tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75833424641241188722024-02-07T11:07:48.803+00:00My adventuresMy adventures heading around and about, walking, flying and occasionally combining the two.
Sometimes other bits as well.Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-53581740946825723982023-03-05T19:18:00.001+00:002023-03-05T19:21:14.562+00:00Bosley walk to Hawkslee and abandoned Mareknowles farm<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6yOtaKfcKz-bYDvC5JUEVVJEpYOQEWP1tGUhvW9fCOTynledz83zF7g91_U-ltr9bXfNO2ClQMn-hpL2WryW8ZmFH4IPFBXy9fNelXhTXJ2xsTTof6923RCFJfgADSHmS7G-_-GgazJ0Fj0DLF4Rmh-bwQT6921DAi7g2YmCMzBiqZI6Nk5OnRB7/s8753/20230226_124337-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="8753" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6yOtaKfcKz-bYDvC5JUEVVJEpYOQEWP1tGUhvW9fCOTynledz83zF7g91_U-ltr9bXfNO2ClQMn-hpL2WryW8ZmFH4IPFBXy9fNelXhTXJ2xsTTof6923RCFJfgADSHmS7G-_-GgazJ0Fj0DLF4Rmh-bwQT6921DAi7g2YmCMzBiqZI6Nk5OnRB7/w640-h134/20230226_124337-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div>This is a walk over Bosley Minn starting at the Bosley reservoir Dam.<div><br /></div><div>Start Point: Bosley Dam where there is parking for around 8-10 cars.</div><div><br /></div><div>Refreshments: Nilš<br /><br />This walk is over Bosley Minn and down into the valley on the far side, past Mareknowles Abandoned farm, in April the southern slopes by the farm may be covered in wild daffodils. We have been told that before the farm was abandoned the two daughters used to hike weekly across to the Macclesfield road, hitch into Macclesfield and then get the bus back to Bosley with their shopping before carrying it back to the farm. This is mostly on farm tracks, and across fields. The eastern part of the walk into the valley is along steep slopes into the valley and can get a bit hard to follow, there may be cattle in the fields before the climb back out of the valley, which is up a fairly short but extremely steep, this is a challenging</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5Eo4hDGUwa6aTW2q3DRktnKrB4V-LgBB3Kit71iEKxiFt_Su676Ue6_2VKWwutg-BqlhQK9Be9qCPzMSTECjpSkfZpn41Q9KRyHLJJPdeLGiGxb8yBTQBksBiMhLG5VRec9jhwpT3yZOf_Tyi7RP1rrwSZIzykoq_FKg1vHUe3jlOQbDeEQQBEzw/s2364/1677413396868.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="2364" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5Eo4hDGUwa6aTW2q3DRktnKrB4V-LgBB3Kit71iEKxiFt_Su676Ue6_2VKWwutg-BqlhQK9Be9qCPzMSTECjpSkfZpn41Q9KRyHLJJPdeLGiGxb8yBTQBksBiMhLG5VRec9jhwpT3yZOf_Tyi7RP1rrwSZIzykoq_FKg1vHUe3jlOQbDeEQQBEzw/s320/1677413396868.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bosley Reservoir from Bosley Minn</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Leaving the car at the Dam, head down the road until the bend at the bottom, and then turn left up the private road towards Minshull, before arriving at the buildings the path is directed off the road to head along a footpath through a garden before rejoining the main track through the rest of the farm buildings. Continue uphill through gates, this part does have some surface mud from the farm and you may be escorted by the quite friendly dogs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdxUcJWbkFY6VCKejMMxrefWX-WGGBHq3gAsZ6Um_ppbG8STXe7xR4BpKDb5unhgaFNsLYumKqcTqQNWZa9FbQymADQkYwQyM7OHDSt3odk1C5f6fxM5JU16S3FNpYSao3e1obmtvlpVgiSED58QtFSrHFmM3CYqfl_gDgIt5AkUwljm4uXT55HdT/s4000/20230226_125633.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdxUcJWbkFY6VCKejMMxrefWX-WGGBHq3gAsZ6Um_ppbG8STXe7xR4BpKDb5unhgaFNsLYumKqcTqQNWZa9FbQymADQkYwQyM7OHDSt3odk1C5f6fxM5JU16S3FNpYSao3e1obmtvlpVgiSED58QtFSrHFmM3CYqfl_gDgIt5AkUwljm4uXT55HdT/s320/20230226_125633.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mareknowles Farm</span></td></tr></tbody></table>As the track crests a small rise the path drops straight ahead to a bridge in the gully stepping off the bridge and heading up to the next gate is regularly muddy so choose your path carefully, after the next gate it dries out, and follow the tree line up to the fields, through a gate and then turn left at the next gate (with signposts), follow the path along the side of the hill all the way as it bend s left and then arrives at a gate, a seat with a view and the road. Turn left on the road and continue up hill until there is a footpath sign on pointing right. I prefer to pass this and turn onto the track another 20 yards further up, but the path will cut the corner).</div><div><br /></div><div>Follow the track all the way downhill until you reach the Abandoned Farm at Mareknowles. If you are lucky in Spring the slope to the right may be filled with daffodils. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lhjQIPqgwIG_uG1EKDjsQWkmizwUJfHZDmxdSZUK5IgugMt0CXPjSZNlKCEEaqjwWOezQ5oC6lPGFkzG1lqTRUZM56MvBueBRlm6P8x3eW3-RrI1Pu7qdDPok6o9uM5xgxDEy6feYAJ0F15OzNSLs6xWPI9F1OI5yCShLqtlOBHbLYOP9QiXLv2F/s2364/1677417423995.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2364" data-original-width="1773" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lhjQIPqgwIG_uG1EKDjsQWkmizwUJfHZDmxdSZUK5IgugMt0CXPjSZNlKCEEaqjwWOezQ5oC6lPGFkzG1lqTRUZM56MvBueBRlm6P8x3eW3-RrI1Pu7qdDPok6o9uM5xgxDEy6feYAJ0F15OzNSLs6xWPI9F1OI5yCShLqtlOBHbLYOP9QiXLv2F/s320/1677417423995.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Once you have taken in the sight of the abandoned buildings pass through the kissing gate and follow the path along the edge of the slope until there is a gate on the right with a waymark, turn right here and again follow the path along the top of the slope above the brook (there is another path about 5 feet below this one running parallel. when the path opens onto a fern covered field, try to head across following the waymarks, if the ferns are up try to head straight ahead and to the left until the path starts going down into woodland. I like this woodland as it is very quite and just about every tree shows the signs of a difficult life.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2zByq_9q6IrB67jNlXrXalyOFqOtIXmL1OMaV0CelZO7pmRnM9uRtbKsKATwVvtEUh_49EGfBaXLDl27pOisPJ2s9heV54jZWFgLL57QL9-MMdJpLU1iV1DkohHj0z5L0kPOMOOXW05wZw2cZaLUGlWjALvsftRG7rdzY2HOTs64skBKLhr0ooTB/s2364/1677417484888.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="2364" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2zByq_9q6IrB67jNlXrXalyOFqOtIXmL1OMaV0CelZO7pmRnM9uRtbKsKATwVvtEUh_49EGfBaXLDl27pOisPJ2s9heV54jZWFgLL57QL9-MMdJpLU1iV1DkohHj0z5L0kPOMOOXW05wZw2cZaLUGlWjALvsftRG7rdzY2HOTs64skBKLhr0ooTB/s320/1677417484888.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the woodland there is a bridge that takes us into the field, climb up into the field, but not too far as we need to keep to the bottom and head back down to another bridge which takes us back across the brook to the path leading up a very steep slope to a kissing gate at the top. this kissing gate opens into fields, stay right until the third field where we are looking to exit the field to follow the path to the left of the farm, follow the way marks and diversion (where the track heads right head up the paths)</div><div><br /></div><div>This path winds round until it meets Minn-End Lane at Hawkslee, head straight over the lane to a style and follow the path round the back of the buildings to another style and then straight along the field to the footpath sign where we head diagonally across to the corner.</div><div><br /></div><div>Continue out of the field through some mud (over decking and into fields beyond). In the next field is where we turned to head around the hill, head back to Bosley dam via the same route that came up the hill.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a lovely walk that is often very quiet once you are on the eastern side of Bosley Minn, although this particular one can be challenging.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="700" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/1039964646/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>OS route link: <a href="https://explore.osmaps.com/route/15948085/bosley-hawkslee-and-mareknowles?lat=53.186929&lon=-2.104229&zoom=13.9501&style=Standard&type=2d&overlays=&placesCategory=" target="_blank">bosley-hawkslee-and-mareknowles?lat=53.186929&lon=-2.104229&zoom=13.9501&style=Standard&type=2d&overlays=&placesCategory=</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Bosley Reservoir, Macclesfield SK11 0PS, UK53.191389 -2.11805624.881155163821155 -37.274306 81.501622836178854 33.038194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-76495398784629585532023-03-05T16:55:00.005+00:002023-03-05T17:02:46.630+00:00Rudyard and Horton 5 mile loop<p>This is a loop walk starting at Rudyard Lake and passing through the Village of Horton and fields before returning to Rudyard Lake. There is a more established walk around the lake, but this one is a bit more energetic and avoids most of the crowds. </p><p>Distance: 5.46 miles (from the Station Car Park).