Showing posts with label Hightown Station. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hightown Station. Show all posts

Thursday, August 27, 2015

The Hightown - for our 28th Walk and Wednesday Pub Lunch

Let's start with a Question!
What happened last week?
My better half was at Thomas Land with our two UK Grandchildren while I was entertaining visitors from Sunny Suffolk - so we had a break.
This week, our 3.838 miles (6.1767 km) route from Formby Merseyrail Station to Hightown Station, via The Hightown for lunch, has been saved and is available at...

You can see what the "Pub Lunch" experience was like at...

Let's just say it's =2nd for the Beers and Service League
From Maghull Station...
 ...we took the train...
 ...via Sandhills to Formby Station
Initially the walk was along relatively quiet roads but soon joins the Sefton Coastal Path.
We saw a rabbit in the church yard...
 ... and soon were walking along unadopted roads...
 ...along which we saw Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars...
 Entering more open footpaths...
 ...we passed Cabin Hill National Nature Reserve (well worth a visit)...
 ... saw a Cinnabar Moth...
 ...and the cattle, used along side the sheep...
 ...to control the vegetation on the dunes.
We continued towards the MOD Ranges (the Coastal path skirting the high fences)...
 ... where we saw lots of Wall Brown butterflies...


Lasiommata megera, the Wall Brown butterfly gets its name from the characteristic behaviour of resting with wings two-thirds open on any bare surface, including bare ground and, of course, walls! 
Many walkers come across this butterfly on footpaths, especially in coastal areas, where the butterfly flies up when disturbed, before setting again a few metres ahead.
The rest of the walk was a mixture of walking through wooded patches...
 ...and along the edge of the MOD Range and/or the edge of the Liverpool-Southport Railway line...
 We also saw a dead rat on the path...
 ... probably an ex-resident of the River Alt (which we crossed).
Eventually we reached Hightown and passed the entrance to the MOD Range.
 A short distance from there, past the new houses being built, we reached our lunch venue...
 After a couple of pints and lunch, it was a short walk to Hightown Station...
...and a couple of trains and a bus home.
Another enjoyable Wednesday!

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch #17 The Grapes, Thornton

We were off to Thornton for a second time and, as this was the case, I looked for an alternative route.
Our planned 5.5564 miles (8.9422 km) walk has been saved and can be seen at... 
Today we used public transport, more than once.
Initially using the bus...

... to get to Maghull Station, then the train...
...found a metro to read on our journey
...to get to Hightown Station where our walk started.
We headed off along Lower Alt Road and turned left at the end, parallel to the River Alt...
We were now on the Sefton Coastal Path, which is marked with posts, many with white tops.
The Red Flag...
...wasn't really needed; the sound of gun fire, from Altcar Training Camp, could be heard throughout our walk.
As you can see, the paths were very clear...
 After a relatively short walk, we emerged at the sailing club where a sign...
 ...provides information about Prehistoric Altmouth.
As it was low tide, we followed the sign...
 ...to view the remains of the submerged forest.
We then continued along the Sefton Coastal Path enjoying the views, birds, flowers etc...
Launch pier at sailing club...



 Including "Argentina anserina", also known as common silverweed, silverweed cinquefoil or just "silverweed", is a flowering perennial plant in the rose family Rosaceae...
 When we reached the H M Coastguard Station we turned left along Hall Road West.
There were lots of signs pre-warning everyone that parking will be limited when the 3 Queens visit (25th May 2015)...
The Three Cunard Queens...

  • Queen Mary 2
  • Queen Elizabeth and 
  • Queen Victoria 
...will meet in the River Mersey for the first time in an event that will make maritime history. 
(Find out more at http://www.visitliverpool.com/whats-on/cunard-lines-three-queens-meeting-p353341)
 
 We continued past Hall Road Station where Hall Road West becomes Hall Road East.
At the sharp corner, we continued straight ahead, along a footpath (Dibb Lane) to Little Crosby
Here we turned right, along Little Crosby Road, past the memorial...
 ...and. at the Gate House, followed the path, with the wall on our left, to Virgins Lane where we turned right.
Again, as we've found during May, there was lots of bird song...
 ...ladybirds...
 ...and blossom...

At the end of the lane, at the traffic lights, we turned left, checked the bus timetable and then, at the next set of lights turned right again into Green Lane.
After a short distance, we reached our destination...


What was the Pub Lunch like?

Take a look at... 
After lunch it was back to the bus stop to catch a bus back to Maghull Square.
So that's the 17th walk done for our 
Walk and a Wednesday Pub Lunch
and very enjoyable it was too!