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Walking and Rambling discussion

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Peter Mugridge

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Eight miles around King's Lynn yesterday, taking in The Rookery, Spring Wood and Reffley Wood but surprisingly little wildlife seen despite all three supposedly being reserves.

Ironically we did see some deer - but in each case it was outside the reserves!

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High Dyke

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Yellabelly Country
The other Saturday I had a pleasant evening walk from Wimbledon Park Underground to Richmond, taking in Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park on the way. Sat for a while in the latter location watching some deer meander across the park.

Followed it up on the Sunday with a jaunt between Richmond and Greenford; walking part of the Grand Union canal and River Brent.
 

Peter Mugridge

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9½ miles today from Harlow Mill railway station to Broxbourne railway station. That's half the total distance now done; I reckon two more parts should complete this one... Broxbourne to Ponder's End and Ponder's End to Stratford....

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S&CLER

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I took a train from Wigan to Oxenholme, walked the length of the Helm, a hill with fine views on both sides from the ridge-top path, then paths and narrow lanes to the hamlet of Stainton for a look at the canal aqueduct. I had intended to repeat earlier walks along the old Lancaster-Kendal canal, by the bridleway over Hincaster tunnel, then along the course of the derelict canal, with its bridges isolated in the middle of fields, before cutting across to Natland and back to Oxenholme, but I felt a bit too tired for that, and with no water left as the day grew hotter, I decided instead to shorten the walk, break new ground and return via Crosscrake and the lane that runs along the west side of the Helm. Good views of the WCML in some places.
 
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Peter Mugridge

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Keep it up, Peter!

It's all rather weather dependent... if there's been heavy rain in the couple of days before a walk, then even if it's a dry day on the Saturday we'd probably not do one that involves towpaths as they have a habit of turning into a series of awkward muddy puddles in such conditions! We do have back up plans ready for just such circumstances, though.

One thing I'd like to see would be others who describe their walks putting up maps of them as well, not necessarily the same way that I do, but maps would help others looking at doing the same or similar walks.
 

davews

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Bracknell
I take it that my four miles yesterday from Waterloo, St James Park, Hyde Park to Oxford Circus tail ending on a certain march doesn't quit fit into this thread....
Some of you may though have found my website walks.
http://davesergeant.com/greenlondonway/index.htm is my current one. At my age I try to limit it to not much more than seven miles a day.
 

S&CLER

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It's all rather weather dependent... if there's been heavy rain in the couple of days before a walk, then even if it's a dry day on the Saturday we'd probably not do one that involves towpaths as they have a habit of turning into a series of awkward muddy puddles in such conditions! We do have back up plans ready for just such circumstances, though.

One thing I'd like to see would be others who describe their walks putting up maps of them as well, not necessarily the same way that I do, but maps would help others looking at doing the same or similar walks.
I would do that if I knew how, but I'm afraid my computer skills aren't up to it. But I enjoy your walk descriptions and maps. When my walking partner, an IT professional with Hewlett Packard, was still alive, he used to print out colour OS maps with the route highlighted, directional arrows at half-mile intervals and a gradient profile as well. He had desk-top publishing software, so our descriptive handouts for the walks we led with our club, printed on glossy paper, looked very smart.
 

KINSEY.

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M19
13 miles along the Trans Pennine trail from Stockport to Broadbottom yesterday. Some confusing distance markers along the way though. Broadbottom was showing as being 9 3/4 miles away when it was 11 miles away, and 6 miles away when it was 4 miles away
 

Peter Mugridge

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I would do that if I knew how, but I'm afraid my computer skills aren't up to it. But I enjoy your walk descriptions and maps. When my walking partner, an IT professional with Hewlett Packard, was still alive, he used to print out colour OS maps with the route highlighted, directional arrows at half-mile intervals and a gradient profile as well. He had desk-top publishing software, so our descriptive handouts for the walks we led with our club, printed on glossy paper, looked very smart.
Ah, what I'm doing is I'm finding the area of the walk on Google Maps ( searching by a nearby area so I don't get the big red balloon pin marker in the way ) and then using the snipping tool to select the relevant area and marking the route with the pen function contained within the snipping tool.
 

DerekC

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I would do that if I knew how, but I'm afraid my computer skills aren't up to it. But I enjoy your walk descriptions and maps. When my walking partner, an IT professional with Hewlett Packard, was still alive, he used to print out colour OS maps with the route highlighted, directional arrows at half-mile intervals and a gradient profile as well. He had desk-top publishing software, so our descriptive handouts for the walks we led with our club, printed on glossy paper, looked very smart.

