to the day!! However we followed the Pennine Way to enter the Yorkshire Dales leaving the boggy moorland behind and the scenery became less harsh and more pastoral but no less wet and muddy. A number of pleasant villages were passed on route including Thornton in Craven and Gravage. For a while the path dropped to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal a reminder of the region's industrial heritage.
Beyond Gargrave the Way became a landscape of gentle walled pasture, easy field paths and riverside tracks. We followed the river Aire into the picturesque village of Malham for an overnight stay.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
End Stage 2 Manchester
Leaving the railway bridge at Knighton we left Wales for the last time and headed over the shoulder to the hamlet of Stowe. A steep climb led us to the forest on Hopton Titterhill, where a couple of stray route choices had us marginally off course but eventually a slippery downhill track and a climb over a menacing barbed wire fence led us on to the ruins of Hopton Castle and then to the Rock tea room which as a faithful recreation of a 1930s tearoom lived up to its reputation as one of the best cafes between Lands End and JOG. A wet afternoon ensued but after a number of field excursions we arrived somewhat bedraggled at Stokesay close to Craven Arms on the River Onny after having passed Stokesay Castle, a spectacular 13th century fortified manor house.
With trepidation we set off the following morning for our longest day so far. A steep climb brought us to the top of the Wenlock Edge, an ancient woodland full of woodland flowers, bird and animal life. Jo was surprised by a buzzard dropping a dead rabbit almost on her head. We initially followed the Jack Mytton Way but when drenching rain set in and the track became impassable we were forced to cross over the Edge to the Shropshire Way formerly a railway track which we followed for some distance before reverting to the Jack Mytton Way along an extensive limestone quarry and descending into Much Wenlock. An interesting feature of Much Wenlock was a 16th century Guidhall and the 13th century Wenlock Priory. A quick cup of tea under the disdainful eye of the hotel manager due to our wet and muddy appearance and we shuffled off to make a late dash along the Olympic Way out of town and on to Ironbridge about 8kms away.
Ironbridge despite its history proved to be an interesting and attractive town. The Iron Bridge was completed in 1779 and was the first bridge in the world to use cast iron. It crosses the Severn in a single arch with a span of over 30m and was built when the area pioneered the use of coke instead of coal for smelting iron at the onset of the Industrial Revolution. The town featured a number of museums including pottery, tile and the Coalbrookdale museum all in attractive woodland settings. From the outskirts of Ironbridge we followed a disused railway along the south bank of the River Severn stopping briefly at the Coalport Museum and the Inclined Plane a steep railway line up the valley side used to transport boats down to the river from a canal leading from the coalmines. From there we took a number of field paths to Kemberton for lunch, a quick cup of tea at the Bell Inn at Tong Norton and then it was a fairly long haul through to the edge of the canal at Wheaton Aston where we were collected and taken to Penkridge overnight to celebrate Jo's birthday.
The following day we resumed our journey at Wheaton Aston on the towpath of the Shropshire Union Canal. There were numerous houseboats either moored or travelling along this at times very narrow waterway and a number of fishermen trying their luck from positions on the banks.
One could not imagine consuming fish caught from the very muddy waters. With constant showers the path became very muddy and so we headed inland at Cowley to follow field paths and minor roads through to Stone a pleasant market town on the Trent and Mersey Canal.
A quick tour of Stone early the next morning and we resumed our trek along the Trent and Mersey Canal for a shortish walk into Stoke on Trent passing the Wedgwood factory on the way in. After settling into our accommodation at the Keele University we explored the city - very forgettable with much evidence of high unemployment and its associated problems. Determined to visit at least one of its potteries we compromised by dropping in to the Royal Doulton superstore outlet the following morning where there were some excellent shopping opportunities to be had. A few kilometres along the canal we were stopped by the Harecastle tunnels where the canal went underground for a distance of about 2 kilometres. Despite Frances' valaint efforts to hitch a ride on one of the leisure boats through the tunnel we were forced to take the long way round through Clough Hill to Kidsgrove where we switched to the Cheshire ring canal for a wet afternoon's walk into Congleton and a stay at very comfortable Sandhole Farm.
The following morning we returned to the Cheshire Ring Canal through the Bosley Locks where it became the Macclesfield Canal and then on to the outskirts of Macclesfield and Bollington.
