W&WPL #12 - The Royal Hotel, Waterloo

Our 12th W&WPL (Walk 5.6525 miles (9.0969 km) & Wednesday Pub Lunch) route to the Royal Hotel, Waterloo, has been saved and is available at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6563195

Route

The Wednesday Pub Lunch element can be viewed at...

http://maghullfoodie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/the-royal-hotel-waterloo-12.html

Our starting point today was Maghull Merseyrail Station.
Turning right, as we exited from the car park we continued along Station Road, turning left down Rutherford Road. 
We crossed the canal bridge, and continued along the tow-path towards Maghull Town Centre.
Before the swing bridge we entered the small park and headed for the right hand corner of the park.
Emerging on Hall Lane, we crossed the A59 (Northway) to continue along Hall Lane, then turning left along Liverpool Road South.
We took the first right along Ormonde Drive and, after a very short distance turned left down a signposted path along side Whinny Brook.

Crossing a bridge, over Melling Brook, we headed up a bank, turned left and, almost immediately right.

We were now on the Mersey Path and in Jubilee Woods.

Jubilee Woods

 Sadly there had been a fire but not too much damage had been done...

On the other side of the wood we crossed the River Alt...

...and Moor Hey Brook (you may not notice that one)
We continued along the road to the Northern Perimeter Road (A5207), which we crossed and continued straight ahead along Mersey Path to the Leeds Liverpool Canal.
Here we turned right along the tow-path...

Looking back at the swing-bridge

Along the tow-path we saw Flowering Current bushes... 

 ...and some nice murals...

Need to look back to see this one

pity about the graffiti

As we passed the sign for Rimrose Valley, we saw our first Butterfly of 2015...

... and Pussy Willows...

The map shows where we left the tow-path and how we headed across Rimrose Valley Country Park...

 ...with Dandilions in flower and seeding already...

...to emerge on St Mary's Road.

Taking the second left, along Bramhall Road, we emerged on Crosby Road North; 

...we crossed and headed down Great Georges Road. 
The Royal Hotel is at the end of this road.

Like us you could pop into The Royal Hotel or walk along Marine Terrace, or walk through the small park running parallel, to South road, where you turn right and continue to Waterloo Station.

Catch the train towards Liverpool changing at Sandhills Station, 

to catch the Ormskirk train back to Maghull.
A very enjoyable Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch #12 in the sunshine.

Viridor Wood and 3 Sisters recreation Area

Our 4.843 miles (7.7941 km) route today has been saved and can be viewed at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6562310

We started our "Meander" from the Car Park off the A58 (Bolton Road), just beyond...

...Stubshaw Cross and before Bryn Gates.
The paths, in the main are very clear, especially with the map I've plotted.
We headed to the footpath in the far corner of the car park and followed the track...

...taking the first two right turns at junctions. We paused to take some picture and to look at some wood carving on the way...

My Better-Half

Carvings

Me

At the next junction we took a left turn...

...and continued along the path until a track joined the one we were on, from under the railway. Here we turned left...

...then almost immediately right along a much narrower path.

This, after a while, turned left to run parallel to Coffin Lane Brook. 

Pussy Willow

On the far side of the brook there are fishing lakes, including a "Surfer"...

Crossing the Brook at the second bridge...

...we passed horses...

...before reaching the back of Beech Tree Houses. A left, right and left took us back onto Bolton Road (A58) heading back towards the Car Park.
Just past the houses, and the Bus Stop, we crossed the road and re-entered Viridor Wood and headed slightly to the left then turned right.
Stopped to take some pictures of the blossom using the macro-lens on my iPhone...

At the junction with the next path we went straight over.
When another path joins from the left we headed for the sign post, that could be seen across the field ahead.
Upon reaching the signpost we turned left, then right at the next sign post, heading up hill.
It was then left and onto a bird-hide that can be seen on the left.
Among the many birds that we saw here, and had seen already, we were especially lucky to get good views of...

• Common Buzzards (Buteo buteo), at the start of the walk in flight, with their breasts pale and finely barred as were the underside of their wings and tail. We also got close to see one perched...

...just before the hide, looking as though its head is hunched into its shoulders. 

