Eleven polys arrived at Fambridge North on the Dengie Peninsula on a rather grey but mild morning. We soon arrived at the sea wall on the River Crouch. We walked along the meandering river with its several creeks, remarking on the tranquillity of our surroundings and the beautiful views on both sides. Being tidal, the river attracts various wading birds. We were a little too early in the year for those which winter in the area but we did see some geese in flight. It was quite windy at times, so we were pleased to find a sheltered spot just before Creeksea for our picnic. The clouds finally cleared and the sun came out as we continued into Burnham on Sea, walking through the large marina and onto the quay. We spotted some birds on the mud flat but could not identify them. Later Pam informed me that she could ‘confirm that we saw a pied wagtail (grey and white) hopping around and wagging his tail on the seaweed on the rocks and my contacts have confirmed that the flock of birds we saw sitting on the mud as we approached Burnham on Crouch definitely look like black-tailed godwits – see photo. The white bird with the black dot on his ear in the middle of the flock is a black-headed gull in winter plumage.’ At least the wagtail wags his tail! We enjoyed tea, cake and ice cream sitting overlooking the estuary. As we returned to London we agreed that it had been a very pleasant relaxing walk, perfect after the exertions undertaken by those who had attended the Chester weekend.
We gathered at the Northgate to walk the almost 2 mile circuit, the most complete town walls in Britain. After the Civil War they were no longer required to be fortified for defence and were developed as a recreational walkway. We walked anti-clockwise and the first section gave us a good view of the racecourse. This is the oldest one in the country, dating back to 1539. It is on the site of the port of Chester which was bustling in Roman times but the River Dee had silted up here by the 1500s and changed its course. We were able to observe many of the various buildings we had seen on Friday from a different perspective. The view of the cathedral was particularly impressive and the famous Eastgate clock celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee proved popular for photos. One section of the walls near Eastgate collapsed in 2008 and repairs are ongoing. Various panels showed us the timeline of the repairs and how these have been carried out. On our return to Northgate we dispersed, some to collect their luggage and make their way to the station to return to London, others to spend a little more time in this fascinating city steeped in history before heading home.
Strollers walk led by Judy – Chester outskirts On Monday 30th August, the strollers set out to follow one of the walks in Danny’s book. The walk started at the stone cross in the centre of Chester, which marked the centre of the Roman fortress. We then proceeded down Bridge St and Lower Bridge St till we came to the river Dee. Turning right we walked along beside it and on to a part of the city walls. We came to Grosvenor Road and crossed the river on the Grosvenor Bridge. It was, on construction, the longest single span stone arch bridge in the world, a title it kept for 30 years. It was opened in 1832 by Princess Victoria of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld and her daughter, the future Queen Victoria. Named after the Duke of Westminster, who owned property and land nearby. Following Eaton Road we entered the Duke’s Drive through some very impressive gates. There followed a very straight walk through woodland for a few kilometres. It was not particularly exciting, but quite pleasant . We eventually found our way back to the River Dee and turned back towards the city. At that point we stopped for a short break, where those of us who had brought sandwiches could eat them. Although the map in the book showed us a route following the river all the way round , we decided to cut across the Meadows. We re-entered the city across the Queen’s Park suspension bridge, where I released my charges, and hoped they had enjoyed their walk. Judy Continue reading CHESTER: MONDAY STROLLER AND HIKERS WALKS→
Twenty five participants took the 9.51 train to Flint in Wales. Here one Poly, unaware that we had arrived at the destination, was still in the toilet. The conductor very kindly kept the train waiting while we managed to call her and she got off just in time! We were met by two minibuses to take us to the start of our walk just before Mostyn. We were to follow the Wales Coast Path to Prestatyn. We climbed up through woods and after crossing a few fields descended through a pretty woodland gorge to Ffynnongroyw. We struggled with the pronunciation of the latter but were helped by a friendly local. At the bottom of the gorge we stopped outside the picturesque stone Garth Mill buildings. Several members played with two very friendly little dogs, one of which relieved itself on the leader’s rucksack while a group photo was being taken! Ffynnongroyw was built in the 1800s to house local miners and we could see numerous former chapels , a large parish church and terraced miners’ cottages. Continue reading CHESTER – SUNDAY HIKERS WALK – MOSTYN TO PRESTATYN→
The Polytechnic Rambling Club – Walking with friends
