Today myself and Angela enjoyed a 6.7 mile circular walk taking in Dunham Massey and the Bridgewater canal. Angela had done the recce for the walk and thought that I might enjoy it – I did!
It was supposed to be a sunny day, but as we drove to the start of the walk it started to rain. Black clouds loomed overhead. We took a chance and carried on – the shower was short lived and the sun came out 😊.
The walk initially took us through The Devisdale, an open suburban parkland where we saw a few dog walkers and then on through Denzell Gardens. I am sure that in summer the gardens would look splendid but not in January.
Crossing the busy A56 we entered Dunham Forest Golf and Country Club following the footpath through the golf course. No golfers were to be seen.
After crossing the golf course we entered farm land and the paths took us to the Bridgewater canal.
This section has been closed off and coffer dams built to contain the leak. Myself and Angela used to enjoy walking this section of the canal so we are shocked at the damage that has been done. The good news is that Josh’s boat has been re-floated and his views and subscriptions have sky-rocketed.
Grounded boats
While the canal was dry some sections of the towpath have collapsed. Water is being reintroduced now that the breach section has been isolated.
Leaving the canal we headed for the National Trust’s Dunham Massey where we could grab a coffee. A tree lined muddy path brought us into the park where we passed the old mill and the beautiful cobbled stone yard by the stable block.
Footpath to Dunham MasseyThe old millcobbled stone yard
The café was very busy but we were happy to sit outside, where it was cooler, and enjoy our coffees.
We resumed our walk going around the park. It was quiet which we both appreciated (they were all in the coffee shop!).
A grand clock tower -reading the correct time!Dunham Massey house
There are some lovely footpaths around the park which has deer, lakes and many trees. We were enjoying the solitude and views as we walked along quiet paths.
One of the lakes
Soon we were out of the park, across the golf course and headed through The Devisdale to reach the car.
Crossing the Devisdale
It had proven a nice walk, one that we will no doubt do again in the future.
Today the Three Amigos met up and enjoyed an 11.5 mile circular walk from Bingham to Aslockton, Whatton-in-the -vale and on to Orston. We returned following the river Smite to Aslockton and back to Bingham. It was a chilly morning and we were expecting rain – a pre-cursor to named storm Eowyn which is arriving later today.
Leaving Bingham
Leaving the streets of Bingham we set off following paths along fields passing close to the Skegness to Nottingham railway line.
We went through a ramshackle farm where we were surprised to see a Llama – it was surprised to see us too! Following our route through a new housing estate we eventually crossed the railway at the Aslockton station level crossing.
Level crossing at Aslockton railway station
Walking through Aslockton village it was a short walk to enter Whatton-in-the Vale and then leave via a nice tree-lined road.
Leaving Whatton
By this time the rain had commenced although thankfully, it was only light showers. Leaving the road we followed a bridleway and fields towards Orston. Here we went wrong slightly and had to double back across a field to enable us to get under the railway line via a tunnel. It was getting quite muddy underfoot at this stage.
There were lakes either side of our path. Mick saw a sign and it said they were a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific interest) site and were Plaster pits. It turns out that in the second half of the 19th century there were gypsum mines here and a factory making plaster from the Gypsum. Between 1868 and 1871 it accounted for 8% of Britain’s plaster production.https://nottsvillages.blogspot.com/2015/07/orston.html
Orston village has an impressive large village hall. We were looking for a bench to take a break and we found one not far from the hall. I was ready for a scotch egg and a Bovril. Refreshed, we continued through the village where we noticed snow drops in a garden – the first signs of spring 😊. A welcome sight.
The old telephone box in the village is said to be the largest hanging basket in the East Midlands. There were no flowers today but the baskets were ready for spring.
Not far out of Orston we crossed a bridge over the river Smite and turned left to follow the embankment for some distance.
The river Smite and Gibson bridge
This section of the walk proved very muddy and slowed us down because it would have been very easy to slip over. A fallen tree had to be climbed over.
Muddy fields
Arriving back into Aslockton we passed a large earth mound known locally as ‘Cranmers Mound’ after Thomas Cranmer who was born in Aslockton in 1489. He was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry V111 and oversaw the reform of the church in England and the break with Rome. He was later condemned as a heretic by Mary Tudor and burned at the stake in Oxford in 1556.