</p><p>Refreshments and Toilets available at Rudyard Dam, also Rudyard Hotel.</p><p>There are some quite challenging styles on this route, including one which is fairly new and is probably one of the least access able styles I have seen. This route is on roads, farm tracks and fields.</p><p>There are a couple of busy car parks in this area, the station car park and roadside are free, the Rudyard Lake car park is not free.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ALqMIQzUICZhYW47OqYJH5RyLFfOp6_NMWP9aWqYRs2lmK6s9mtb_j9NsclXtmjIURVl9WpuepdGpc3ojA7tfusGRZLHMzgRCHYFrdmWzLFBhesAlnzU0q8XuryOi3KyjoCrvz0Dxp4hHhftQu3kME0zys6Go9lTHiloy5vjyAfn18yqNW4flZ_v/s4000/20230219_143649.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ALqMIQzUICZhYW47OqYJH5RyLFfOp6_NMWP9aWqYRs2lmK6s9mtb_j9NsclXtmjIURVl9WpuepdGpc3ojA7tfusGRZLHMzgRCHYFrdmWzLFBhesAlnzU0q8XuryOi3KyjoCrvz0Dxp4hHhftQu3kME0zys6Go9lTHiloy5vjyAfn18yqNW4flZ_v/s320/20230219_143649.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rudyard Station</td></tr></tbody></table>We started this walk at the station car park located south of Rudyard road by the railway bridge, other parking is available in the area.<p></p><p>Heading out of the station down the access road, turn left onto Rudyard Road and follow this past the garage up to the round about., turning onto Camrose Hill there is a footpath sign pointing along a track heading uphill. Just before the farm continue onto the waymarked route through the wall and as the field widens, follow the left edge towards the church at Horton continuing downhill.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq11ZuMyeZSWY18cSsAJUOmpzTFm_AqErIgXbKchzM_B4h5RDTl-aCNibaKjWHGoLcCvxUtVmgy1d__kHn3UQ3-AVYMD7ocJWVqN8GPdLBevvcWctQQ6E-mXiptXBKPtEfb3TytvZUx8dHFsES3s6KmHep9GkKaevriRxEEV5kz7M1GVlCXHpXtgY/s4000/20230219_121116.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq11ZuMyeZSWY18cSsAJUOmpzTFm_AqErIgXbKchzM_B4h5RDTl-aCNibaKjWHGoLcCvxUtVmgy1d__kHn3UQ3-AVYMD7ocJWVqN8GPdLBevvcWctQQ6E-mXiptXBKPtEfb3TytvZUx8dHFsES3s6KmHep9GkKaevriRxEEV5kz7M1GVlCXHpXtgY/w320-h246/20230219_121116.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horton Church</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Arriving at the road climb uphill into the village, it is worth pausing here for a look at the church before returning to the route and just after the vicarage a footpath appears on the right follow this to cut the corner off the main roads, before turning right on rejoining the roads. At the T-junction turn left heading towards the village hall keeping on the roads before picking up the lane heading past the hall.</p><p>Once pas the hall a path leads off across the fields, follow this path over some unhelpful styles as it bends right keep a deer park and woods on the left. The path turns left over a style that was designed for a giant (going around the style and heading up the bank may be a better option).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_FJyaJARz9KRfPk05wFHgVMt_0ULkVu0KlfllQrP1kaBscr46IyQxqcWi8vOsfV3eTT0t_WslE1iROWEiBv8v5H5sKl6eLJpZesWpUwZzdEeNLyqbdjtZj-foNU40tyzqV6_e-goZy1Q728w3APNKiZ3uQ0-QqxDnf_RTkmFu5MVjzs7yTDimAZe/s4000/20230219_122237.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_FJyaJARz9KRfPk05wFHgVMt_0ULkVu0KlfllQrP1kaBscr46IyQxqcWi8vOsfV3eTT0t_WslE1iROWEiBv8v5H5sKl6eLJpZesWpUwZzdEeNLyqbdjtZj-foNU40tyzqV6_e-goZy1Q728w3APNKiZ3uQ0-QqxDnf_RTkmFu5MVjzs7yTDimAZe/s320/20230219_122237.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>Continue along the path, until it meets a track, turn right and head towards Taylors Barn Farm and follow this track until it turns sharp left at the bottom of the hill, heading straight forward across the foot bridge. Head straight up the right side of the field and then through some gates (through the house's parking area to the road. We will head up this road until it turns sharply right at a junction, where we will leave it to head down Reacliffe road towards Rudyard Lake.</p><p>At the lower part of the hill, pick up the footpath on the right and follow this until it meets Lake Road, where another path appears on the left to head down to the Rudyard Lake Cafe and visitors parking.</p><p>We returned back to the car via the path that leads down the dam and follows the canal feeder to the road and then left back towards the carpark, though other possibilities are to head back via Rudyard Hotel, where refreshments are also available, or continue over the dam to the old rail path that leads back to the carpark.</p><p><br /></p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="700" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/1034793830/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe></p><p>OS Map: <a href="https://explore.osmaps.com/route/15859866/rudyard-and-horton-village-loop?lat=53.121104&lon=-2.096722&zoom=14.8493&style=Standard&type=2d&overlays=&placesCategory=" target="_blank">Rudyard and Horton</a></p>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Rudyard, Leek ST13, UK53.119741 -2.07173653.109438940593165 -2.0889021376953125 53.13004305940683 -2.0545698623046875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-11966318755193756052023-02-19T22:19:00.003+00:002023-03-05T17:01:53.213+00:00Knypersley Reservior and Brown Edge 5 Mile loop<p>This is a walk starting at the Greenway Bank Country Park at Knypersley Reservoir following the reservoir shore and then climbing uphill through fields, then heading downhill to follow a stream through grit stone and then up to Marshes Hill Common and Brown Edge Village before returning to Knypersley along the canal feeder.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RYoO4LVyuYE-tJXsUyHiX5gLaJ947pLhv5g4PT_p7F5Wjk1uniFObdB7u2ro9EMte4qFnZceKWJJ0xvuOY3Bp_UNvmn4rQIu3VbjiHe5A3ciEI8YLQ_dtHY5C4OZtXszOf41IsSb8W6ef99GA6uk1Y1R3r7L7yp8KP4gQUntijnrIX0jLJ3JuCJ3/s6539/20230212_140149-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="6539" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RYoO4LVyuYE-tJXsUyHiX5gLaJ947pLhv5g4PT_p7F5Wjk1uniFObdB7u2ro9EMte4qFnZceKWJJ0xvuOY3Bp_UNvmn4rQIu3VbjiHe5A3ciEI8YLQ_dtHY5C4OZtXszOf41IsSb8W6ef99GA6uk1Y1R3r7L7yp8KP4gQUntijnrIX0jLJ3JuCJ3/w640-h200/20230212_140149-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marshes Hill </td></tr></tbody></table>Distance: 5.19 miles<p></p><p>Parking: <a href="https://www.enjoystaffordshire.com/things-to-do/greenway-bank-country-park-p740261" target="_blank">Greenway Bank Country Park</a></p><p>During summer months coffee may be available in the Country Park, toilets can also be located at the start of the walk.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8WXonQ5L5BGHG8xJrVqW-hYqkmV2hxYkNFzY20d19knDoHenX20EucAejvN25oP_WNyzK7qxu1aMav5F_3tc8uyJBDiJDfIHhVsK_IOgnTcCqI1vQFWOePEAZxI7Tonhnm99U27Db0I1WAjgQEXmM8N8iDCyUsRN2o2EfrMQTXwtXr-wa-shzrwy/s4000/20230212_125149.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8WXonQ5L5BGHG8xJrVqW-hYqkmV2hxYkNFzY20d19knDoHenX20EucAejvN25oP_WNyzK7qxu1aMav5F_3tc8uyJBDiJDfIHhVsK_IOgnTcCqI1vQFWOePEAZxI7Tonhnm99U27Db0I1WAjgQEXmM8N8iDCyUsRN2o2EfrMQTXwtXr-wa-shzrwy/s320/20230212_125149.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knypersley Tower</td></tr></tbody></table>Heading past the buildings and along the paths into the park, passing two gates before heading down steps that lead steeply down to the Reservoir and turning left to walk aroung the western end of the reservoir. Follow the trail all the way, past the walkway between Serpentine Pool and Knypersley Pool, until you find<a href="https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/49365" target="_blank"> Knypersley Tower</a>, here turn sharply left to follow the path uphill away from the lake.<p></p><p>This path leads uphill through fields until reaching a gate onto a track, turnleft along the top of the ridge and follow until just before a gate at a farmyard turn right, almost doubling back to follow a path downhill into the woods.</p><p>There is a split in the path, take the left fork and pass over a wall before descending further down a bank to cross a bridge and follow the obvious path along the stream (this is the Head of Trent) as it carves a small gorge into the gritstone.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f8DjCV66O8VRSw7Gqn7ntDYl7_x6PmhMxxJASGJxPekiWfgthYyC6qtzQBdtA5ITDLB16vACPiidX4k_7oRgLQ5ChHORp-RTC40MQf9zPcW4-ZhmOl3x2yF4LBQNNgBW7_57AAoKSYWbctm96yS0FqlWkhLlfNEjWmw1W_2m5b9MTQMYgsvXbmph/s4000/20230212_134142.