Introduction OK, so Dove Dale made it into the Royal Geographic Society’s 7 Natural Wonders of the UK, but give me these 2 very nearby dales and I couldn’t be happier. Maybe they don’t have a gushing and bubbling river, but for total tranquility and great ornithology they get me…
Half-Day Walker Posts
Rain Arriving Soon The forecast for today has been consistent – it’s going to rain from mid-morning. So, I planned an early start, a short drive, and a short walk! The downside to an early start is fighting through the school / rush hour traffic. I left home at 8.05,…
Taking It Easy I had my second Pfizer Covid 19 vaccination on Tuesday, and so, in case I began to feel side effects, I decided to take an easy walk in a populated area which I know well from previous visits. Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve I have been a permit…
Introduction I like to visit Coombes Valley RSPB reserve just south of Leek every spring, always hoping to see its speciality bird, the pied flycatcher. This year, I chose to combine my trip with a longer walk in this lovely Staffordshire countryside. Travel time –50 minutes each way. Walk time…
Introduction Caroline suggested a Sunday morning stroll, hoping to beat the showers. For a while we have been meaning to visit the local landmark that is Mellor Cross. So, it was off to the hills and moors of Stockport, above the village of Mellor. Travel time –about half an hour…
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Introduction It’s likely that everyone reading this has visited this part of north Staffordshire. Yet, while the rollercoasters’ roars and thrill seekers’ shrieks provide the background drone from the world -renowned Alton Towers Theme Park, nature carries on serenely in the adjacent Churnet valley. In fact, but for the the…
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Introduction Thanks to the M60 motorway, the West Pennine moors to the north of Bolton offer rich opportunities for walking within an easy drive from south Manchester. Entwistle is a tiny hamlet, with a railway station and pub, so also easily accessible by train. I elected to drive, and chose…
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Introduction For several months during lockdown, my wife Caroline has been saying she’s heard great things about the views from Bamford Edge, above the village of Bamford and the south end of Ladybower Reservoir, and that we must go there when lockdown ends and the weather is on our side.…
Introduction This week, I followed a recommendation from my son Adam, and headed to this United Utilities reservoir in the South Pennines, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. There were some unexpected twists along the way! Travel time – 50 minutes each way. Walk time – 3hrs 40minutes, plus a…
Introduction Inspired by some pictures posted by Lucy Goldsmith, one of my Twitter followers and a former colleague at Weaver Vale Housing Trust, I headed out through Glossop on the A57 Snake Pass from Manchester to Sheffield. My walk was designed to follow parts of the Rivers Ashop and Alport…
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