At Bollington steady rain again set in and with the canal path becoming increasingly muddy we switched to the Middlewood Way, a dismantled railway line before stopping for the day at Wood Lanes and an overnight stay at Adlington.
Hoping for an early finish at Tintwhistle near Manchester the next day we made an early start and enjoyed an early lunch by the locks on the Peak Forest Canal at the delightful town of Marple. A silly navigational error At nearby Compstall led us into Etherow Country Park Compstall which despite its beauty left us all quite frustrated and due to the loss of time resulted in a decision to finish for the day at the railway station at Broadbottom a few kilometres west of Tintwhistle and about a half hour's drive from Didsbury in Manchester where we were to stay with Allan and Ingrid Gilbert.
End Stage 2
With trepidation we set off the following morning for our longest day so far. A steep climb brought us to the top of the Wenlock Edge, an ancient woodland full of woodland flowers, bird and animal life. Jo was surprised by a buzzard dropping a dead rabbit almost on her head. We initially followed the Jack Mytton Way but when drenching rain set in and the track became impassable we were forced to cross over the Edge to the Shropshire Way formerly a railway track which we followed for some distance before reverting to the Jack Mytton Way along an extensive limestone quarry and descending into Much Wenlock. An interesting feature of Much Wenlock was a 16th century Guidhall and the 13th century Wenlock Priory. A quick cup of tea under the disdainful eye of the hotel manager due to our wet and muddy appearance and we shuffled off to make a late dash along the Olympic Way out of town and on to Ironbridge about 8kms away.
Ironbridge despite its history proved to be an interesting and attractive town. The Iron Bridge was completed in 1779 and was the first bridge in the world to use cast iron. It crosses the Severn in a single arch with a span of over 30m and was built when the area pioneered the use of coke instead of coal for smelting iron at the onset of the Industrial Revolution. The town featured a number of museums including pottery, tile and the Coalbrookdale museum all in attractive woodland settings. From the outskirts of Ironbridge we followed a disused railway along the south bank of the River Severn stopping briefly at the Coalport Museum and the Inclined Plane a steep railway line up the valley side used to transport boats down to the river from a canal leading from the coalmines. From there we took a number of field paths to Kemberton for lunch, a quick cup of tea at the Bell Inn at Tong Norton and then it was a fairly long haul through to the edge of the canal at Wheaton Aston where we were collected and taken to Penkridge overnight to celebrate Jo's birthday.
The following day we resumed our journey at Wheaton Aston on the towpath of the Shropshire Union Canal. There were numerous houseboats either moored or travelling along this at times very narrow waterway and a number of fishermen trying their luck from positions on the banks.
One could not imagine consuming fish caught from the very muddy waters. With constant showers the path became very muddy and so we headed inland at Cowley to follow field paths and minor roads through to Stone a pleasant market town on the Trent and Mersey Canal.
A quick tour of Stone early the next morning and we resumed our trek along the Trent and Mersey Canal for a shortish walk into Stoke on Trent passing the Wedgwood factory on the way in. After settling into our accommodation at the Keele University we explored the city - very forgettable with much evidence of high unemployment and its associated problems. Determined to visit at least one of its potteries we compromised by dropping in to the Royal Doulton superstore outlet the following morning where there were some excellent shopping opportunities to be had. A few kilometres along the canal we were stopped by the Harecastle tunnels where the canal went underground for a distance of about 2 kilometres. Despite Frances' valaint efforts to hitch a ride on one of the leisure boats through the tunnel we were forced to take the long way round through Clough Hill to Kidsgrove where we switched to the Cheshire ring canal for a wet afternoon's walk into Congleton and a stay at very comfortable Sandhole Farm.
The following morning we returned to the Cheshire Ring Canal through the Bosley Locks where it became the Macclesfield Canal and then on to the outskirts of Macclesfield and Bollington.
At Bollington steady rain again set in and with the canal path becoming increasingly muddy we switched to the Middlewood Way, a dismantled railway line before stopping for the day at Wood Lanes and an overnight stay at Adlington.
Hoping for an early finish at Tintwhistle near Manchester the next day we made an early start and enjoyed an early lunch by the locks on the Peak Forest Canal at the delightful town of Marple. A silly navigational error At nearby Compstall led us into Etherow Country Park Compstall which despite its beauty left us all quite frustrated and due to the loss of time resulted in a decision to finish for the day at the railway station at Broadbottom a few kilometres west of Tintwhistle and about a half hour's drive from Didsbury in Manchester where we were to stay with Allan and Ingrid Gilbert.