Cranmers Mound
Legend has it that Thomas, when he was a boy, used to climb the mound to hear the distant bells of Whatton church. The original purpose of the mound has been lost with time.
We continued through Aslockton passing the pub ‘The Cranmer Arms’ and the village shop which had a delivery bicycle parked outside. I wondered whether it was actually used or just ormanental?
Leaving Aslockton we re-traced our route back to Bingham pleased that we had escaped any heavy rain.
It had been a good stretch of the legs and we had learnt some more local history.
Today, myself and Angela enjoyed a 10.8 mile circular walk from Long Bennington passing through Claypole and Dry Doddington along the way.
It was a blue sky, but frosty, morning as we set off. We were looking forward to a nice walk.
We headed for the river Witham and followed it, walking along the raised embankment.
At the start along the river
We could see the tide mark where the river had been high during the recent floods. The embankment was reasonably dry, and where it was wet, the water had frozen- we were grateful for that.
The river Witham
Fields adjacent to the river showed evidence of the floods.
Flooded field next to the Witham
The river meandered along, turning here and there. There is something nice about frosty grass on a sunny morning.
Along the river we came to a point where a metal gate was in place – a cattle watering point, although the cattle were tucked up in their barn for the winter months.
Cattle watering point
Further along we passed a nice weir.
After this point the official public right of way footpath ran out and the route that I had thought was ok had a ‘No Trespassers’ sign. We decided to head up a farm track instead, which eventually led us to a road, leading to Claypole. There were hundreds of small birds in the trees and flying around – almost like a murmuring. We could see a tall church spire in the distance- we would pass this soon.
St Peters Church Claypole
Walking through the attractive village of Claypole we eventually found our footpath which would take us across the East Coast Mainline Railway – when we got there we found that Railtrack had fenced off the crossing. We have come across this on other walks – it is very annoying. Presumably it is avoid risk.
Access to level crossing closed
It looked like there might be a path beside the railway line that we could use but after following it for a while we came up against another ‘No Trasspassers ‘ sign.
We had no alternative but to walk back into Claypole and then take the road to Dry Doddington. It turned out to be a quiet lane, but just as Angela said that there was less traffic than she had expected, every man and his dog was driving along the road. Doh!
The ‘quiet’ road to Dry Doddington
Arriving into Dry Doddington we admired the leaning tower of St James church. Apparently, the lean is greater than that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
A seat beside the village hall was a good place to stop for a cuppa.
Dry Doddington is a local high point but there were no views today as there was mist in the distance. We headed across fields from Dry Doddington to Long Bennington, meeting a dog walker whose dogs were vainly chasing a hare across the field. They had no chance! The dog walker said that there were lots of hares in the area and sure enough, we later saw another two hares.
Obstacles in our way was a theme on todays walk and sure enough we had another obstacle blocking our path – an electric fence. Luckily it was low enough to step across.
After crossing this muddy field it was nice to get some grass to walk on for the final mile back to the car.
The final stretch
Despite the challenges we both had enjoyed todays walk.
Today myself and Angela did a stage of the Greater Manchester Ringway – walking stage 2 from Sale water Park to Didsbury Village 9 miles.
The Greater Manchester Ringway is a 200-mile circular walk around the outskirts of Manchester. We parked the car at Sale Water Park and set off following the embankment of the river Mersey.
It was a grey day but thankfully the mist we had experienced over the previous four days had dissipated. Angela was giving her new rucksack a run out 😊.
Tram crossing the Mersey
After a stretch following the river Mersey we left it and entered Chorlton Water Park where we walked around the large lake, re-joining the Mersey footpath after exiting. There were plenty of birds enjoying the water and a fair few people enjoying walking around the lake.
Viewing the lake at Chorlton water parkChorlton water park
Our route was across a bridge over the river but it was was closed (for maintenance) so we were sent on a 1.5 mile detour .
Bridge closure
There was a muddy riverbank to walk along and then we lost the diversion signs so ended up crossing a major road. Eventually we got back on track and by the river again. We thought that there was quite a strong Chlorine smell coming from the river, especially in those section that had weirs.