• Kestrels, roosting and with their "flappy" wing beat, hovering effortlessly for long periods of time over the open spaces within the woodland.
• Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) (male) of similar size and appearance to a House Sparrow, but the male Reed Bunting has a dark head and bib. A broad white collar was also evident.
• Long-tailed Tits (Aegithalos caudatus) which are adorable, small, fluffy pinkish bird...

The shoulders and underparts are pinkish. The head has a white crown with black marks above the eyes and into the nape. They have red eye rings and a very small black bill. The black and white tail is very long, over half the length of the bird and the longest tail of any British bird in proportion to its body. The legs are black-brown.
now for the surprise - 

Long-tailed tits are not really members of the Tit family but of the Aegithalidae family.

We had also heard, but didn't spot, woodpeckers at various points along the walk.
After enjoying the birds and the Grey Squirrel...

...that arrived during our stay, we headed back to the path and turned left. 
At the next junction we took a right and followed the path around the fenced Three Sisters Race Circuit. We paused at the viewpoint to enjoy the scenery including Winter Hill and the Folley at Rivington.
We arrived at the entrance to the Three Sisters Race Circuit...

...where we turned right and headed towards the 3 Sisters recreation Area sign...

...and another footpath sign.
Here we turned left and followed the path, through the wooded area to emerge next to a lake.
Swans...

...Tuffted Ducks, Mallards, Gulls, Coots, the list goes on.
We purchased ice creams from the van in the car park and upon completion headed to a number of pools; we had fingers crossed that we would see frogs or at least some frog-spawn. 

No such luck.

It was then back towards the lake, taking the first turning right where I spotted "Sarcoscypha austriaca"...

...commonly referred to as Scarlet Elfcup which appears dead twigs in damp, shady places, usually partly buried in moss. Continuing along the path we took the next turning right, along the edge of a field with the first Daisies for 2015...

...the path veers off to the right and back onto Bolton Road, we turned left and back to the car.

This was our first visit to Viridor Wood and 3 Sisters recreation Area and, from our experience, I can see us revisiting in the not too distant future.

W&WPL #11 The Red Squirrel, Ince Blundell

Our 6.3018 miles (10.1418 km) (5.9161 miles to The Red Squirrel, the rest back to the Bus Stop) route has been saved and is available at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6559133

The Wednesday Pub Lunch element can be viewed at...

http://maghullfoodie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/the-red-squirrel-ince-blundell-11.html

Our starting point today was back to the car park behind Costa in Maghull.

From here we walked through to Westway, turned left towards the A59 (Northway), where we turned left again and continued towards Ormskirk until we reached the Traffic Lights.

Here we turned left onto Kenyons Lane and continued, straight across the next junction onto Lambshear Lane.

Just before reaching the houses on the right-hand side of Lambshear Lane we turned right and followed a well walked path.

This took us through to Sandy Lane which we followed, ignoring 2 roads off to the left to reach the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

Nice to see spring flowers in the hedgerow...

Turning left along the edge of the canal, we eventually emerged onto Southport Road...

Turning right, this time we headed along Southport Road, past hedges with blossom starting to bloom...

...past the Scotch Piper and St Catherine's Chapel <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydiate>...

...taking the next sign-posted footpath to the left.

Skirting the wood...

Nice Snowdrops and daffodils

...following a clear path, we eventually reach Acres Lane where we turned left and, almost immediately right (over a low stile if the gate is closed).

We followed this track, crossing the Cheshire Lines Footpath, until we reach the River Alt.

First 2015 sightings of... 

• Celandines <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_celandine> and 
• Coltsfoot <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tussilago>...

We crossed the bridge...

...and followed the clear footpath along field edges and over small bridges.

At the T-Junction...

...we continued straight ahead (not left towards Carrside Lane) towards the woodland.

This brought us out onto Carr House Lane which we followed to the Junction with Lady Green Lane.

Option time!

• If, like us, you plan to visit The Red Squirrel you turn right and follow Lady Green Lane to the A565 (Scaffold Lane). Here turn right and the pub is on the opposite side of the road at the traffic lights.
• If you are planning to catch the bus back to Maghull the bus stop is to the left...

Note: at the time of writing this, we...

• caught the Number 47 bus to the Bus stop opposite Aldi at Thornton then, 
• crossed the road to catch the Number 133, back to Maghull.

Bus Timetables are available at... 

http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/travelling-around/timetables/Pages/Bus-Timetables.aspx

An enjoyable Meander...