End Stage 2
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Into Wales
A very exciting stopover in Bath where we were joined by Jo and LT who will be with us through to Manchester. Bath was magnificent and quite memorable. We were able to revisit the popular Roman Baths and the wonderful Georgian architecture, streetscapes of the Crescent and Circus and gardens but also attended a stunning lunch time organ recital in Bath Abbey and a theatre performance "Home" at the Theatre Royal - very similar to our own theatre. A sad farewell to Bath and we were in the car heading back to Severn View and the resumption of our journey at Chepstow on the other side of the Channel.
Crossing the old Bridge over the Wye River back into Gloucestershire we soon found ourselves on the much anticipated Offa's Dyke Path. The dyke, which is Britain's longest archaeological monument, was built by the 8th century Mercian king tokeep the unruly Welsh on their side of the border, takes the form of a bank on one side and ditch on the other and the England-Wales border roughly follows the line of it. The trail followed the wooded valley on the eastern side of the Wye passed high above the spectacular ruins of Tintern Abbey. At Brockweir we lunched at the HAPPA horse rehab centre where around 50 horses recover from neglect, illness or abandonment by their owners. From Brockweir we took the more scenic riverside option into Monmouth stopping for refreshments at Redbrook where we re-entered Wales. We encountered a number of fishermen trying their luck and one of them proudly displated an 11lb salmon which had been caught by his ghilly that morning, all fishing being subject to private fishing rights.
Monmouth was an ancient and attractive town featuring a beautiful 13th century stone-gated bridge which we crossed on the way out the following morning. The path the following day passed through an endless succession of farms up the river Trothy apart from the hilly and boggy King's Wood. We enjoyed lunch at Tal y Coed before passing the impressive ruins of the 12th century White Castle an old Norman fortress with most walls still standing and a moat full of water. A welcome cup of tea at the church at Llangattock Lingoed before heavy rain followed us into the Lancaster Arms at Pandy.
A steep climb out of Pandy the next morning lead us up on to the Black Mountains part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The route followed the Hatterall ridge all day with a height of 703m attained at its highest point. The trail alternated between bracken and peat, quite boggy in patches but the views of the surrounding hills made it most worthwhile and from time to time we encountered small herds of wild Welsh ponies. At the northern tip we began a long steep descent of about 4 miles through farmland to Hay-on-Wye. Overnight at Baskerville Hall an interesting experience - a fine example of decaying splendour but with attractive gardens.
The following morning we spent some time browsing through the book shops in Hay on Wye for which it is famous, and of which there are many, both new and secondhand, and was able to track down a copy of John Hillaby's "Journey through Britain" for which I had been searching for some time. We all agreed we could have spent a whole day there!! However the trail beckoned and we made what proved to be a bad decision to follow the Wye Valley Way on to Kington.
There followed a laborious and very slow struggle over nettle covered styles, through crops and along very muddy paths till we resorted to tarmac and found our way down to Kington for the night where our hosts at the Royal Oak Inn salvalged the day with some fine hospitality.
So it was back to the Offa's Dyke Path the following morning for a relatively short but attractive wandering through rolling hills and some of the best-preserved examples of the Dyke. Heading north out of the town we reached the highest golf course in England (390m). We crossed the fairways to Rushock Hill and rejoined the Dyke path. Highlights of what was a thoroughly enjoyable day included historic Burfa Farm, a restored maedieval farm house and multitudes of beef and dairy cattle and wooolly lambs. Again a steep descent into Knighton for a 2-night stay.
Crossing the old Bridge over the Wye River back into Gloucestershire we soon found ourselves on the much anticipated Offa's Dyke Path. The dyke, which is Britain's longest archaeological monument, was built by the 8th century Mercian king tokeep the unruly Welsh on their side of the border, takes the form of a bank on one side and ditch on the other and the England-Wales border roughly follows the line of it. The trail followed the wooded valley on the eastern side of the Wye passed high above the spectacular ruins of Tintern Abbey. At Brockweir we lunched at the HAPPA horse rehab centre where around 50 horses recover from neglect, illness or abandonment by their owners. From Brockweir we took the more scenic riverside option into Monmouth stopping for refreshments at Redbrook where we re-entered Wales. We encountered a number of fishermen trying their luck and one of them proudly displated an 11lb salmon which had been caught by his ghilly that morning, all fishing being subject to private fishing rights.