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f8DjCV66O8VRSw7Gqn7ntDYl7_x6PmhMxxJASGJxPekiWfgthYyC6qtzQBdtA5ITDLB16vACPiidX4k_7oRgLQ5ChHORp-RTC40MQf9zPcW4-ZhmOl3x2yF4LBQNNgBW7_57AAoKSYWbctm96yS0FqlWkhLlfNEjWmw1W_2m5b9MTQMYgsvXbmph/s320/20230212_134142.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>Eventually the path arrives at a farmyard, pass to the right of the barn and through a gate into the yard. Head straight up the access road and cross the public road into the field opposite, follow the short climb onto the ridge over the road and continue straight ahead. After some houses the path arrives at <a href="https://www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/article/894/Marshes-Hill-Common">Marshes Hill Common</a> where the path splits as it passes through the common to the carpark at the south end, follow the access road into <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Edge" target="_blank">Brown Edge Village</a> and continue straight onto Back Lane before picking up a path on the right just before the radio mast.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqk5KZhYAa9oNTR6ugQXdMWj0jYVg-5-6_FtoImw2Lbjk70WwAwTPY8gNVaYIIB1FNNjrUAtQ2VCY5Nnw30HkETkx4EEjFSNhYfNZ9iSIhho_D38cp3LoOZ1-agxJeoc8qAYyMGLL6NV6wlwtxRw1NcVhUXY0qp9-GM0c_ibjUFmKZpj-DmT03Um-U/s4000/20230212_141344.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqk5KZhYAa9oNTR6ugQXdMWj0jYVg-5-6_FtoImw2Lbjk70WwAwTPY8gNVaYIIB1FNNjrUAtQ2VCY5Nnw30HkETkx4EEjFSNhYfNZ9iSIhho_D38cp3LoOZ1-agxJeoc8qAYyMGLL6NV6wlwtxRw1NcVhUXY0qp9-GM0c_ibjUFmKZpj-DmT03Um-U/s320/20230212_141344.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Edge</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Follow this down until it meets with the Roads and turn left onto New Lane ot head down towards the Church. Keep heading down through the village until Stonehouse Lane where we turn left and follow the lane for a short distance before turning left onto a path which takes us downhill to the canal feeder and Tongue Lane, cross the Lane and follow the path along the Canal Feeder all the way to the Dam. there are quite steep steps up onto the dam.</p><p>When we last did this walk we followed the road back to Greenway Bank Country park, but there are also trails following the reservoir back to the car park.</p><p>We liked this walk as it was varied, had some good views from the park and gave us a few surprises along the way.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="700" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/1034788512/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Ordnance Survey Route: <a href="https://explore.osmaps.com/route/15859745/knypersley-reservoir-and-brown-edge?lat=53.099671&lon=-2.149625&zoom=14.5260&style=Standard&type=2d&overlays=&placesCategory=" target="_blank">Route - Knypersley and Brown Edge</a></p><p><br /></p>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Greenway Bank Country Park, Brown Edge, Stoke-on-Trent ST8 7QX, UK53.093382899999988 -2.167290824.783149063821142 -37.3235408 81.403616736178833 32.9889592tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-38873277131610976202022-04-24T21:10:00.010+01:002022-12-26T16:53:17.970+00:00Bosley Reservoir from Bosley Locks<p> </p>This is the final walk of three from Bosley locks. This loop takes in a walk along the canal, around the hills to the east and then returning via Bosley Reservoir. The walk passes up the hills with some views west to Cheshire.<br /><br /><div>Distance 7.5 miles, climbing 650 feet.</div><div>One busy road to cross twice and another busy road to walk along, cows may be in fields along the route. </div><div><a href="https://explore.osmaps.com/route/15161314/bosley-reservoir-from-bosley-locks?lat=53.209419&lon=-2.133453&zoom=14.0754&style=Standard&zoomLock=auto&type=2d&isMapDirty=true" target="_blank">Link to OS Map route.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The two other walks from Bosley Locks are:<br /></div><div><a href="https://www.cottie.page/2022/03/bosley-locks-north-rode-church-and.html">7.5 miles circular to Gawsworth</a></div><div><a href="https://www.cottie.page/2022/03/bosley-locks-balloon-walk-along.html">5.8 mile balloon canal walk</a></div><div><br /></div><div>From Bosley locks had north along the canal for 2 miles until the swing bridge at Oakgrove were we cross the canal (footbridge also available), cross the main road and continue up the side road ahead, when this gets to the entrance to Hawkshead Quarry turn right and head up the track.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcXmgXjKj3W2_quT8GLyEI8IOLMB7GyedP_w0uzTVHOv2vobrqYmh_LGfLUK-6iXIxwSrZdHSf6htev-Xh-sxRR-s5CwSceN5e8kUsTaQm1gmsuTRf3l-0h2thGs6BaFNKbFwZ4CgD7ElOdLicMNklWYdo9OEcO5_ydr_ihVOenlbAu9YRueKw6OOB" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Swing Bridge across the canal, footbridge can be seen to the right of shot." data-original-height="2562" data-original-width="5765" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcXmgXjKj3W2_quT8GLyEI8IOLMB7GyedP_w0uzTVHOv2vobrqYmh_LGfLUK-6iXIxwSrZdHSf6htev-Xh-sxRR-s5CwSceN5e8kUsTaQm1gmsuTRf3l-0h2thGs6BaFNKbFwZ4CgD7ElOdLicMNklWYdo9OEcO5_ydr_ihVOenlbAu9YRueKw6OOB=w640-h285" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oakgrove Swing Bridge (footbridge to the right)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimeu6vRLsLk_c57kdmu8LUOnuY4OwHMvQyCsmzedbgEOQH5QXEApKZ3L5gyZUBjdOJJgcvzetHb_xVPU3Roo0FtTYOH9dFAmtVBXPVs3OHh15Kutb4E9Oh8PgChOu0wfomhWsokXXE-kaacqlGPpvhz60hRVzY6A3qk_Kwu4hQJy2WunT_FhVnoUoS" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimeu6vRLsLk_c57kdmu8LUOnuY4OwHMvQyCsmzedbgEOQH5QXEApKZ3L5gyZUBjdOJJgcvzetHb_xVPU3Roo0FtTYOH9dFAmtVBXPVs3OHh15Kutb4E9Oh8PgChOu0wfomhWsokXXE-kaacqlGPpvhz60hRVzY6A3qk_Kwu4hQJy2WunT_FhVnoUoS" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disused bridge.</td></tr></tbody></table>Follow this until it forks, taking the left track until arriving at a duck pond. Follow the track off to the left which takes you along a ditch. Follow this ditch it will pass an old disused stone bridge before meeting a stream with bridges, continue ahead after a while. Eventually the path turns away from the stream and heads uphill after a while the path turns sharply left onto a small foot path uphill until it arrives at a gate turn left after the gate and follow this track until a T junction with a track where we turn left. </div><div><br /></div><div>This track takes us to another gate on the left just before a T junction head through the gate and follow the track up the hill, after a short distance a footpath sign points to the right, follow this across the field.</div><div><br /></div><div>This path takes us along the edges of fields until a line of trees where we turn left going uphill again to a farm track where we turn right, follow this to Upton Fold Farm. Turn left to head downhill, first through fields and then along a distinct concrete farm track.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly after passing through a gate the path enters woodland on the left, and over a short bridge, head diagonally right on entering the field to join a track leading up the far bank, this track takes you down hill passing a derelict barn surrounded by fencing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Walk all the way downhill to the road, carefully cross the road (it is a fairly busy, windy road) and walk along the road, after a short distance you can take the style on the left to head down the east shore of Bosley Reservoir, and walk around the reservoir and rejoin the route before heading back towards the Locks. However for the main walk continue on down the road until the junction at the bottom of the hill.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTOQYmyz85cZ2bENRBQvuc4z8_c9zIKX5GKF7_FLRU-8LAyUe3X3SrMibM1Dn1Jf2rzQm9uKjNAzdPYThvcfbcdlq4cBnev-Lv_RqBsn31BPm7PGsCDEDlT2YSARZeCynmpCeYbaw31SdiZMSo7uXlErUsdEhJFhXLXAAS7ZK4BmhvmQJMcsGV0t18" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTOQYmyz85cZ2bENRBQvuc4z8_c9zIKX5GKF7_FLRU-8LAyUe3X3SrMibM1Dn1Jf2rzQm9uKjNAzdPYThvcfbcdlq4cBnev-Lv_RqBsn31BPm7PGsCDEDlT2YSARZeCynmpCeYbaw31SdiZMSo7uXlErUsdEhJFhXLXAAS7ZK4BmhvmQJMcsGV0t18=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Croker hill.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Turn right onto Brooks Lane, a short distance after the garage on the left there is a style cross over this and head up the slope, pick up the tree line, saying to the right, after a dip follow the left edge of the field up the slope and continue until a farm, heading straight ahead along the track.