Ah, what I'm doing is I'm finding the area of the walk on Google Maps ( searching by a nearby area so I don't get the big red balloon pin marker in the way ) and then using the snipping tool to select the relevant area and marking the route with the pen function contained within the snipping tool.
I find the "OS Maps" app fantastic. It costs £19.99 per year which I think is a bargain. You get "Explorer" mapping of the whole country and you can zoom in to check exact routes of footpaths. I plan routes on my laptop and then download the area I am going to walk on my mobile before starting, in case cellular coverage is poor. On the ground the screen shows where you are relative to the path and the direction you ae going. (The only thing it doesn't do is set the map with north in the correct direction).
 

Kite159

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I find the "OS Maps" app fantastic. It costs £19.99 per year which I think is a bargain. You get "Explorer" mapping of the whole country and you can zoom in to check exact routes of footpaths. I plan routes on my laptop and then download the area I am going to walk on my mobile before starting, in case cellular coverage is poor. On the ground the screen shows where you are relative to the path and the direction you ae going. (The only thing it doesn't do is set the map with north in the correct direction).

OS map app is good, and I do the same. Even if it's a rough plan, it's so I can download the relevant map area to my phone to avoid having to use up mobile data on the move.

Saturday I did a couple short walks in South Wales.

Tir-phil to Bargoed via Brithdir which covered a bit of an old railway, giving nice views of Bargoed viaduct
Coryton to Radyr along part of the old trackbed before looping back along the River Taff
 

S&CLER

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Today's walk, postponed from a very wet yesterday, took me from Cark station to Grange over Sands via the Cumbrian Coastal Way. This was the last lengthy section of footpath in the Cartmel peninsula that I still hadn't walked. I had not expected very much of it,but was very pleasantly surprised. The first 90 minutes, turning right out of the station, up into the village, left at the Engine Inn and then down a narrow byway, was a delight with superb views of the estuary over to Hoad Hill near Ulverston. After the first farm the track turns stony for a while then becomes a fine grassy dyke as far as West Plain Farm, near the old Cark airfield and a leisure park. The Way then follows narrow lanes inland with hardly any traffic, except that I was overtaken 3 times by a milk tanker which was calling at the local farms. The path then cuts across the top of Humphrey Head and crosses fields to the village of Allithwaite. The short but steep climb up a lane called Jack Hill is the only serious gradient of the whole route. From the road junction at the top of the hill ( where there is a bench to sit and recover), I walked down the lane to Kents Bank station, which would have made a good escape point if necessary, but the weather today was kind. This is a pretty area, with several luxuriant gardens to admire. The Morecambe Bay coast is said to be one of the most frost-free places in the whole of Britain. From Kents Bank I followed the road, then down some steps to a path signposted "to Promenade and Grange". It has a good view of the Furness line for much of the way, but today I couldn't see Ingleborough, which is usually visible from Kents Bank in clear weather. The walk ended with a very pleasant stroll along the promenade to Grange station. Total time 3 hrs 28 minutes.
 

eMeS

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Today's walk, postponed from a very wet yesterday, took me from Cark station to Grange over Sands via the Cumbrian Coastal Way. ... Total time 3 hrs 28 minutes.
I'm envious! Had several pleasant holidays at Grange during WWII, and I remember the seaside baths, and pond with ducks in Grange. My last visit to the area, was to Carnforth Station to capture an LMR 4-6-2 hauled "The Caledonian" express powering through. Can't remember the date.27 Caledonian at Carnforth.jpg
 

Kite159

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Yesterday's main walk was from Fairbourne to Barmouth, going via the "Wales coast Path" along the coast at Fairbourne before heading inland towards Morfa station and across the viaduct before going back towards Barmouth beach, would have walked towards the end of the little breakwater thing but the rain was getting heavier.

I had good timing for the slightly late running northbound service
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philthetube

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The Esk valley way for Whitby to Castleton is a good one, two relatively easy days followed by a 17 miler, the train timings are not too bad though a pub visit at Castleton when finishing improves it.
 

Ediswan

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Stevenage
I'm envious! Had several pleasant holidays at Grange during WWII, and I remember the seaside baths, and pond with ducks in Grange. My last visit to the area, was to Carnforth Station to capture an LMR 4-6-2 hauled "The Caledonian" express powering through. Can't remember the date.View attachment 99245
Have you got the negative ? A modern scanner might work wonders on the colour and dust/scratches.
 

S&CLER

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Today I continued my walk on the Cumbrian Coastal Way. I arrived at Grange station, intending to walk from west to east and finish at the Gilpin Bridge Hotel , near the junction of the A590 and A5074 Lyth valley road, then catch a bus back to Grange. But by great good fortune, the Kendal bus was arriving just as I left the train at Grange,so I decided to do it the other way round and save time. The route is by a farm lane to High Foulshaw farm, then across a field to the sea-dyke, but you can't get up on to the dyke at first. Once you can do so, after about a quarter of a mile of walking through very long grass, the views are fine: across to Milnthorpe, Sandside and Arnside, with the viaduct in the distance.

