Looking for Deer at Dunham Massey

Today's 3.8733 miles (6.2335 km) route, at Dunham Massey, 

has been saved and is available at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6741574

We chose Dunham Massey as we expected the "Rutting Season" to have started; to be fair, it had but very much in its early stages. 
I'm sure that many of the other visitors were visiting this Georgian house, set in its magnificent deer-park, to visit the re-created Stamford Hospital.

During WW1 Dunham Massey offered sanctuary from the trenches for 282 wounded soldiers. To mark the centenary of WW1, Dunham Massey has been transformed into the hospital once again, telling the story of the...

• soldiers,

• nurses and

• family 

...who lived there.
If you get the chance, it's well worth a visit.

Today however we were visiting for a walk and to spot rutting deer.
We headed off towards the Deer-Park, past the lake that feeds the millrace...

 ...at the back of the house.
We saw the usual geese...

 ...and moor-hens, coots, ducks etc.
After yesterday's unpleasant rain, we enjoyed a sunny, albeit cold, walk. Through the autumnal colours of trees and bracken, we initially headed toward one of the monuments at the end of a glade...

 We then skirted the Deer Sanctuary...

 ...where after scanning the views on all sides...

 ...we spotted our first deer...

 Once we had spotted one, others were seen resting...

 ..."grunting"...

 ...and providing brief glimpses. Many of the branches of fallen trees, pretended to be antlers...

 ...confusing us. At times we saw dominant males rounding up females and challenging others...

 Some areas are fences off and squirrels were enjoying the vast numbers of acorns available for them.

 In amongst the trees and bracken...

 ...we saw fungi...

 ...yet another sign of Autumn...

 Some of the stags lay in the open...

 ...enjoying the sunshine...

 ...and, as yet, not interested in the rutting that was starting around them.
Near one of a number of lakes...

 ...we left the deer-park, over some fancy steps...

 ..and headed back to wards the entrance to the estate. The plan was to walk along part of the Bridgewater Canal.
The wall had many flowers...

 ...growing in the gaps between bricks. We also spotted the "Family Coat-of-Arms"...

 ...as part of one of the gates. In amongst the fallen leaves we also saw more fungi...

Once we were on the tow-path, we crossed over the River Bollin...

 ...the canal being some height above the river...

 On the fields below, cattle lay, chewing the cud...

 The hedgerows had holly, rowan, and elder berries and rose-hips as well...

 We left the canal, down some steps. and once we had passed the "Swan with Two Snics", and re-crossed the Bollin, we headed along a path between fields of more cattle...

 ...back to the Café and Shop for lunch...

Another enjoyable Sunday Meander completed...
A slideshow of the photographs I took is available at https://sharalike.com/s/jmpV or embedded below...

The Blue Anchor, Aintree - our 35th Walk and Pub Lunch

Today's 4.3193 miles (6.9513 km) route to the Blue Anchor in Aintree, has been saved and can be seen at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6739583

Starting in the car park, behind Costa, in Maghull, we headed towards the Leeds Liverpool Canal, via our usual short cut... 

Once we joined the Canal at Shop Lane Swing Bridge... 

 we headed towards Liverpool along the tow-path...

 The next swing bridge, at Hall Lane...

 ...is where the boatyard is, that at one time we were hoping to buy...

 We continued along the canal enjoying a wide range of plants...

 ...including waterlilies...

...and the waterfowl (ducks, moorhens, coots, etc.,)...

 In the distance we could see Liverpool's two Cathedrals and Liverpool F.C.'s New Stand being built...

 We were also lucky to see two herons, one that flew away before I could take a photograph...

 ...and another, further on, after the next swing bridge...

 ...that I did capture...

 One thing that Chris pointed out, was how well camouflaged the ducks were...

 ...and how a photograph of them would make a difficult Jigsaw.
There may be one later this week at...

http://www.acljohn.com/

Not long after passing under the M57 we crossed the River Alt...

 ...and we were soon at Canal Turn at Aintree Race Course...

After that it wasn't long before we reached "Melling Road" bridge...

...the road that crosses Aintree Race Course, and, as you can see from the map, this was very close to our destination, The Blue Anchor

 You can find out about our experience at the Blue Anchor, via my Maghull Foodie blog...

After lunch, we caught the 159 bus, just outside the pub, to Old Roan Station...

 Here we caught the Train back to Maghull...

...and a bus back to the start... 

In spite of the weather, very fine rain every now and then, this was another enjoyable Wednesday Meander!

You can take a look at the slide show of the photographs I took at...

https://sharalike.com/s/jdvG

or via the embedded version below...