St Paul's Rambling Group Heaton Moor

At the start on a cold and frosty morning This year our Christmas ramble started from the Greyhound Inn at Ashley in Cheshire and a party of twelve set off to explore the paths and bye ways of this pretty Cheshire village. As always, this walk is more about lunch than ramble and the short four mile walk meant we were back at the Greyhound in plenty of time to enjoy an excellent Christmas Dinner in warm, comfortable surroundings. Details of the walk can be found at  http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/ranger_service/free-walk-leaflets.aspx     under Rail Walks. Greyhound Inn http://www.thegreyhoundashley.co.uk/ Off into the snow Coffee break in the cold Muddy path by M56 Motorway Tripping through the mud. Back onto the fields Making our way to the pub! Christmas dinner at the Greyhound

A party of ten left the Lion Salt Works, Northwich on a fine November Saturday to explore the Saltscape Trail. The first part of the walk took us along the Trent & Mersey Canal for about a mile and at this point we crossed over the bridge and into Maybury Country Park. From here we followed the path along Budworth Mere to the Coffee Shop where we stopped and enjoyed a break in the warm sunshine. At this junction the route crossed fields but with all the recent rain, which had made the paths extremely muddy, we elected to follow the road to the Anderton Lift. Only a short walk but there is a  narrow bridge without footpath and caution should be exercised if following this route. However, we were able to join the canal again very quickly which took us directly to the Lift. Unfortunately the lift is not working at week-ends in winter and we were disappointed not to see the boats going up and down. The Visitor Centre is open but time did not permit a visit on this occasion. ...

Our small group started our four mile walk from the National Trust car park at Dunham Massey. The first part of the walk through the village was through heavy rain but spirits were raised when we came upon the local craft brewery! Unfortunately we were unable to sample any of the prize winning beers at the time as the brewer was busy. However, more on this later. We then walked along the canal towpath alongside the River Bollin and over an aqueduct. The weather improved significantly and we were able to have a coffee break in full sun. We were lucky enough to get very close to a heron on the path who showed us great disdain as he assumed he owned that stretch of the canal. Coming down from the raised canal, we walked over a cobbled path into Little Bollington, over a footbridge onto a grassy path and into Dunham Park. We saw a deer and various waterfowl on our way back to the car park. We had a very pleasant lunch at the Axe and Cleaver pub where we were able to sampl...

Again a walk where the weather did not look at all promising but was actually sunny and pleasant. We started in the small but 'beautifully formed' village of Hartington which is tucked away about 8 miles SE of Buxton. The walk was a mainly 'easy' ramble along the river Dove and took in two other lesser known Dales namely Wolfescote Dale and Biggin Dale. The second moderate uphill stretch rewarded us with sparkling views of the Peak District. There was plenty of chatting along the way which added to the enjoyment-as did the teashop back in Hartington. Yes of course we indulged! Thanks to Janet who lead us so confidently. Now where do we go from here? Short uphill stretch Across the Dove Should you be walking here! Tea and cake indulgence!

A small group of four made the journey to Monsal Dale, close to Bakewell, in warm and sunny weather. The walk was based on the Monsal Dale and Brushfield circuit starting from the lovely vantage point of the Monsal Head Hotel. From there you could look down into the valley some 250 feet below. The view is spectacular over the River Wye. Our walk took us over the Headstone Viaduct and along the Monsal Trail through both the Cressbrook and Litton Tunnels, doing our best to avoid the cyclists! John Ruskin, the writer was critical of the Viaduct when it was built in 1863 as it destroyed the beauty of the Dales. However, time moves on and a preservation order was placed on it in 1970. The curved tunnels were cut through limestone and have a combined length of nearly 1,000 yards (or 914 meters in new money). We spotted an abundance of wild flowers along the Trail; including wild orchids, harebells and Scabious Devils Bit. We then left the Trail and headed up a long, stee...

It was pouring with rain as just four of us left St Paul's Road for the drive to Parkgate. Parkgate is on the Wirral Peninsular in Cheshire and is a curious and quirky place. It used to be an important sea port on the River Dee in the 18th Century. Well known people such as the composer Handel sailed from here to Dublin. However the Dee estuary silted up and the sea retreated a long way out from the 'sea front' but the sea wall remains. We walked north with the silted up reed beds on our left and the Welsh Hills rising above the distant remaining Chanel of the river Dee. We turned East for a short stretch and then South-ish, along tracks, minor roads and bits of the Wirral Way. Part of the route took us over the Neston Golf course and then along it's edge where we enjoyed stunning views of the river channel, and the estuary mouth. We worked our way round to 'The Old Port'. This has sandstone blocks from the original port and provided a good lunch st...

You would not normally associate Worsley, Greater Manchester with the country side  and a place for a ramble but within this suburb of Manchester lies a walk which you would only expect to find much further afield. Starting from the car park adjacent to the motorway the route takes you along the Bridgewater Canal towards Manchester, Then at Monton Green your turn right, at the 'lighthouse' on the left, onto the Roe Green Loop Line. This line originally linked Worsley with Bolton before closure in 1969 It was reopened in 2016 as a cycling and pedestrian route and is now an attractive woodland walk teeming with wildlife. Leaving the Loop Line at Beeson Green a short walk along the road brings you to the entrance to Worsley Woods. Another attractive woodland full of wildlife and native plants. Wood carvings of plants are to be seen along the path and if you look carefully in the locations the wild plants can be found in the undergrowth The path eventually opens out into th...