Strong smell of Chlorine where the water was turbulent
We saw quite a few nice wooden sculptures on our route today.
For the first half of the walk we were bemoaning the lack of signs for the GM Ringway but we started to spot then half way through, generally small stickers put on lamp-posts etc. We could then follow them and we played spot the sign!
Small GM Ringway signs
Our route took us through Withington Golf Club along a muddy path by the fairway.
Withington Golf Course
We emerged through a stunning path lined with tall poplar trees which led back to the river Mersey.
Taking a butty stop by the river there a cheeky young spaniel who nearly snaffled Angela’s’ sandwich! We headed through Fletcher Moss Park across a nice boardwalk and into Didsbury village.
We passed a grand gateway and couldn’t help but walk through into a lovely ornamental garden.
Nice Bee sculpture
After exploring the garden we set off for the finish of our walk which was at Didsbury village tram stop. The GM Ringway is designed to use public transport to get around. We had two trams to catch to get back to Sale Water Park, where we had parked the car.
Arriving at Sale Water Park we enjoyed a nice coffee.
It was a good walk exploring new territory. Maybe we should do more of the GM Ringway?
It’s that time of year where I thought I might reflect on my 2024 walking year, the walks that I have enjoyed and share some photos.
The cold winter months can be a nice time to walk with solid, if slippery, ground underfoot. Bright sunshine is an added bonus.
Frozen Grantham canal at WoolsthorpeFrozen groundDunham MasseySwan on the icy Grantham canal
I remember watching this swan struggling to stay upright on the ice even with its webbed feet. Winter mornings are often good for spectacular sunrises.
A snowy morning
In March myself and Angela were in the Yorkshire Wolds to walk a couple of legs of the Yorkshire Wolds way (only one leg left to complete the walk) and enjoy the solitude in the Wolds of Thixendale and Fridaythorpe.
A typical woldThe spectacular Humber BridgeA happy chappyTypical curved benches on the Yorkshire Wolds Way
A pivotal moment in Spring is to see the arrival of the new lambs. Such a joy to watch the little lambs springing about 😊.
What can be nicer, after a long walk, than a refreshing pint and wholesome food in a welcoming pub.
Due to its closeness to home the Peak District is a favourite spot to walk. Its best to start early to avoid the crowds. Walking along the Mam Tor ridgeline is always impressive with glorious views. In April we walked from Edale to Lords Seat and then on to the Mam Tor ridge.
Edale ValleyAscending Lords Seat
On another April day we took a walk taking in Alport Castles which was a new walk for us. We loved the views.
Alport Castles
In May we did some ‘edgy’ Peak District walks – Froggatt Edge, Curbar Edge etc.
Angela taking lunch on Frogatt EdgeOn Curbar Edge
In June I joined in a 27.5-mile sponsored walk, along the Grantham Canal, raising funds for The Grantham Canal Society. I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the afternoon heat and being bitten by horseflies!
Sponsered walkA dry section of the canal
July saw myself and Angela taking a holiday in Glencoe. We have been many times before and its a favourite spot.
Loch LevenOn The West Highland Way heading for KinlochlevenAbove KinlochlevenLoch Leven with the pap of GlenCoe in the distance
We did a cracking walk to the hidden valley in Glencoe. This was allegedly where cattle rustlers would hide stolen cattle.
On the way to the hidden valleyStood in the hidden valley with the amphitheatre of surrounding mountains
We visited the Glencoe ski centre and took a cable car to the top to enjoy views of Rannoch Moor with Ben Nevis visible (unusually) in the distance. Rannoch Moor was Angela’s favourite section of the West Highland Way which we walked in 2019.
View across Rannoch MoorGlencoeGlencoe
We returned from Scotland to find that I had caught Covid. I wasn’t surprised, I had evaded it till then, so it was only a matter of time until it got me. Luckily, it was not too bad -just lack of energy and loss of taste /smell which thankfully returned.
We were now into harvest time.
Angela leading a way through the wheat.
We visited Marsden in West Yorkshire on a very windy day, I recall being glad to get off the summit of Pule hill and out of the wind.
The bleak moorland of Pule hill
Towards the end of August myself and Angela took a walk around Langsett reservoir. We had passed it many times whilst driving so it was good to visit. We enjoyed a nice walk there.