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the junction turn left onto Stoneyfold Lane which takes us down to the A523, turn left and then right into Bull Gate lane to return to Bosley Locks and the Parking.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="680" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/740024919/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Bullgate Ln, Congleton CW12 2PB, UK53.199955499999987 -2.14091453.198670119906332 -2.143059767211914 53.201240880093643 -2.1387682327880859tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-49419099818012742402022-03-13T14:12:00.005+00:002022-04-27T19:42:31.363+01:00Bosley Locks, North Rode Church and Gawsworth<p>This is the second of three walks from Bosley Locks.</p><p>Distance: of this walk is 7.5 miles over relatively flat farm land and roads,</p><p>If you would like a little more up & down in your walk try the <a href="https://www.cottie.page/2022/04/bosley-reservoir-from-bosley-locks.html">hills to the east and Bosley reservoir</a>, or for a shorter walk visit <a href="https://www.cottie.page/2022/03/bosley-locks-balloon-walk-along.html">Bosley Locks Balloon Walk</a>.</p><iframe frameborder="0" height="680" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/700262508/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosley_Lock_Flight" target="_blank">Bosley Locks</a> is a flight of 12 Locks located near Bosley, South of Macclesfield. </p><div>There is a small roadside parking area at the northern end of the twelve (Lock 1), from here you can walk south past all twelve locks, but the walks I describe start at lock 1 and head away from the lock flight norhwards. The towpath can be joined by either crossing the road bridge and turning right through a gate, or when the facility vehicle gate is open using this and crossing over a small footbridge. On weekdays the <a href="https://apps2.staffordshire.gov.uk/scc/bustimes/display.aspx?Route=109&Line=04109&RN=109#divMainAreaDisplay" target="_blank">109 bus</a> between Leek and Macclesfield passes on the A523 1KM to the east, please check to see if it stops at the Conquest Plants Nursery stop.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>This walk starts at the Locks and heads west along Bullgate Lane, after the railway bridge the road swings right and becomes Shellow Lane, head straight on into Park Road, and straight ahead, to the left of the gates onto the drive. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZGBpeZ7YjrXboFvFAxd93GgPlDkG_NadMoqug-9HbkN9H1hIonPJYVVe0V8-Fh44PwV3ybebC4evQ4OipuKt4-VsNAjv1uG-geSbT2L1UlPNRa0F4qC8J6F9XerrjGhiBcrYzUj1jPSd2OESHMKDkwXxtpBqCfck5RCQ_iumBI-bB2b6JcXYykN3g" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZGBpeZ7YjrXboFvFAxd93GgPlDkG_NadMoqug-9HbkN9H1hIonPJYVVe0V8-Fh44PwV3ybebC4evQ4OipuKt4-VsNAjv1uG-geSbT2L1UlPNRa0F4qC8J6F9XerrjGhiBcrYzUj1jPSd2OESHMKDkwXxtpBqCfck5RCQ_iumBI-bB2b6JcXYykN3g" width="320" /></a></div>Continue along the drive, past the lake on the right and continue along as the drive bends to the right and up the slope. Towards the top of the slope there is a gate to the left, pass through this and walk towards the church in the distance. Approaching the buildings there is another gate, pass through this. After a short distance a track leads off to the right, head north up this to continue the walk. If you like you can continue ahead to the left to visit the Church, before returning to the track.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha4mZxeVNBC1pkrWsxso0OKpf24TrvieGWtFg20S-ipatgx2j3rsEYf4AIwWlNixySmUPs_GYOFrHYxkp1HSH6ATCiROJcAHHqa66eZY5wFb9BGb8NXJqTeKn-OHgx2wHZC1AayKP8Kg2FM3kneuiQorygcH1kO3yMU2vz_wN07esdbrPm3BfTy9yo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha4mZxeVNBC1pkrWsxso0OKpf24TrvieGWtFg20S-ipatgx2j3rsEYf4AIwWlNixySmUPs_GYOFrHYxkp1HSH6ATCiROJcAHHqa66eZY5wFb9BGb8NXJqTeKn-OHgx2wHZC1AayKP8Kg2FM3kneuiQorygcH1kO3yMU2vz_wN07esdbrPm3BfTy9yo" width="320" /></a></div>Follow this track, taking the left fork, taking the style straight ahead at the farmyard and continue straight ahead through the field until it joins another track. This track takes you over styles/gates all the way to Pexall Road where you turn right and then starlight over the style at the junction. Continue along the field edges on the obvious path until it dips down to some fishing pools. Follow the signs pas the pools and head up a slope to continue along this path until it arrives at Church lane and turn right to head into Gawsworth. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we went through this route we stopped and rested on one of the many benches in the church yard.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTNYB8nVj0zoCYA0dzopiSm5JBLgBytTjdB7oKkLfIA_-ipkUbdJopnqD9kkt1eoNnee9ooQMeGYZcV7bnmPruSXf5iB_vrs8DTerXojbQIg-M7fNxwSVlvLWqph7WmRZYYKpTJzg_qOu5awl5IWBsO3Cr5X6ypQw2gJNj0QZPaIX75LiSJha5OWVr" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTNYB8nVj0zoCYA0dzopiSm5JBLgBytTjdB7oKkLfIA_-ipkUbdJopnqD9kkt1eoNnee9ooQMeGYZcV7bnmPruSXf5iB_vrs8DTerXojbQIg-M7fNxwSVlvLWqph7WmRZYYKpTJzg_qOu5awl5IWBsO3Cr5X6ypQw2gJNj0QZPaIX75LiSJha5OWVr" width="180" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Continue through Gawsworth and turn right just before Gawsworth New Hall Following the road, past a statue oof Robert Peel and straight ahead as the road turns to a farm track before entering fields. This path follows the hedge on the right of the fields before joining a road, which takes us all the way to join Macclesfield Canal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Turing right onto the canal through the gate and follow the Canal all the way back to the parking area at Bosley Locks.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRkm2rS268Eodc_NO_0CN1vvmZiuGJ2b9Aogykelj5BENid4hYOHN9tzdvOCsDZ6eVMMghZrwhV5VlO6gEm6_sARWjKnGytUC41B4H0VA13SpiKxlbSt6TispsVF9hkj7s0LuaA7c4jZODIPVpfvNHetwVIPcYbAhYOzFt-yUNzbEz0ZkWkdzwlgLy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRkm2rS268Eodc_NO_0CN1vvmZiuGJ2b9Aogykelj5BENid4hYOHN9tzdvOCsDZ6eVMMghZrwhV5VlO6gEm6_sARWjKnGytUC41B4H0VA13SpiKxlbSt6TispsVF9hkj7s0LuaA7c4jZODIPVpfvNHetwVIPcYbAhYOzFt-yUNzbEz0ZkWkdzwlgLy=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Bullgate Ln, Congleton CW12 2PB, UK53.199955499999987 -2.14091453.199312810252593 -2.141986883605957 53.200598189747382 -2.139841116394043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-92206223898367126092022-03-06T19:20:00.011+00:002022-12-26T16:54:07.749+00:00Bosley Locks 'Balloon' walk along the Macclesfield Canal<p>This is the first of 3 walks starting at the Bosley Lock Boater's Facility walking along the Macclesfield Canal.</p><p><a href="https://explore.osmaps.com/route/15161421/bosley-locks-balloon-walk-along-the-macclesfield-canal?lat=53.212791&lon=-2.141781&zoom=14.2036&style=Standard&zoomLock=auto&type=2d&isMapDirty=true&overlays=&placesCategory=" target="_blank">Link to OS Maps route.</a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosley_Lock_Flight" target="_blank">Bosley Locks</a> is a flight of 12 Locks located near Bosley, South of Macclesfield. </p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="680" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/693969242/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe><br /></p><p>There is a small roadside parking area at the northern end of the twelve (Lock 1), from here you can walk south past all twelve locks, but the walks I describe start at lock 1 and head away from the lock flight norhwards. The towpath can be joined by either crossing the road bridge and turning right through a gate, or when the facility vehicle gate is open using this and crossing over a small footbridge. On weekdays the <a href="https://apps2.staffordshire.gov.uk/scc/bustimes/display.aspx?Route=109&Line=04109&RN=109#divMainAreaDisplay" target="_blank">109 bus</a> between Leek and Macclesfield passes on the A523 1KM to the east, please check to see if it stops at the conquest plants nursery stop.</p><p>This is an easy 5.8 mile walk along the towpath and some minor and quiet roads. There are a few steps off the road to rejoin the canal. For a 7.5 mile circular walk to Gawsworth try <a href="https://www.cottie.page/2022/03/bosley-locks-north-rode-church-and.html">Bosley Locks, North Rode and Gawsworth</a>, if you want to head around some of the local hills try the thired walk out to <a href="https://www.cottie.page/2022/04/bosley-reservoir-from-bosley-locks.html">Bosley Reservoir</a>. </p><p>Follow the Canal Towpath north from the boaters facility passing fields, which often have geese and other birds in them, there are unfortunately only two seats on this walk, the first shortly after setting off and the second just before the swing bridge where you leave the canal.