Showing posts with label Aintree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aintree. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

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... 

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...
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...
or via the embedded version below...

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

The Harvester - our 33rd Walk and Pub Lunch

Today's 4.8232 miles (7.7622 km) route to the Harvester at Aintree, has been saved and can be seen at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6730587
After a poor start to the day, weather-wise, the clouds broke up and the sun appeared every now and then.

With some variations to routes well walked in the past, we were lucky enough to see...

  • Moorhens.
  • Coots,
  • Ducks,
  • Herons (x2),
...along with the usual rooks, crows, sparrows, gulls etc.
As you can see from the photos, Autumn is rapidly changing the environment.
Green Lane Swing Bridge

Shop Lane Swing Bridge

A59 Bridge over Leeds Liverpool Canal

Info overload on a pole...

As it says on the sign

Path beside Melling Brook

Nice new picnic bench - shame about the cans...

River Alt towards Sefton Village

Switch Island and new Southport road.

River Alt towards the A59

Autumnal

Aldrins Lane Swing Bridge
 Lots of Autumnal signs berries...
 ...of many colours...
 ...and varying amounts...
 and leaves changing colour...
 ...at different rates.
Eventually we reached our target destination, The Harvester at Aintree.

You can find out what we thought at our Maghull Foodie Blog.
After lunch we headed back onto the main road and caught the bus back to Maghull.
You can visit https://sharalike.com/s/hNYc to view a video clip of the photographs that I took or watch this clip...

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch #20 The Netherton, Netherton

Our Walk, for the 20th Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch, started in the car park behind Costa in Maghull. Our target today was The Netherton...

...in Netherton.
Our 4.582 miles (7.3741 km) route has been saved and can be seen, in detail at...

It included...
  • The Maghull part of Mersey Forest,
  • Crossing the new By-pass from Switch Island to Thornton,
  • Walking along the Leeds Liverpool Canal twice, towards Liverpool and
  • Crossing Bootle Golf Course.
The paths are obvious and, with the map, I don't think my usual step by step is needed.
As you can see... 
...it was a hot sunny day walking along the canal to the A59 bridge...
 ...where we left the canal...
 Here we saw the one down side of the walk...
 ...a squirrel had been hit by traffic and was on the footpath.
Turning past the Town Hall and Meadows Leisure Centre...
 We made our way to the footpath that took us along the edge of Maghull High School...
 ...and across Dover's Brook...
 ...and through the replanted Mersey Forest, with lots of wild flowers...
 Crossing the new by-pass, not completed yet...
 We made our way the the Leeds Liverpool Canal again, for our second wander on the tow-path. 
We saw lots of water fowl including...

  • Coots;
  • Moorhens and
  • Ducks...

 ...all with their young.
Plants included...
  • Flag Irises...

 and...

  • Dog-roses...

 The Coots were feeding their not so young chicks, on floating waste...
 At the end of this second stretch on the canal...
 ...we made our way to the path across Bootle Golf Course...
The shaded path was a welcome break from the sunshine.
We then made our way to The Netherton for the Pub Lunch.

You can read about this in my Maghull Foodie Blog at...

We returned home after our enjoyable meal and beers via bus...

...to Aintree Station...

...then Train to Maghull.
Another enjoyable Wednesday, made even better by the nice weather.