Monmouth was an ancient and attractive town featuring a beautiful 13th century stone-gated bridge which we crossed on the way out the following morning. The path the following day passed through an endless succession of farms up the river Trothy apart from the hilly and boggy King's Wood. We enjoyed lunch at Tal y Coed before passing the impressive ruins of the 12th century White Castle an old Norman fortress with most walls still standing and a moat full of water. A welcome cup of tea at the church at Llangattock Lingoed before heavy rain followed us into the Lancaster Arms at Pandy.
A steep climb out of Pandy the next morning lead us up on to the Black Mountains part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The route followed the Hatterall ridge all day with a height of 703m attained at its highest point. The trail alternated between bracken and peat, quite boggy in patches but the views of the surrounding hills made it most worthwhile and from time to time we encountered small herds of wild Welsh ponies. At the northern tip we began a long steep descent of about 4 miles through farmland to Hay-on-Wye. Overnight at Baskerville Hall an interesting experience - a fine example of decaying splendour but with attractive gardens.
The following morning we spent some time browsing through the book shops in Hay on Wye for which it is famous, and of which there are many, both new and secondhand, and was able to track down a copy of John Hillaby's "Journey through Britain" for which I had been searching for some time. We all agreed we could have spent a whole day there!! However the trail beckoned and we made what proved to be a bad decision to follow the Wye Valley Way on to Kington.
There followed a laborious and very slow struggle over nettle covered styles, through crops and along very muddy paths till we resorted to tarmac and found our way down to Kington for the night where our hosts at the Royal Oak Inn salvalged the day with some fine hospitality.
So it was back to the Offa's Dyke Path the following morning for a relatively short but attractive wandering through rolling hills and some of the best-preserved examples of the Dyke. Heading north out of the town we reached the highest golf course in England (390m). We crossed the fairways to Rushock Hill and rejoined the Dyke path. Highlights of what was a thoroughly enjoyable day included historic Burfa Farm, a restored maedieval farm house and multitudes of beef and dairy cattle and wooolly lambs. Again a steep descent into Knighton for a 2-night stay.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Bath -End of Stage 1
From Bicknoller a delightful steep climb on a good track led us to Bicknoller Combe and the main north-south ridge of the Quantocks. Spotted a large herd of red deer grazing on the side of the hill on our ascent - well camouflaged by the fairly thick bracken ferns. Closer to the high point on the moorland were forced to retrace steps (David excepted) to avoid herd of wild horses with a particularly frisky stallion. Beautiful beech woodland paths led us down via Lydeard Hill and onto some fairly uninspiring road walking to Goathurst and the Hen House at Sherwood where we stayed overnight. On route to Goathurst we passed the Temple of Harmony an incongruous structure built in 1767 in grounds of Halswell Park based on 1st century temple of Fortuna Villis in Rome. A short visit to Bridgwater that evening for dinner. Bridgwater a shabby little town with evidence of much unemployment on the very slimy Parrett River estuary.
There followed a bit of a scramble the following morning to negotiate field paths back into Bridgwater and an unpleasant crossing of the M5 motorway leading to the start of the Somereset Levels, land that was originally saltmarsh and frequently flooded, The Levels are now a crisscross pattern of straight ditches and wider rivers with pumping stations at intervals.
As a result the field paths were tricky and it was often difficult to locate the footbridges necessary to cross the ditches filled with stagnant water which were the field boundaries.
A footbridge over the King's Sedgmoor Drain led into the village of Bawdrip where we were able to pick up a cycle path through to Cossington a very attractive and affluent village for lunch .
After leaving Cossington it was back on the Levels again, across more fields for another interesting confrontation with a large herd of steers, on to Blackford and a short walk to Poplar Farm at West Stoughton where we stayed overnight.
From Poplar Farm a bridleway and almost invisible footpaths led us through Middle Staughton along the edge of a steep escarpment across to Axbridge where we picked up a footpath to take us through to Sandford. The footpath, known as the Cheddar Valley Railway Walk followed the path of a disused railway line, the Strawberry Line which used to run from Yatton via Cheddar to Wells. We broke our journey to travel to Cheddar for an overnight stay. Caught up with Lesley H and her sister Lynne before a quick visit to the vertical limestone cliffs of Cheddar Gorge which cuts deep into the edge of the Mendips which stretch inland from the Bristol Channel.