</p><p>Continue alongside the canal as it transitions from fields to a wooded terrace on the side of a hill with farmland sloping off to the left. As the cutting on the right descends to meet the canal level there is a gate, beyond which is the Oakgrove swing bridge, pass through the gate and turn left to descend down Woodhouse End Road. Follow this road, until you come to the railway bridge and just after this turn left to follow Cowbrook Lane.</p><p>The Lane crosses back across the railway before descending past a farm and climing back up until it reaches the canal where you rejoin and head south back to the Boaters facility.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Bullgate Ln, Congleton CW12 2PB, UK53.199955499999987 -2.14091453.199312811746452 -2.141986883605957 53.200598188253522 -2.139841116394043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-16937411461792071662021-09-10T17:16:00.000+01:002021-09-10T17:16:13.863+01:00 Walking around Papa Westray.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXfR17l_IjGQtQ_643lWIX0g0rGZhkhcgXYqpLkTs1NqUO1RK9q5Sl1Wu-h2p3UK8OGA1u4jsUBp16cFLXP4U2AuTQxauJlicfUmS7hQ6dJhp2KxKo5z2VTa7j9kONqZ46AYsoqmbEcc/s4034/IMG_20210831_143621-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="4034" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXfR17l_IjGQtQ_643lWIX0g0rGZhkhcgXYqpLkTs1NqUO1RK9q5Sl1Wu-h2p3UK8OGA1u4jsUBp16cFLXP4U2AuTQxauJlicfUmS7hQ6dJhp2KxKo5z2VTa7j9kONqZ46AYsoqmbEcc/w640-h124/IMG_20210831_143621-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Whilst visiting the Orkneys on holiday we looked at using Loganair's excellent air service over the islands and see if we could take a flight to one of the smaller islands, do a walk and fly back to the Mainland the same day.<div><br /><div>After a bit of research we settled on the island of Papa Westray and booked a flight on the Tuesday 0930 departure from Kirkwall, arriving at Papa Westray at around 10, the return flight would be the 1654 flight from Papa Westray, giving us a good 6 hours to do some walking on the Island.<div><div><br /></div><div>Looking at the guide books highlighted some interesting places to visit in Papay, both historical and Natural.</div><div><br /></div><div>Departing from Kirkwall airport a little surprise was the flight would land at Westray before Papa Westray and give us the opportunity to travel on the shortest commercial flight from Westray to Papa Westray (1.7 miles). The short stop at Westray allowed 2 of the 8 passengers to get off and be replaced by 2 more passengers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arriving at the small Papa Westray Airfield, we departed the flight and the airfield, took a short look around and started on the walk.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqScBYnD1eygfy3trkbzdgqX03tvQRSLKoxJq7qIKOmvdTqyCzXs86fa0-8AkVK_amlTENLQUjZrjMNHfFln8qGEm_xBILX7ypTyzwMA7g1Ubudpo3NeSxMrqUqqIMZFnHOQGOVpC-DRM/s2048/IMG_20210831_101350.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Knap of Hower, stone based building remains with no roof, showing storage areas and stones." border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqScBYnD1eygfy3trkbzdgqX03tvQRSLKoxJq7qIKOmvdTqyCzXs86fa0-8AkVK_amlTENLQUjZrjMNHfFln8qGEm_xBILX7ypTyzwMA7g1Ubudpo3NeSxMrqUqqIMZFnHOQGOVpC-DRM/w320-h240/IMG_20210831_101350.jpg" title="Knap of Howar" width="320" /></a></div>Heading south from the airfield on the main island road we headed, past the war memorial to Holland's Farm, which occupies the main crossroads on the island and includes some old buildings. The road turns right then left through the farm and there is a signpost for the Knap of Howar which we follow passing through some gates and onto a track leading towards the coast. The track ends at a field, diagonally across which there is a fenced off area with well cut grass signs identify this as our first stop, the <a href="https://www.papawestray.co.uk/history/knap-of-howar.html">Knap of Howar,</a> which is one of the oldest still standing buildings, probably pre-dating the more famous settlement of Skara Brae.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrgYuW3YPd5LZB6DzAq3US9_7SLzj2GNLcyHY75IrFg33_O-efmbMeCsdZL61BuXpquSGoQ7diafJ1ncGb2KliLmO9vwkpt0qCWejdcLzO1UUoie8vwXegBdQsbpVo9a_n3MtHLax1Dc/s2048/IMG_20210831_104637.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="St Boniface Kirk external shot outside the surrounding wall. Showing the western end of the kirk including the entrance doors." border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrgYuW3YPd5LZB6DzAq3US9_7SLzj2GNLcyHY75IrFg33_O-efmbMeCsdZL61BuXpquSGoQ7diafJ1ncGb2KliLmO9vwkpt0qCWejdcLzO1UUoie8vwXegBdQsbpVo9a_n3MtHLax1Dc/w320-h240/IMG_20210831_104637.jpg" title="St Boniface Kirk" width="320" /></a></div>After viewing the remains we exited the fenced off area and turned north along the coast with the distant <a href="https://www.papawestray.co.uk/papay/st-boniface-kirk.html">St Boniface Kirk</a> as our next stop pausing on the way to drink some of the coffee from our flask. The ground was rough pasture, lumpy but not too hard although the wind was a fairly brisk northly.</div><div><br /></div><div>The coast field narrows as the surrounding wall approaches the coast, but we continued on until a stile and a gate just before the Kirk. We took a look at some of the gravestones before entering the restored church and reading about the history from the small board inside.</div><div><br /></div><div>Leaving the Kirk we headed up the track to rejoin the main island road and turned left to head north. The road runs mostly straight and uphill towards <a href="https://www.papawestray.co.uk/north-hill.html">North Hill RSPB reserve</a>, the entrance is just as the road bends to the right.</div><div><br /></div><div>Opening the gate we headed followed the stone wall to the coast crossing a couple of demolished walls and again turned northwards towards the tip of the island. The reserve itself is fairly barren heather with the occasional flower, which we imagine would be busy with breeding birds earlier in the year.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7ZWlxwFFp_SlGT9mAnFweKWAtvcXpHRCg5VqoOJoqjOxDQG_AgJtUDc8-MH5R_xMWIMiJlgbnZYzV53DXkCcVeQ01STusR3bqyDFHKaLs6kTaEsqmYillicGYldk2Tz5Clpkb0YnUaA/s3612/IMG_20210831_120845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Looking over the cliffs at the northern end of the island." border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="3612" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7ZWlxwFFp_SlGT9mAnFweKWAtvcXpHRCg5VqoOJoqjOxDQG_AgJtUDc8-MH5R_xMWIMiJlgbnZYzV53DXkCcVeQ01STusR3bqyDFHKaLs6kTaEsqmYillicGYldk2Tz5Clpkb0YnUaA/w640-h154/IMG_20210831_120845.jpg" title="Northern end of Papa Westray." width="640" /></a></div>Along the coast the headland is lined by large formations of slab like rock sloping out of the sea. The occasional cairn marks the edge of the cliffs and the inland slopes up to small hills with a small lookout hut perched atop. Gulls and other seabirds soar the edge of the rocks and swoop low overhead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following the coastal path up to the very north of the island looking behind us I could not see anyone following and as we rounded the north tip of the islands and looked at the rock formations I commented we could be over a mile from the next nearest person. As we started south we found a sheltered spot and stopped for lunch watching the seals bobbing just out to sea. Off in the distance we could see the only other person out for a walk, coming north towards us but then turning back to stay ahead of us. Whereas the west coast sloped down into the sea, the east coast is more cliff like, although it doesn't rise more than 200' above the sea.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-MIxeypKGkJ-WAWmQssCAH-dF8N8kvYLCYW1VYdrl5-3bUduh9g3WrOd9hUDKZHC3lil9wRBei2jo5wtM_UQkU1AvYVQU6XHzr0G8hpjnj7nH0Ud0KY0uQqDz1u32fIabaisTlHkRPY/s2048/IMG_20210831_131039.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Monument to the last Great Auk living in the United Kingdom. Stone monument with plaque and red model of a Great Auk." border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-MIxeypKGkJ-WAWmQssCAH-dF8N8kvYLCYW1VYdrl5-3bUduh9g3WrOd9hUDKZHC3lil9wRBei2jo5wtM_UQkU1AvYVQU6XHzr0G8hpjnj7nH0Ud0KY0uQqDz1u32fIabaisTlHkRPY/w240-h320/IMG_20210831_131039.jpg" title="Last Great Auk" width="240" /></a></div>Before exiting the reserve we passed over a style and the arrived at a monument to the last Great Auk living in the UK.