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...

Saw the Cheshire Cat but no Alice!

Yes we were in Daresbury for our walk on Sunday 13th April 2014.
The  7.2162 miles route has been saved and the URL is http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6269820

For those who have followed our Meanders, you will see that this walk includes bits of a number of other walks.
We started our loop at the Lewis Carrol Centre, All Saints Church, Daresbury.

You can find out more about the Centre at http://lewiscarrollcentre.org.uk/about-us/
From the car park we headed off towards the pub, turning left and followed the "Timberland Trail" down to the Bridgewater Canal.
Although a nice start to the walk, the number of wild flowers, compared to last week, in the Yarrow Valley, was disappointing.

The oilseed rape in flower, compensated in some way.
Passing across the bottom end of Daresbury Science Park, with the well kept lawns and moorings, it was ironic that no one was allowed to use the moorings. Private Land.
The Bridgewater Canal was a hive of activity, not just the narrow boats, and plastic tubs, but walkers, cyclists (without bicycle bells), horses, and a wide range of wildlife including Herons and ducks that showed no sign of fear at all.

Swapping sides of the Bridgewater we briefly rejoined the "Timberland Trail" before heading off over a golf course and then around one side of Appleton Reservoir. Grebes, Shellducks, Moorhens, Coots, the list goes on, plus those fishing and more. When we emerged from the woodland, even without her distance glasses, my better half spotted possibly the highlight of our walk. Why highlight? Well sadly they are not very common any more. What aren't? Hares. We we lucky to see two hares.

It's not knowing what's around the corner that makes walking in the countryside so enjoyable. (and the company of course).
In contrast, as we returned to the car park, on the B5356, we saw something that was very sad. What did we see? The remains of a Badger. Mixed feelings, sad it had been killed, pleased that there were badgers in the Daresbury Wonderland.

Still no Alice! 

The Bridgewater and Norton Priory

The URL for todays route is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2261444 - 5.6 miles in total.
Same guide Riverside Rambles along the Mersey by Ron Freethy; difference is, this time I used http://wheresthepath.googlepages.com/exploreabiggermap.htm, a must for walkers, to map out the walk before we left home.
Whatever you do, if you buy this book, don't depend on either the text or the map; from what I've experienced so far either one or the other is correct but not at the same time!
This time the map is wrong on the return leg; you need to leave the towpath at Norton Town Bridge not Norton Bridge! Be warned.
Armed with map and guide we set off from the opposite side of the canal to a boatyard; it wasn't Preston Brook Marina, as stated in the guide, but was the correct place to start on the map and in the text. Just totally the wrong name!
We made our way towards Norton Priory along the Runcorn arm of the Bridgewater canal.
The fruit laden hedgerows (apples of various types but mainly crab apples, hawthorn berries, elderberries, etc.) and wildflowers were in abundance including the Purple Loosestrife shown below.

Little did we know, as squirrels, moorhens, ducks, jays, magpies etc. crossed our path, of what lay in store for us as we neared Norton Priory.

I thought I'd gone back to my childhood; here we had a wildflower meadow reintroducing 'cornfield flowers' such as corncockle, corn marigold, corn chamomile and poppy. When I was a boy.... Mmmm memories. What a pity the flowers were past their best, although the bees didn't think so!
The Priory wasn't open, we were a tad to-early, but the cafe was; tea and cherry scone for Chris and coffee and choc-chip muffin for me.
The Residents were a little shy...

The last time we visited was with Ben and Neil when they were both at Summerhill; many changes and perhaps a place to visit when it is too wet to walk.
We retraced our steps leaving the canal at the correct place and heading across fields, under two railway bridges and up onto the Manchester arm of the Bridgewater canal.
There was evidence of early growth of fungi probably due to the very wet summer or should that be 'global warming'?

Farmers are still trying to gather the harvest and two 'Holland' Combine harvesters were hard at it.
Another enjoyable walk and a note to revisit Norton Priory in the not too distant future.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Mersey Basin and Bridgewater Canal

Today we were both lucky with the weather and the choice of 'local' walk. Because the forecast wasn't that good this weekend, I looked for a fairly local walk and we chose one near Warrington.
A pleasant walk starting through the not so leafy glades, Autumn has had its effect, of outer Warrington. Past a reservoir we joined a bridleway to eventually climb up to what could have been a stunning vista of the Mersey Basin; if only it had been a clear day! We could just about see Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, 14 miles to the west, the Pennines and Winter Hill twenty miles to the east.
After taking in the view, we descended to a picturesque stretch of the Bridgewater Canal.

We took the opportunity to visit Walton Hall, Chris thought she had been before for a meeting, especially as the guide mentioned a cafe. Coffee, and for Chris Hot Chocolate, plus muffins were consumed beside the canal, before heading past the lake and waterfalls...

...up to Walton Hall.

It was where Chris had been for her meeting, well remembered! Perhaps this could be a venue for one of the RSC's meetings?
The entrance, as can be seen, was very impressive.

Returning to the Bridgewater Canal, we were sidetracked into the small Children's Zoo. A number of comments were made about the residents especially the rabbits...

"Mandy would want to hold him under her chin!"...and the peacock, who was particularly cooperative when I took his photograph...

The colours of his feathers were wonderful!.
The pleasant woodland stroll and the Bridgewater canal were easily appreciated; it provided us with a more balanced view of the local heritage of the area, together with the modern-day amenities available at Walton Hall & Gardens. This plus the final stretch through farmland completed another pleasant walk and all within walking distance of one of the fastest growing towns in the Northwest. A walk to revisit in the spring perhaps.
For those of you who don't know the area, Walton Hall and gardens were originally purchaced in 1812 by the Greenall Family, a famous name in the brewing industry. In 1941 the estate was bought by Warrington Borough Council, becoming parkland in 1945. The woodlands, as we found out, are home to squirrels, and many small birds including the 'Spot of the day' a Goldcrest! Well done Chris!

Blogged with Flock