Near Crag Cottage you need to be careful not to miss the footpath that leads across fields to the lane from Witherslack Lane End to Meathop. If i had done the route in the other direction, this lane would have been my escape route in very bad weather, as it brings you out at a bus shelter at Witherslack Lane End, where there is an underpass under the A590 and a pub a very short distance up the lane. Buses from Kendal to Barrow via Grange are hourly on weekdays.
But as the weather was good, I continued to Meathop, once an island but now surrounded by reclaimed land (dates from the construction of the Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway, I believe). The route is largely free of cars but popular with cyclists, and almost level, though the lane through shady woods round the west side of Meathop Fell soars to nearly 30 metres above sea level. From Meathop, it's a straight walk more or less alongside the railway, but the line can't be seen through the trees for much of the way, though there is a good glimpse of it where the lane crosses the river Winster, where I was rewarded by seeing up and down trains cross within seconds . A short bit of road, then a path leads down to a footbridge over the railway and the end of Grange Promenade, and in a few more minutes to Grange station. At Grange station newsagents I bought a newly published book on the history of the Arnside-Hincaster branch, called Kendal Tommy, for £14. Total walk time 2 hrs 55 minutes.

Added on Sunday 18 July
Yesterday I did the Arnside-Hincaster branch, arriving at Arnside at 11:22 from Preston. It was a glorious day, the tide was out and the miles of golden sands in the estuary looked superb. I walked the old line as far as the bridge which doglegs over it, this section being largely in shade from the trees on the landward side. I then followed the path down to the beach. This soon comes back up to the road. At this point I took Green Lane up to Storth village green, for a glimpse of the old line in a cutting from an overbridge, then turned left and back downhill, then right on to Quarry Lane, which runs alongside the old line (more very welcome shade). You can walk part of the cutting, but some of it is occupied by a builders' merchant and private gardens. Passing the narrow stone footbridge near the site of Sandside station, I continued down to the shore road, and crossed over to follow a path signed to Milnthorpe bridge. This uses the old embankment for a short distance before diverging round a few fields of sheep pasture back to Milnthorpe Bridge. The ends of the old embankment can still be seen, but there is no trace of the former Bela viaduct (not to be confused with Belah viaduct on the Stainmore line!) I took exactly one hour from Arnside to Milnthorpe bridge.

From Milnthorpe bridge a boring section follows, along the straight, level and treeless Marsh Road, more of a cyclist's thing than a walker's. At Marsh Farm I turned sharp right and went due east to Heversham village, noticing a nice pub by the A6. (I didn't stop, my rule is no alcohol until the walk's finished.) There is a bench in the churchyard where you can have lunch. From Heversham church, I followed Woodhouse Lane to near a bridge over the old line, where you can get on to the Hincaster Trailway. Unfortunately you can't go all the way to Hincaster on it, as the Trailway is not continuous, but you can see the old line from adjacent lanes.
Having got nearly to Hincaster, and feeling the heat, I turned round and got back on to the Trailway,which is in a cutting with very welcome deep shade. You cannot walk all the way back to the old Heversham station site, where the line passed under the A6 (and there is nothing to see anyway), as the Trailway is closed off by a steel barrier at a narrow bridge just before the A6. There are no steps up to it, but you can scramble up the cutting slope and sit on the low stone wall and swing yourself over, and this will bring you on to a short drive leading to the A6 south of Heversham village, a few minutes walk.

If you wanted a long walk, you could do Arnside to Oxenholme, by continuing from Hincaster along the old canal bank to near Natland then crossing over to Natland village and Oxenholme station. Would take about 5 hours.

From Heversham church buses (555) are at xx.13 to Kendal (some hours to Keswick) and xx.33 to Carnforth and Lancaster. I went back to Carnforth, had enough time to spare for a quick visit to the Bookshop, where I found 2 odd volumes on my wants list required to complete sets, and caught the 15:40 to Preston. On arrival back home I found the latest issue of Modern Railways and a letter advising me that my appeal for Council Tax rebanding from C to B had been approved and that I would be due a refund for overpayment dating back to 1 August 1995.

Now that's my idea of a successful day!
 
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Peter Mugridge

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Part three of the long river walk was completed on 17th July with 8½ miles walked from Broxbourne to Ponder's End; we only now need to do Ponder's End to Hackney Wick to finish this one. That will be done on the next dry Saturday we get.

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_toommm_

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Just over 20 miles on Monday on the Cleveland Way, from (just outside) Scarborough, to Whitby:

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Peter Mugridge

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The weather was too bad for us to complete the river walk today, but it was dry and sunny in East Sussex so we instead did a 7 mile clockwise circular walk starting and finishing at Battle railway station and going via Powdermill Woods nature reserve, the town centre and the Great Battle Woods.