</div><div><br /></div><div>Exiting the reserve we descended back down to the coastal path and passed through some long derelict buildings, using these to shelter whilst we finished off the coffee before arriving at the tidal Loch of the Taing an area of water separated from the sea by low lying rocks at the northern end of a sandy bay.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As the tide was out we walked along the beach and listened to the water lapping against the edge of the bay at the end of which we headed up the bank to the road heading south until, just by a seat and a cairn it becomes a track. Resting on 'Maggies Seat', which overlooks another sandy bay we rested for some time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmRprUfqXUxKtjiPHClZNyrwZDyvhgsh_M8VjsI7s5QGtbWzYa2CmcRgiC-pMhRw3xG7MEWoApKNw9sMbaX9nI22esjlX3VehGHrkMU2aMlkUU90w4LCgmeodM3NtDUJoP_mQaDp2RrQ/s3075/IMG_20210831_142614-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Panorama of the sandy beach on the east side of Papa Westray." border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="3075" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmRprUfqXUxKtjiPHClZNyrwZDyvhgsh_M8VjsI7s5QGtbWzYa2CmcRgiC-pMhRw3xG7MEWoApKNw9sMbaX9nI22esjlX3VehGHrkMU2aMlkUU90w4LCgmeodM3NtDUJoP_mQaDp2RrQ/w640-h213/IMG_20210831_142614-PANO.jpg" title="Beach" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Continuing along the track lead us to the old pier of Papay, where the Kelp Store Heritage, Art & Craft Centre is located, unfortunately the day we visited the Kelp store was closed due to exhibition preparation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Turning away from the coast we headed up the road, again towards Holland's Farm past the main settlement, including the school, the post office, store and hostel. Just after the school is a small public convenience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arriving at the cross roads in Holland's farm at 1510 we decided we had some time to walk further south and followed the road for a short 1km out and return to kill off some time before the return flight, arriving at the airfield at 1600 to rest and relax before the return flight.</div><div><br /></div><div>Checking the GPS we discovered we had walked a total of 10 miles.</div><div><br /></div><div>The return to Kirkwall also stopped at Westray on the return leg.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="680" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/483804386/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Papa Westray, Orkney KW17 2BU, UK59.3506882 -2.900358331.040454363821155 -38.0566083 87.660922036178846 32.2558917tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-14392534306845103912021-06-20T17:43:00.000+01:002021-06-20T17:43:30.383+01:00Flying and walking - Oaksey Park<p><br /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-83296e72-7fff-2587-52b5-d30642285e2d"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking a Tuesday off from work we again looked to combine flying and walking, originally we had attempted to fly to Llanbedr, where there is a nature reserve between the airfield and the coast, unfortunately we could not arrange PPR at Llanbedr in time and so looked for an airfield that was in a nice location with footpaths nearby.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having had a look around we found Oaksey Park airfield in the Cotswolds and planned both the flight and a walk in the local area.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An early departure for us saw a pleasant relaxed flight down to the west of Birminghamās Zone and avoiding Kemble airfield, located just to the North of Oaksey Park we joined downwind for runway 04.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After arriving we booked in, paid our landing fees and changed into our walking shoes.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The walk away from the airfield follows the farm lane through an avenue of trees and well cut lawn. </span></p><br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="680" scrolling="no" src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/382111422/embed?profile=1" width="100%"></iframe><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About 150 meters past the gates to Park Farm take the footpath on the right, across a field, turning slightly left in the next field to cross this at an angle, into the next field turn right and head along the fence continuing once the fence turns sharply right. Cross the next field and then turn left to follow the field boundary towards the village church.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once past the church turn left and follow the road, just before the Post Office a lane comes off to the right and there is a small public garden/play area at this junction. Head up this lane all the way to the end and continue straight ahead along the path along a couple of field edges.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7iuOKrtp3lKXfR44-Dmnjz0Z0Z_sK00_VI37EQA-yaCiSZn0DrN-bBMr5t08jV2yNp-1ZQNn5fUvY8sje8zMCl3PxbCfR6a4To7wL77vrHdRlYrk4K6WZFv8kY5r_QY2TAu_ot5Chrc/s2048/IMG_20210601_133311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Well Garden, Kindly donated in 1931 by Capt, & Mrs William Phipps as a playground for village children." border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7iuOKrtp3lKXfR44-Dmnjz0Z0Z_sK00_VI37EQA-yaCiSZn0DrN-bBMr5t08jV2yNp-1ZQNn5fUvY8sje8zMCl3PxbCfR6a4To7wL77vrHdRlYrk4K6WZFv8kY5r_QY2TAu_ot5Chrc/w240-h320/IMG_20210601_133311.jpg" title="Well Garden, Oaksey Village" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRKvPNm02H6J3wzYUtLSdwmNFyZ5roTGpshDI53kp1W0Wew2sU2sIMrAyqBo_Yi_Z5TA_rInGdU9kxfGjA0FviuxGn-M0fY9hNEprQuZq_XznPUe1FGPIhO_15OBshhWwCnUhqCounck/s2048/IMG_20210601_141333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wiltshire Council walk marker." border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2001" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRKvPNm02H6J3wzYUtLSdwmNFyZ5roTGpshDI53kp1W0Wew2sU2sIMrAyqBo_Yi_Z5TA_rInGdU9kxfGjA0FviuxGn-M0fY9hNEprQuZq_XznPUe1FGPIhO_15OBshhWwCnUhqCounck/w245-h250/IMG_20210601_141333.jpg" width="245" /></a></span></div></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The path arrives at a large gate in a deer fence, passing through this gate into the next field, which may have deer in. Head slightly right across this field, but to the left of the manor. At the far end of the field a fence cuts the field in two, you want to be on the right side of this, and before long another large gate appears in the fence. Pass through this and continue along the signposted path.</span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you enter the field with the wood at the end head slightly right heading for the far right corner of the wood, on reaching the corner turn right and follow the field edge passing through the far hedge. Turn right here and follow the right side of the next fields, until you arrive at the road, which you can follow into Oaksey village where you turn right and head back to the Post Office, turning left into āThe Greenā which heads back to the airfield.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was a pleasant walk taking in a lovely Cotswold Village, and surprisingly a deer park. A number of the fields did have cattle in them, which fortunately for us did stay away from our path.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oaksey Park is a wonderfully kept grass airfield with a fair amount of activity, runway 04 was smooth and well kept, with a Ā£10 landing fee for a C172, and was welcoming both on the phone for PPR and following our arrival. Somewhere I would visit again.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the return flight, we departed Oaksey Park's runway 04, with a slight turn to the right for noise abatement and then headed north towards Daventry to pass to the east of Birmingham's Zone.