I had the privilege of leading this walk because Danny was injured. We caught a bus to the village of Neston where we joined the Wirral Way. After a few minutes working out which direction to take, we set off along the tree-lined embankments and cuttings of this disused railway line. We walked for a couple of miles and met many dogs and cyclists and then turned left down a road to the village of Parkgate on the Dee estuary.

Parkgate was once a port but silt in the Dee estuary made it unusable, as with Chester itself. During its time as a port there was much traffic with Ireland, and Handel landed there when returning from Dublin. The silting up caused the formation of extensive salt marshes and we now followed the estuary, first along a road and then on a narrow path. This path was surrounded by thick vegetation and at times one couldn’t see where to put one’s foot. A further difficulty arose in the form of boggy stretches which had to be carefully negotiated. Some of the party got wet feet and in one case lost their shoes, which fortunately they managed to retrieve. However we Strollers are used to tough conditions and we ploughed on until we reached open country and the Harp at Little Neston.
At the Harp we met Danny in the pub garden, where some had lunch while others sat on a grassy bank looking out over the salt marshes towards Wales and the power station at Connah’s Quay. We were told that occasionally, with a combination of wind and high tide, the water comes up to the pub. This brings lots of sightseers to the pub, and lots of rats from the salt marshes.

After lunch we left the Dee estuary and set off inland. We passed through the village of Ness, once the home of Emma Hamilton and our route led us through fields and lanes. At one place we met a herd of inquisitive cows in a field. They were in the field crowding round a gate and proved very popular with the Strollers. For the last stage of the walk we were back on the Wirral Way, which we left just before we reached our starting point, and were just in time to catch the hourly bus.

Although I was the nominal leader this was a team effort and I would like to thank Sunita and others who helped me with directions.

Sandy.  Photos by Joyanna

The Hikers group followed the Sandstone way starting from the bustling town of Frodsham. We were soon climbing above the town wending our way up a dry path making the ascent easier. We paused at the war memorial at the top where the views over the Mersey Estuary were spectacular. Much of this section of the Sandstone way meanders around outcrops of sandstone through birch and oak woodland. We followed the waymarks along the edge of the hill pausing to look for the lettering carved into the rocks many thought to have been written by Edwardian women. The path dropped into Jacobs Ladder, a steep staircase carved into the rock. Today there is a much safer route down Baker’s dozen named after Jack Baker who was instrumental in devising the trail. The trail followed the edge of the woodland on Alvanley Cliff. Several quarries are nearby, including one which produced particularly fine sandstone used to rebuild Chester Castle and Eaton Hall. After a short walk along the road, we stopped for lunch at Stonebridge Farm. The food was delicious and very good value with picnic benches set out in the field for our use. We now entered the Delamere Forest, a remnant of the ancient hunting forest of Mara and Mondrum used for hunting by the Earls of Chester and later the King. We reached the visitors centre where a number of hikers stopped for further refreshments whilst the others made their way to  Delamere train station. We finished our day feeling very fortunate in enjoying such a varied walk in glorious sunshine.

Hilary (photos by Ida and Stuart)

Twenty one Polys travelled to Chester from London to join the 20 who had preceded them on Thursday. After settling into the accommodation at Chester University and visiting the nearby Aldi for provisions, we met up for the tour of the city. We were able to admire the ancient walls built by the Romans and later fortified by the Saxons to defend the city. We passed numerous black and white timbered buildings dating back to medieval times and other more recent ones built during the Victorian Revival period. The Rows which are covered walkways above the shops, unique to Chester, were fascinating. We commented on the quirky mixture of buildings from different eras. We ascended onto a small section of the walls where 3 members tested the legend running up and down the Wishing Steps holding their breath while expressing a wish.

After strolling along the Groves by the River Dee we passed the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre which was the largest in Britain. We finished our walk at the Information Centre from where we could see the Victorian Gothic Town Hall and the Cathedral with its heavily restored Victorian exterior. We then dispersed in groups to find somewhere for dinner before returning to our rooms.

Susan (photos by Stuart)

Friday.  A small and bijou group this year with only 6 participants. We flew to Innsbruck with BA and took a bus to the station. After some dithering about lunch in Innsbruck or Scharnitz, we decided to take the train and make our way to Scharnitz. This train journey is very scenic. We checked in our B&B, Gastehaus Frankenhof, and then had lunch in Gasthof Risserhof, where we received a warm welcome from the owner. She told us snow was expected during the night. We did a short walk around Scharnitz and went back to the B&B for a rest. 7.00 was time for a pre-dinner drink in Dominique and Sunita’s flat. Dinner was in Gasthof Risserhof, the only hotel in the village but a substantial establishment. There was a formal dinner in the next room for about 100 firemen, in their full  uniforms. No wives seemed to be allowed but apart from some loosening of ties, it was a very  orderly event. Continue reading 17th-20th January. Snow walking in Scharnitz Austria →