Funnily enough, we didn't see any wildlife at the nature reserve but we saw loads of it at the Great Battle Woods instead!

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Grumpus63

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A pleasant "on the level" ramble in West Wales is to take the Cambrian Coast line to Tonfanau (please notify the conductor that you wish to alight). Then walk inland a mile or two along the south bank of the River Dysynny (bet you never knew there was a Dysynny Land Wales did you ;) ). Then south along Fford Gwalia path into Tywyn. Head towards the beach and then walk along shingle becoming sand down to Aberdovey. The only annoying bit is the shingle. A bit of everything...mountain views on the horizon, sparkling clean river, countryside walking, town for refreshment en-route then the seafront and beach. Rewarded at the end by lovely Aberdovey and the existence of two stations (Aberdovey and Penhelig (Penhelig is another request stop). This is not an official ramble as such, just something I have done a couple of times in the past year and has been pleasant enough. Here are a selction of pictures taken...
 

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Peter Mugridge

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Ponder's End to Stratford done today, thus completing the walk all the way from Bishop's Stortford. The original target was Hackney Wick ( as we have previously walked the Hertford Union and then the Lea southwards to the Limehouse Cut ) but we made better time than we expected, so we continued to Stratford via the branch from Old Ford to Carpenter's Road and then along the City Mill River as far as Siding Street.

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S&CLER

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Our walking club resumed its coach outings today for the first time since March 2020, though they will only be fortnightly at first instead of weekly. Fortunately the local Ramblers branch is also restarting, but in the other weeks, so I will be able to go out with both clubs in alternate weeks. The destination today was Coniston, and as I didn't feel like climbing, and realised I hadn't been to Tarn Hows for 9 years, I chose to go with the group that was heading for that very popular spot, It was a delightful walk, though on the return leg I was less than impressed with the walled garden at the NT property Monk Coniston Hall. It looked like an overgrown allotment to me, though I suppose my standards for walled gardens are currently very high because I spent last week in Kent visiting Chartwell, Leeds Castle and Penshurst Place, all of which have far superior walled gardens. The Crown Inn in Coniston was a shambles, I stood in a queue for bar service for 10 minutes, and when I didn't detect any movement, I gave up in disgust. Maybe I should have sat at a table indoors, as they seemed to be getting served. The village was thronged, though we didn't encounter too many people on the paths we used, as most of the day trippers don't stray far from a car park.
 

Kite159

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I did a couple nice seaside walks at the weekend

Saturday - St Leonards Warrior Square to Bexhill
Sunday - Clacton on Sea to Walton on the Naze.

Out of the two I would say the Essex one was better for views (sandy beaches rather than pebbles), plus a section in the middle where it's rural land to one side, the sea to the other and you are walking on a sea defence wall.
 

S&CLER

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I had a good 9.5 mile walk at Llangollen yesterday, with the Ramblers. We left Llangollen along the river, crossed the A5 and followed a tarmac drive uphill, which then became a track through Inman's Wood, before descending to rejoin the A5 and cross it near Berwyn station (well-loaded dmu in platform). We crossed the river, then went up to Horseshoe Falls, then Llantysilio church and up a lane (I would have preferred a footpath route) to the Britannia Inn, steeply down a narrow lane and across the river Eglwyseg , then up to join the Clwydian Way. We followed the Way south until the stile that gives access to steps down to Valle Crucis Abbey, went through the grounds and across the road to find the very overgrown footpath round Velvet Hill, and so back to the Chain Bridge Hotel, from where we walked along the canal bank back into Llangollen. This last bit I have done more than enough times, and it always feels interminable though it ls only just over a mile and a bit, and level.
 
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Peter Mugridge

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Two to report from me here, firstly a 7 - 8 mile circular walk in Dundee starting and finishing at the Premier Inn hotel on 4th August and secondly an 8 mile walk from Slough railway station to Hayes and Harlington railway station yesterday, with the route being the five mile Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal and then the Grand Union main for the last three miles. The towpath on the Slough arm was surprisingly quiet considering the good weather and the good wildlife observing opportunities combined with how easily accessible it is.

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S&CLER

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Today I led our club's no. 2 walk from Pentre, just west of Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd on the A494, to Ruthin (see attached map). It was a very pleasant walk, partly in shade alongside water (Lady Bagot's Drive, along the river Clywedog). Fierce dog at Plas y Ward! We passed the site of Rhewl station on the old Rhyl-Corwen line, but there is nothing left, only a line of trees and a stone overbridge in a field to indicate where the line used to be. From Bontuchel, I followed a part footpath, part-lane route, including a fabulously overgrown green lane between Ffordd-las and Bodyngharad, where a machete would have come in handy.
 

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