St Paul's Rambling Group Heaton Moor

The sun was out, the temperature rising as six of us set out on a six mile ramble around Lyme Park. We started from High Lane and joined the Middlewood Way to Nelson Pit where we made our first stop for coffee. From here we left the level ground of the old railway track  to begin the gentle ascent into Lyme Park.  With a couple of stops to gather our breath and admire the view we eventually made the Café where we took another short break. From here we began the ascent to the highest point of the park, the Cage. By skirting around the back of the Hall we were able to accomplish this ascent by a more gentle route and at the same time enjoys views across the gardens from a new angle.  At the top we stopped for lunch and even though there was a strong breeze it was warm enough to sit and enjoy the fine views across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire. The descent was easy and we soon joined the Ladybrook Valley Interest Trail. Unfortunately due to the cold weather many of the w