Langsett reservoirLangsett reservoir
On a Sunday morning in September I took a walk around the Hambleton Peninsular at Rutland Water and enjoyed a coffee at this bench whilst watching the birds.
Rutland water
On another Sunday morning I did a walk taking in Foxton Locks in Leicestershire – I had been wanting to see these locks for a while now so it was good to do it.
Foxton locks
Walking with the Three Amigos we started to walk the Leicestershire Round and we are now nearly half way through. We have walked through many nice villages and learnt about the 10th Battalion of the Parachute regiment and Arnhem.
Burrough Hill was a high point but the views were restricted by the mist. September followed other months during the year of having higher than average rainfall. This is quite depressing for a walker.
In the Nottingham village of Rolleston myself and Angela were surprised to meet piglet, Pooh bear and Christopher-Robin playing pooh sticks.
One of my most frequent and enjoyable walking routes is along the Grantham canal.
Along the Grantham canal
In October myself and Mick walked in Sherwood Forest – the autumnal leaves were falling.
Sherwood ForestA cuppa in Sherwood Forest
In October myself and Angela walked along the quiet Lincolnshire beach near Chapel St Leonards. Not a soul about 😊.
How a beach should lookMore autumnal leavesDunham Massey
In November the temperatures dropped and we had some early snow.
Cobwebs galore
In November myself and Angela visited Grange-over- sands in Cumbria and enjoyed a nice walk on Hampsfell with views across Morecambe bay.
As we head towards the end of the year nice sunrises are back 😊.
Unfortunately the rain is still persisting making choosing walks quite difficult. The weather bounces, on a daily basis, from very mild and wet to very cold. Looking at weather forecasts is not an accurate means of predicting weather as often these change overnight. Do you sense my frustration?
Another flooded canal
I collected my medal for walking 1,500 miles during 2024 – in fact I walked over 1,700 miles.
Today ‘The Three Amigos’ met up at Woolsthorpe and enjoyed a 9-mile circular walk taking in the Grantham Canal, Denton reservoir and the Sustrans cycle trail that was once the Ironstone Ore railway line.
It was a chilly start to the day following on from many rainy days that has resulted in flooded fields and roads. I arrived at Woolsthorpe to find that Mick and Chris had already arrived and were busy getting their boots on. Both were recovering from bouts of the dreaded lurgi but clearly were keen to get walking. I took some abuse from them about being late, although, in actual fact, I was 10 minutes early 😊.
View of lock 16
We walked past lock 17, heading for Harlaxton, noting that the lock was full of water for a change.
Lock 17 and the boat Earwig
It was quiet along the towpath – we only met one runner while we were on it.
Ducks and swans were merrily paddling along the calm waters.
Mick and Chris were putting the world to rights along the way. Soon we arrived at Harlaxton Wharf and headed via fields towards Denton Reservoir. This reservoir supplies the water for the canal.
Harlaxton wharfDenton reservoir
The reservoir is a nice tranquil place normally but today there was shrubbery clearance going on so it was very noisy! We stopped for a cuppa and a bite to eat before doing a loop of the reservoir, watched some cormorants and then headed off towards Denton. Our route took us through the village and then uphill along the road to an old railway bridge where we joined the cycle trail.
Cormorants fishing at the reservoirJoining the cycle trail
It was a nice wide path along the cycle trail and easy walking.
The miles were slipping past easily and neither Mick nor Chris were showing any adverse affects from the lurgi. We arrived back at the canal and walked along the towpath back to the cars.
We had enjoyed the walk and the chat along the way.
Today myself and Angela visited Grange-over -Sands in Cumbria and enjoyed a 6-mile circular walk on Hampsfell. We had glorious views of Morecambe Bay and across to the Eastern Fells.
It was a bright sunny morning but bitterly cold as we set off from Grange-over-Sands.
A chilly Angela
We began by walking along the broad promenade taking in the lovely views across the mud flats of the bay. We took a seat on one of the many benches and had a cuppa.