Cheddar proved somewhat of a disappointment - too many tourists and over-commercialised but very populat with rock climbers. A very helpful lady from Outdoor Shop , formerly from Perth who was able to help with the selection of new walking boots.
Resuming our journey at Sandford the following day we again picked up the Strawberry Line footpath as far as Yatton before taking to the fields again until we reached the outskirts of Bristol and some pleasant woodland walking. Towards the end of the walk we descended out of the woods to have spectacular views of the Bristol Channel and the outskirts of Bristol. There followed a harrowing crossing of the M5 motorway and our accommodation in the services area of Easton in Gordano.
The following morning a quick visit was made to the Hansel and Gretel cottages of Blaise Hamlet in Bristol. These were designed by John Nash in 1809 and housed pensioners from the Blaise Estate but are now owned by the National Trust. We left the city via the Blaise Castle woodland after a visit to the museum and its fascinating collection of household memorabilia dating back 300 years and made our way out via the Severn Way passing large sewage works and a large industrial estate. The Severn Way path proved to be quite overgrown in places and as it ran alongside the railway line with a newly constructed fence was difficult to find. We were forced to resort to a busy road but eventually were able to resume a path along the Channel edge right through to Severn View Bridge and the M48 Services area where we were collected and taken into Bath for a 3-night stopover.
End of Stage 1
There followed a bit of a scramble the following morning to negotiate field paths back into Bridgwater and an unpleasant crossing of the M5 motorway leading to the start of the Somereset Levels, land that was originally saltmarsh and frequently flooded, The Levels are now a crisscross pattern of straight ditches and wider rivers with pumping stations at intervals.
As a result the field paths were tricky and it was often difficult to locate the footbridges necessary to cross the ditches filled with stagnant water which were the field boundaries.
A footbridge over the King's Sedgmoor Drain led into the village of Bawdrip where we were able to pick up a cycle path through to Cossington a very attractive and affluent village for lunch .
After leaving Cossington it was back on the Levels again, across more fields for another interesting confrontation with a large herd of steers, on to Blackford and a short walk to Poplar Farm at West Stoughton where we stayed overnight.
From Poplar Farm a bridleway and almost invisible footpaths led us through Middle Staughton along the edge of a steep escarpment across to Axbridge where we picked up a footpath to take us through to Sandford. The footpath, known as the Cheddar Valley Railway Walk followed the path of a disused railway line, the Strawberry Line which used to run from Yatton via Cheddar to Wells. We broke our journey to travel to Cheddar for an overnight stay. Caught up with Lesley H and her sister Lynne before a quick visit to the vertical limestone cliffs of Cheddar Gorge which cuts deep into the edge of the Mendips which stretch inland from the Bristol Channel.
Cheddar proved somewhat of a disappointment - too many tourists and over-commercialised but very populat with rock climbers. A very helpful lady from Outdoor Shop , formerly from Perth who was able to help with the selection of new walking boots.
Resuming our journey at Sandford the following day we again picked up the Strawberry Line footpath as far as Yatton before taking to the fields again until we reached the outskirts of Bristol and some pleasant woodland walking. Towards the end of the walk we descended out of the woods to have spectacular views of the Bristol Channel and the outskirts of Bristol. There followed a harrowing crossing of the M5 motorway and our accommodation in the services area of Easton in Gordano.
The following morning a quick visit was made to the Hansel and Gretel cottages of Blaise Hamlet in Bristol. These were designed by John Nash in 1809 and housed pensioners from the Blaise Estate but are now owned by the National Trust. We left the city via the Blaise Castle woodland after a visit to the museum and its fascinating collection of household memorabilia dating back 300 years and made our way out via the Severn Way passing large sewage works and a large industrial estate. The Severn Way path proved to be quite overgrown in places and as it ran alongside the railway line with a newly constructed fence was difficult to find. We were forced to resort to a busy road but eventually were able to resume a path along the Channel edge right through to Severn View Bridge and the M48 Services area where we were collected and taken into Bath for a 3-night stopover.
End of Stage 1
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