Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch #15 - Saracens Head, Halsall

Our 4.3952 miles (7.0735 km) route, for Walk & Wednesday Pub Lunch (W&WPL) #15, has been saved and you can take a closer look at...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6589963

It was to...

The Saracens Head, Halsall

What a contrast from last week; today...

• no coats,
• sun shining
• light breeze.

Not the only change however!
Today we went from Maghull Station...

...to Aughton Park Station...

...where our walk began.

We headed up the ramp and steps...

...and, at the top turned right along Long Lane.
At the end of Long Lane we turned right and crossed the A59 (Liverpool Road) at the pedestrian lights turned right then first left, along a track, towards Gorse Hill Reservoir.
Turning right in-front of the many padlocked gate we could see the spire and tower of Ormskirk Church, ahead of us...

Before the large barn we took a left and followed the path around the Reservoir, keeping the metal fence on our left side...

Emerging into a wider open space...

the path is straight ahead in this photograph

...we veered to the right heading down hill.
This area is part of Gorse Hill Nature Reserve...

We kept the hedge on our right, as we left the Nature Reserve, and passed along the edge of a number of fields with various cabbage plants - some of which were in flower...

We emerged onto Cut Lane where we turned left. Across the field we could see, on the left, what turned out to be a new build...

 The brick building was on the opposite side of the road we were walking along (Cut Lane)
There were quite alot of sheep and lambs in the fields near the two buildings...

 At the road junction, we turned right along Narrow Lane, past Acorn Cattery (love the somewhat battered sign)...

 ...fields of horses...

 and Oilseed Rape coming into flower...

 Where Narrow Lane took a fairly sharp right we carried on across the field ahead, with the ditch on our left. This brought us to the Leeds Liverpool Canal where we crossed the bridge and descended onto the tow-path down steps on the left. passing under the bridge...

 ...we continued to the next canal bridge...

 ...just past the Saracens Head, on the opposite bank...

 Before going to enjoy our pub lunch, we went to look at the sculpture...

 ... and the information about the building of the canal...

 ...that started there...

We enjoyed our pub lunch which you can read about at...

http://maghullfoodie.blogspot.com/2015/04/our-15th-w-walk-wednesday-pub-lunch-was.html

After lunch we left the Saracens Head, re-crossed the canal bridge and headed along Summerwood Lane towards the A5147 (New Street)

Here we caught the 300 Bus...

...back to Maghull - from the bus-stop in-front of the church.

Another enjoyable walk that, if you get the opportunity you should try.

Little Neston Meander & Burton Hall (19th April 2015)

Our 5.6 miles (9 km) route for today's walk has been saved, if you want to take a look at where we went, visit http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6587037

We started in the small car park at the end of Marshlands Road and the start of Quayside.
For starters we headed downstream, towards Parkgate.
After crossing a stile in a low sandstone wall, we turned right, following a clear path inland.
There were a large number of horses in the fields we walked through.

Eric

We also spotted our first swallows of 2015.
When the path turned to the left and became enclosed, we went through a "Kissing gate" < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissing_gate > on the right, and headed for a gap in the hedge straight ahead; then along the edge of a field, with the hedge on our left.

This took us to the Wirral Circular Trail which, for this part, follows the Wirral Way; a disused railway.

We turned left along the old track and continued to the B5135 (Parkgate Road). Here we crossed the road, turned right then first left into "The Ropewalk".
Just before the first house on the right, we turned right along a narrow path and rejoined the Wirral Circular Trail.
We were lucky to see so many wild flowers...

...squirrels, and birds.
This part of our walk was very easy as we continued along the Wirral Way until we turned left at a signposted footpath path...

...across Heswall Golf Course.
When we reached the footpath, on the other side of the Golf Course, we turned left again and continued along  "The Parade". 
Again we were lucky to see so many waterfowl including ducks, a heron, lots of white egrets, gulls, geese...

...and the list goes on.
Near the far end of "The Parade" we saw, what we assumed was part of Easter Celebrations, a man made cross...

...with the River Dee and Wales behind.
We continued right to the end of "The Parade".
Here the footpath keeps close to the ends of two properties and then between two houses.
Emerging onto Manorial Road where we turned right and through a narrow path to  Manorial Road South.
At the end of the road we turned right then left across a footbridge.

 This was one of a number of foot bridges...

 I particularly liked the reed beds on our right as we walked along the shore path...

The footpath is clear, albeit a bit muddy in places, and completes the loop at the stile in a low sandstone wall. Re-crossing it we continued back to the car park.
We called into Burton Hall on the way home which, like our Sunday Meander is well worth visiting.

W&WPL #14 The Bootle Arms, Melling

Our 14th W&WPL (Walk 6.1182 miles (9.8463 km) & Wednesday Pub Lunch) route, to the Bootle Arms, Melling... 

...has been saved and can be viewed at... 

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6583151

Starting at the car park behind Costa, in Maghull...

...we headed through to Westway, turning left along the A59 (Northway) towards Ormskirk, then right along Dodds Lane, keeping left at Northway School.

Taking the first right, Brock Avenue, we crossed the park and continued to the T-junction at the end of Calder Drive.

Left, then first right along Mersey Avenue, we then kept our eyes open for a path,between houses on our right, to take us through to Deyes Lane, which we crossed and followed the original road over the railway line.

We then turned right along a signposted path, initially through a farm, over fields, towards the M58...

 Just before the M58 the footpath splits...

 ...we continued straight on...

 ...over the M58...

 ...then left towards Giddygate Lane...

 Just before the entrance to a farm yard we kept to the left down a narrow path...

 ...where we saw the first bluebells of 2015...

 At the end of the path we turned right along the lane to another sign-post...

 ...where we turned right through an enclosed area with fishing facilities...

 Past the pond, we crossed a stile...

...and, keeping the ditch on our right, headed along the edge of the fields. the hedgerow had a large amount of Petasites...

Butterbur (Petasites hybridus)

 Straight across Moss Nook Lane, we continued to the Waterworks, along an enclosed path...

 ...to emerge onto Leatherbarrows Lane.
left then right along Sandy Lane. 
At the next junction, in front of the old school we veered left along School Lane and, at the end of the short lane, turned right and almost immediately left across a field... 

 When we reached the edge of the field we turned right, along another path, to emerge at the junction of Rock Lane and Tithebarn Lane. The Bootle Arms was straight ahead of us...

We stopped here for the Pub Lunch part of our W&WPL which you can read about at...

http://maghullfoodie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-bootle-arms-melling-14.html

After lunch we came out of the Bootle Arms, turned left and headed down towards Brewery Lane. Chris went into "The Delph" to take a look at the Cowslips (Primula veris) - or as we called them in Suffolk, Peggles...

At Brewery Lane we turned left and, after crossing the Leeds Liverpool Canal, we took the path down onto the tow-path and turned left, away from the bridge...

 We continued along the tow-path, under the M58, the railway line, past the foot bridge...

 Over Hall Lane, next to the Swing-bridge and past the playing fields. Here we say lots more bluebells, pinkbells and whitebells...

 On the far bank of the canal we could see Saint Andrew's Church just before passing under the A59...

 A little further on we saw our first ducklings of 2015...

 Continuing under Liverpool Road South we reached the swing-bridge at Shop Lane. Here we crossed the bridge, crossed Liverpool Road North and cut through the small wooded area to our right. Here we saw even more bluebells, pinkbells and whitebells...

 We decided to pop into Costa...

...before returning to our starting point.

In spite of the cold wind and the misty rain, an enjoyable walk and pub lunch at the Bootle Arms...