View from the promenadeThe promenadeOn the promenade with Spartina grass in the background
After about half a mile we reached the railway station and left the promenade. Angela suggested looking to see if we could get a proper coffee in the station but alas, no, there was no café. Onwards we marched past the attractive pleasure gardens and an interesting coat of arms mounted on a large rock beside the road into Grange-over-Sands.
Pleasure gardens
After a brief walk in the village our route took us upwards and through Eggerslack wood. It was a rocky path covered in leaves.
Eggerslack wood
Approximately half way up the hill we found a fenced off area containing a couple of large concrete holes – something to do with the water supply but obviously defunct now.
There was a very steep section before we emerged from the wood on to Hampsfell. There were plenty of limestone outcrops here and we would find a limestone pavement on the top .
Out of the woods
The views of the distant Eastern fells were fantastic.
Limestone pavement with distinctive cracks or Grykes.
Towards the summit was an old building (200 yrs old) known locally as the Hospice which was an old bothy used by travellers to shelter in.
The Hospice
Leaving the summit we had a steady walk downhill enjoying extensive views across Morecambe Bay.
Morecambe bay in the background
We could see rain clouds in the distance and hoped we would get down before we it enveloped us.
Rain on its way?
Arriving back into grange-over-sands at the other end of the promenade, we had a nice walk along that until we reached our car.
As it turned out we avoided the rain – as we arrived back at the car it was starting to rain. It had been a great walk.
Today the ‘Three Amigos’ met up in Belton-in-Rutland and enjoyed a 7-mile walk to the village of Glooston. For us, it completed another leg of the Leicestershire Round.
It was a very misty start to the day, but eventually the sun came out and burnt off the mist. There was some lovely scenery to admire along the way. Most of the walking was across hilly fields which provided a suitable challenge.
Starting from the church in Belton-in-Rutland we passed the war memorial and headed down the road to cross the A47.
War memorial in Belton-in-Rutland
We headed towards the small village of Allexton crossing a bridge over Eye Brook and passing the Norman church of St Peter. Finding the path away from the village was slightly tricky, but eventually after referring to the guide book, we walked through the front garden of a new house and found our way to a bridleway. Allexton Hall was nearby but we didn’t get any glimpse of it.
Interestingly, the route we were walking to Hallaton is also on The Macmillan Way – a 290 mile long distance path from Boston, Lincs to Abbotsbury in Dorset. http://www.macmillanway.org/
It was great to watch the mist disappearing and it provided some very atmospheric scenery. You can’t beat a good walk on a sunny morning.
It was certainly hard going across the ploughed fields and after a while we had a quick stop for a re-vitalising cuppa.
Soon we were crossing a bridge over the long dis-used Melton Mowbray to Market Harborough railway line and getting close to Hallaton.
We stopped at a bench by the village pond, where there were a few kamikaze mallards at play, and had some refreshments.
Hallaton village pond
Our guide book said that Hallaton was one of the prettiest villages in Leicestershire. As we started to walk through the village we were not sure about that, but, as we progressed through the village, it turned into every bit the picturesque village that we had read about. There were plenty of thatched cottages to admire and even a cow tail handled water pump.
We admired the Butter Cross, a conical stone structure with a circular base and a ball finial (probably dating from the late 17th century).
The Butter Cross in Hallaton
The Norman church of St Michaels looked particularly nice.
As we walked out of the village and upwards we looked back at what looked like, a quintessentially English village nested in the countryside.
View back towards Hallaton
We crossed some nice grassed fields with lovely views all around. Occasionally, we came across some stunning houses with fabulous views.
After a short walk along tarmac roads we arrived into the very small village of Glooston – our destination for today.
I think we were all feeling the walk in our legs and knees so should sleep soundly tonight.
Today ‘The Three Amigos’ met up in Upper Hambleton in Rutland. It’s been a few weeks since the three of us managed to get in a walk together, so it was good to find the time today.
The walk was basically a 6-mile circular route around the peninsula along a good, if slightly undulating, track. It was a grey day with absolutely no wind. I had done the walk previously but it was new to Mick and Chris.