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0G1ykfgafCLLpf0TdsAjxkrBtTjtGAMi4Hdqh1Oc3-XLB_TjGPmfd6r9C3ZLqc7Gx5yRjZoLZEKzQSpseT6bl1sk50Wztu8DDQ90C0sZkhyphenhyphenP5_eRlSqdZ-JfaBqebAFSxPsOwlN-Zgc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0G1ykfgafCLLpf0TdsAjxkrBtTjtGAMi4Hdqh1Oc3-XLB_TjGPmfd6r9C3ZLqc7Gx5yRjZoLZEKzQSpseT6bl1sk50Wztu8DDQ90C0sZkhyphenhyphenP5_eRlSqdZ-JfaBqebAFSxPsOwlN-Zgc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQ12sDNeJx-uAee3HaNXzjkkwvgtEeg50BTiveiMwy9DPRhzTVGgIpgy8EguBYgmGbzLZZrF7Wjo761ic10reBxf6mOCJvoNnvLel2vyy9tPZ50zcqB8LZ7qEaipjbT8i9k6TAo1mSBI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Outboudn route from Tatenhill to Oaksey PArk Airfield turning overhead Wolverhampton to travel on the west of Birmingham" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="747" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQ12sDNeJx-uAee3HaNXzjkkwvgtEeg50BTiveiMwy9DPRhzTVGgIpgy8EguBYgmGbzLZZrF7Wjo761ic10reBxf6mOCJvoNnvLel2vyy9tPZ50zcqB8LZ7qEaipjbT8i9k6TAo1mSBI/w294-h400/image.png" title="Outbound route (SkyDemon)" width="294" /></a><img alt="Return route via daventry to the east of Birmingham" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="747" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0G1ykfgafCLLpf0TdsAjxkrBtTjtGAMi4Hdqh1Oc3-XLB_TjGPmfd6r9C3ZLqc7Gx5yRjZoLZEKzQSpseT6bl1sk50Wztu8DDQ90C0sZkhyphenhyphenP5_eRlSqdZ-JfaBqebAFSxPsOwlN-Zgc/w294-h400/image.png" title="Return route" width="294" /></div><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span><br /><br />Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Oaksey Park Airfield, Park Farm, Oaksey, Malmesbury SN16 9SD, UK51.6315208 -2.015165123.322335862572913 -37.170041808984372 79.940705737427081 33.139711608984378tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-37147071740368341122021-04-03T17:06:00.014+01:002022-03-13T14:51:28.708+00:00Bosley Reservoir, Croker Hill and Bosley Minn<p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtJLCTWo_Dqr0rZ9-hJhue0f8VYQK_twK-aSOoz4cQPOqhXHw1Ks1zb1wiVW_9DN2irp0hQRBjCY0hJ3ICpQsnsL-mRKxdjmN1rBT-VE1nrLXcpEtJmZGKVnkv6e1e9C3oWgt2fvugw4/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1112" data-original-width="2829" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtJLCTWo_Dqr0rZ9-hJhue0f8VYQK_twK-aSOoz4cQPOqhXHw1Ks1zb1wiVW_9DN2irp0hQRBjCY0hJ3ICpQsnsL-mRKxdjmN1rBT-VE1nrLXcpEtJmZGKVnkv6e1e9C3oWgt2fvugw4/w640-h253/IMG_20210306_115459-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Croker Hill looking North Towards Shutlingsloe</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />A 6.5 walk from Bosley reservoir with some uphill is this walk over up the nearby Croker Hill onto Sutton Common and then back along the ridge between Wincle Minn and Bosley Minn.<div><br /></div><div>Mostly on Tracks, some mud in wet weather, including passing around the reservoir.</div><div>Livestock may be present in some fields.</div><div>There are some good views out across the Cheshire Plain and north and East towards the Peak district.</div><div>Parking is on the roadside by the Bosley Reservoir dam.</div><div>There are no pubs on this walk.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Parking by the reservoir dam, walk past the first gate onto the dam and continue up the road to the second gate, then walk along the reservoir bank, passing onto the single track road at the fishing club car park and then back onto the reservoir path at the next gate, and continue until the path climbs up to the style onto the main road. Turn right onto the main road and walk the 100 or so metres up the road until you find the signposted track off to the left.</p><iframe src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/333220954/embed?profile=1" width="100%" height="680" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LSKr2GseZt7LycNjOMkX3WxRmxdSl_xLAOFNZRS8mSiBEK5f1gBoAwwIid_0AAXcf4qaw4qqCluCZ6zMdk9_X4zZ7pImwAMCUVZtv1j_ngySYePHklBik6rEtqNrZAdOX4qLdhCx5xU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Derelict farm building" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LSKr2GseZt7LycNjOMkX3WxRmxdSl_xLAOFNZRS8mSiBEK5f1gBoAwwIid_0AAXcf4qaw4qqCluCZ6zMdk9_X4zZ7pImwAMCUVZtv1j_ngySYePHklBik6rEtqNrZAdOX4qLdhCx5xU/w320-h320/IMG_20210306_111801.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Follow the track up the hill, all the way past a derelict building on the right then after another couple of turns the track slopes down slightly before a right hand bend the signposted path heads across the field to the top corner and a style that leads through a small wood, a bridge and more styles, at the far side find another track and turn right on this to continue uphill following the obvious track.<p></p><p>With the farm above on the right the path separates from the track before a gap between fields, the style is to the right of the gap, passing over this style, the path heads right to another style and towards the farm. There is a marked diversion heading across the field to another style to avoid 'friendly but boisterous' dogs. At the next style head up the road and follow this onto the hill, good views are available from the top of the hill, continue past the radio mast until the path on the left through the farmyard.</p><p>Follow this path downhill to the main road where you turn left for a short distance before finding the track on the right heading uphill, this track becomes a road and continues along the length of the ridge.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRXe_kLtbLTwsegc4Ze-nzrPF0nf8WdHj291r8hA0_TuAXh-GDHpwhwAUEb1KnpcG8Pxc8TNpQ_ejH-O1oI36VeJVZAGPd0A17Zco9Dg4Y4Owegut9xGGg3cJws0yxYWSU1Zbaxt2QqE/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2733" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRXe_kLtbLTwsegc4Ze-nzrPF0nf8WdHj291r8hA0_TuAXh-GDHpwhwAUEb1KnpcG8Pxc8TNpQ_ejH-O1oI36VeJVZAGPd0A17Zco9Dg4Y4Owegut9xGGg3cJws0yxYWSU1Zbaxt2QqE/w640-h270/IMG_20210306_130511.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">West from the ridgeline, Bosley Cloud to the left, with Bosley Reservoir and Croker hill on the right.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> As the road descends there is a seat with a footpath sign on the right, this is the first of a few paths that head off the Minn heading for the path that heads down the hill, a couple of other paths further on the road also meet this path, choose one and then follow these downhill, through a farmyard and back onto the single track road by Bosley Reservoir, turn right and return to the car.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzB7rrqfYM6d3FyHbO8-uiCnXN_lluvkOZNAXSI6TMEulE5X8jvWqqG5Gno3igQJyjrjLSmn7sBjSF1832Sue3lgJSfVyXOmJKknC-dkLqNk12AccwZXUB02I-XPP-Sv0qb7BW8vhOQfE/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzB7rrqfYM6d3FyHbO8-uiCnXN_lluvkOZNAXSI6TMEulE5X8jvWqqG5Gno3igQJyjrjLSmn7sBjSF1832Sue3lgJSfVyXOmJKknC-dkLqNk12AccwZXUB02I-XPP-Sv0qb7BW8vhOQfE/w400-h400/IMG_20210306_134003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muddiest part of the walk.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></div>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Bosley Reservoir, Macclesfield SK11 0PS, UK53.191389 -2.11805624.881155163821155 -37.274306 81.501622836178854 33.038194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-56095555089333474412021-03-07T17:01:00.003+00:002021-05-09T09:58:16.275+01:00Bosley Reservoir - a surprising find.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApQlp3CeQDJw5w5fo782mjrsZENxnl4YPpBLpFAZr5pACReyXXc9l98ZqzUcG-1ZfwnXnaoptpMYmIvc5j2wmWmg9CI1mYvEeOStzmZPeGyZKTCLEOmZI73BU3s4rcwtt0c1OzPHGwW8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bosley Reservoir taken from the SW corner with Croker Hill and Bosley Minn in the background the reservoir is flat calm with Canadian Geese floating in the middle." data-original-height="960" data-original-width="3275" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApQlp3CeQDJw5w5fo782mjrsZENxnl4YPpBLpFAZr5pACReyXXc9l98ZqzUcG-1ZfwnXnaoptpMYmIvc5j2wmWmg9CI1mYvEeOStzmZPeGyZKTCLEOmZI73BU3s4rcwtt0c1OzPHGwW8/w640-h187/IMG_20210227_103944-PANO.jpg" title="Bosley Reservoir taken from the SW corner with Croker Hill and Bosley Minn in the background" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>We have driven past Bosley Reservoir on numerous occasions heading towards Derbyshire and Buxton, although never stopped having normally headed off to Rudyard, Tittesworth and some of the other better known reservoirs in the area.<p></p><p>Last year, having got bored of the local walks from the house we started looking for local walks that would be quiet and decided to have a drive round to see if we could find anywhere to park near Bosley and see if we could park and enjoy a walk.</p><p>Following the single track road that heads around the eastern side of the reservoir, near the dam is a small patch of roadside parking for around 8-10 cars. Parking hear you can either climb over a small wall and pass through a gate onto the dam and head towards the western side of the water, or walk 20 yards up the road and pass through another gate to get access to the eastern bank.