We had only been walking a few minutes when we came across a pitiful sight of a sheep, on its side, lying across the path. It was alive, but clearly in trouble. We thought that it looked pregnant. The poor thing needed help so we couldn’t just walk on past. Out came the phones as we tried contact Anglian Water, RSPCA and Police in an effort to get help. None were any good. Another walker approached us and Chris asked whether they were local, and knew the farmer. It turned out that they had a contact number for someone who knew the farmer, so that was good – the farmer was made aware of the situation. Before leaving, Chris rotated the sheep onto its other side and it seemed to perk up. Further along the track we met a van and told the driver about the sheep – they also knew the farmer and said they would take a look at the sheep. So, we felt happy that we had done our best to help.
The event brought to mind stories I had read about Everest expeditions, where climbers had passed other climbers who were clearly in trouble, but did not stop to help. Now, I know that at height summit fever can take over and an ‘every man for himself’ attitude can prevail. But, surely its a basic human instinct to help someone in trouble? It’s a controversial topic with the mountaineering fraternity so I best move on.
The water on the reservoir was perfectly still and with no wind it felt surreal. On the East coast we are used to being battered by winds so this calm weather is quite unusual.
Chris and Mick forging ahead.
Walking along the views across the reservoir were lovely. I soaked them up. Mick and Chris were putting the world to rights. There were very few people out walking today and the miles slipped by effortlessly.
Walking down to Half moon spinney (where the peninsular ends) we had a pitstop by the water -there were two handy benches available. Across the water we could see Normanton Church (a popular wedding venue). Swans were practicing taking off and landing on the water in front of us. Canadian Geese were gathered in a field close by.
Chris used to go sailing on the waters of Rutland Water so was able to point out things of interest to us.
Canadian geese
Leaving the spinney we passed through wooded sections where autumnal leaves were still on the trees.
Between the trees there were odd glimpses across the reservoir.
The path brought us past a nice old building which looked Tudor. Further on there were some very nice modern houses.
A steep hill climb brought us back into Upper Hambleton and to the cars. A good little walk enjoyed by all.
On todays walk Angela and I did a wonderful 13-mile ‘there and back’ coastal walk from Chapel St Leonards to Sandilands. We walked along the beach on the way up the coast and returned using the King Charles III England Coastal Path.
Arriving early in Chapel St Leonards the large car park was empty. We like to walk along this section of the Lincolnshire coast, but we only do it out of the tourist season. Our first port of call was the local Co-Op to get a butty for lunch and a coffee. Its always good to get the first caffeine hit of the day 😊.
We walked past the wooden beach huts that line the promenade. I wondered how much it would cost to buy a beach hut – I know that in some places they cost tens of thousands of pounds.
Chapel St Leonards beach huts
The promenade brought us to the North Sea Observatory at Chapel Point. Opened in 2018, and open all year around, it is a marine observatory but also houses a very popular café and exhibitions. I think the design is appealing.
Observatory in the background
The beach was completely empty, no-one in sight. It feels like a rare privilege to have so much space to yourself.
Looking back towards the observatory
The tide was quite a way out. Its interesting how walking on a beach is more demanding that firmer ground and we were picking our path along the beach to find the best ground. All that was missing was the sun!
Out at sea we could just about see the wind turbines that line this section of the Lincolnshire Coast.
As we neared Sandilands we heard the loud reversing beepers of heavy plant coming from over the sandbanks. We thought that maybe, houses were being built, or yet another caravan park. Further on we were walking by beach huts again.
Sandilands beach huts
I spotted a pop-up café, and it turned out to be run by The National Trust. We didn’t expect this but were delighted to visit it. Talking to the friendly staff we learnt that the Trust is creating new habitats for a variety of wildlife. Especially migrating birds like black-tailed godwit, spotted redshank and spoonbills. This area is on the ‘fly-way’ migration route. The Sandilands project is a big job.
At the National Trust Sandilands cafe
Work only started last month on transforming what was previously a golf-course. On our return, leg via the coastal path, we could clearly see the work in progress.
The Sandilands project has startedreturning along the coastal path
The coastal path took us behind the sandbanks and along grassy paths. It was much easier than beach walking.
Eventually, we were returned for a short section along the beach.
Arriving back into Chapel St Leonards we visited the award winning fish n’ chip shop called Marina – it was very good and enjoyable after a long walk. There were signs that darkness was on its way as we headed to the car park for the drive home.
My Walking Journeys 