</p><iframe src="https://www.komoot.com/tour/323775087/embed?profile=1" width="100%" height="680" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><p>A couple of important notes:</p><p>At the northern end the reservoir goes right up to the main A54 road and to complete a full lap of the reservoir includes walking 300 metres on this road as it twists down the hill, with extremely narrow verges so take extreme care. The western entrance to the A54 is on Folds road, the eastern entrance is a style over the crash barrier at the side of the A54.</p><p>During the warmer months cows graze on the grass on the western bank, so be prepared for this, we have seen them blocking the narrower paths that are close to the A54.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYyI4K8-S7eq-3jDGt2dZs70FVkpEGbex2qEgSP_5tqWLsEixADocpWrC12uRJ1h1VjqJTLpenJMoH5wCrNnNclD8fH-fcwkV6XNNRiv7ylIrRfIP6g8odroUX5nNgcQGW8L_IATzPdk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Panorama showing a flat calm reservoir with clear blue skies, some water birds on the reservoir." data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="3046" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYyI4K8-S7eq-3jDGt2dZs70FVkpEGbex2qEgSP_5tqWLsEixADocpWrC12uRJ1h1VjqJTLpenJMoH5wCrNnNclD8fH-fcwkV6XNNRiv7ylIrRfIP6g8odroUX5nNgcQGW8L_IATzPdk/w640-h218/IMG_20210227_102448-PANO.jpg" title="Taken from the gate at the parking area before climbing on to the Dam." width="640" /></a></div>From the parking area to get to the western bank you walk along the dam bank and over a small bridge across the spillway to a small kissing gate that leads to tree lined pasture. The level of the water changes dramatically throughout the year and this is more visible on the western side as the level recedes revealing extra land.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtMPCpOMbrGHiHZ75FqwM8e_Iu3hfzgcmrRVACoyiGhtRT2mLqwWDzLpooIOztnd9s0vRARsvt_sUOqENNXJPglMQ_o7QBeyLn3ZPtWVXlq6EYTCDPhh9IuEYTkMN889KbvMnp1SqUpA/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtMPCpOMbrGHiHZ75FqwM8e_Iu3hfzgcmrRVACoyiGhtRT2mLqwWDzLpooIOztnd9s0vRARsvt_sUOqENNXJPglMQ_o7QBeyLn3ZPtWVXlq6EYTCDPhh9IuEYTkMN889KbvMnp1SqUpA/w400-h400/IMG_20210227_103445.jpg" title="Looking up the length of the reservoir from the southern dam." width="400" /></a>Continuing round eventually the reservoir gets closer to the edge of the public area and the path narrows to thin path on top of the bank, through a wooded area until eventually the path arrives at Fold lane and a style where you need to decide whether to continue onto the A54 or turn and retrace your steps back to the car.</p><p>The eastern bank differs from the west side as the sides of the reservoir are steeper and the path sticks closer to the side of the water and is roughly 10-15 feet above the surface, also the angling club occupies this bank with lots of fishing points below the path. The first part of the path is gravelled although later on it decays into a muddy path, which require adequate footwear for muddy paths in winter, when reaching the angler's car park you need to use the style next to the car park gate and walk a short distance up the single track road until you find a gate on the left through which you can regain the track back along the reservoir.</p><p>The trail continues through the trees until it arrives at a rise that ends at the style over the crash barrier onto the A54, again this is the point to decide whether to turn left onto the A54 and continue to do the full lap or retrace your steps back to the car. Turning right onto the A54, about 30 meters further up on the left is a track that leads up onto Croker Hill.</p><p>Bosley reservoir is a haven for bird life, whether water based or small birds within the woods.</p><p>Some of the birds we have seen here are: Blue Tits, Robins, Geese, Tufted Ducks and Grebes along with many more. The banks have many different habitats as you walk around.</p><p>The complete lap of Bosley reservoir is 2.96 miles walking an out and return on the western bank should be of the same length.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkAse8eCTwdp_IbXyRPf-YsjQ4SnBx_uES0cOY2t8h0JZlKAXIl05WkTCD2wlm3AZOC85PA_CcFwe7viQo1G0mfkzzLvZT0todMd63bOj6U5TAwf2lRktOlBJtXaB_odnGpflf8Eb4DU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkAse8eCTwdp_IbXyRPf-YsjQ4SnBx_uES0cOY2t8h0JZlKAXIl05WkTCD2wlm3AZOC85PA_CcFwe7viQo1G0mfkzzLvZT0todMd63bOj6U5TAwf2lRktOlBJtXaB_odnGpflf8Eb4DU/w400-h400/IMG_20210306_130456.jpg" title="Looking down on the reservoir from the ridge of Bosley Minn." width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Bosley Reservoir, Macclesfield SK11 0PS, UK53.191389 -2.11805624.881155163821155 -37.274306 81.501622836178854 33.038194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-9893899507537820412020-05-14T21:21:00.002+01:002020-05-20T17:43:24.743+01:00Book Review: Operators HandbookHaving had for years a copy of the Red Team Field Manual (RTFM), and the Blue Team Handbook: Incident Response Edition, I recently came across a more up to date book Operator Handbook, subtitled SEARCH.COPY.PASTE.L33T;). Additionally there is a Blueteam Field Manual (BTFM) which I have not bought.<div><br /></div><div>A quick background on the RTFM, BTGM and Blue Team Handbooks, these were designed as references for the respective Cyber Security teams, the RTFM being targeted at Penetration Testers and the BTFM and Blue Team Handbook being for the Cyber defenders. The books differ slightly in their approach the Field Manuals being more the form of cheat sheets with lists of commands and tables of useful data e.g. if you want to run NMAP on a target you would go to the NMAP page and all the flags available for NMAP are listed to aid in its use along with a couple of examples and this requires some previous knowledge of the tools. Blue Team Handbook is more narrative and explanatory in nature giving simple but introductory information about processes and descriptions of tools. Also the Operators Handbook is aimed at Pen Testers and Cyber Defenders and would assist other IT professions.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first thing you notice about the Handbook is the size, compared to the RTFM this is a fairly chunky handbook.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa9PtiAhyk9l1k9OdMD2rWyEM4oLUizyHXQ8lx8xRRVPzSBQNujFeWmJImDXPnAjGW9GPayjlgulAlOXEL3KdVdIwkFX5jO8nCm65MuWeo0ZEVzRCqya5JDO9-r_ByoZzZZ9kgnavJnpx/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="4446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa9PtiAhyk9l1k9OdMD2rWyEM4oLUizyHXQ8lx8xRRVPzSBQNujFeWmJImDXPnAjGW9GPayjlgulAlOXEL3KdVdIwkFX5jO8nCm65MuWeo0ZEVzRCqya5JDO9-r_ByoZzZZ9kgnavJnpx/s320/20200514_192934.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Operators Handbook, Blue Team Handbook and RTFM.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The Operators Handbook follows a similar pattern to R& BTFMs in that the information is mostly tables of data and cheat sheets. There are a limited number of explanatory texts, one of the more detailed is under the OSINT section which breaks down into small explanatory texts before changing back to the lists.</div><div><br /></div><div>For me an improvement over the predecessors is that all the tools are listed in alphabetical order, the RTFM broke them down into subject areas such as *nix, Networking and Tips and Tricks, so for me this was just a little too inconvenient to locate the information. The Operator Handbook however, if you are interested in Jenkins Exploits then you can head straight there.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the start of each tools section is a line which indicates who the tool is for, What type of tool it is, and the operating system or service it relates to, under the section for MIMIKATZ this line tells us its for RED TEAM, is for ESCALATE PRIV and is WINDOWS based, and then follows with a quick two line introduction to the tool and then starts listing the useful commands and lists. The last few of the 436 pages are space for your own notes so you can add anything you need at this point. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is an impressive list of tools and techniques within this Handbook, although I did find a few things that we use that were absent. This would be exceptionally useful to have at your fingertips when you need a refresher for those tools that you just don't use that often, or to quickly check something whilst you are learning a new system. The book weighs in at 693 grams and would require consideration before putting in your pack and carrying around every day. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm happy with my purchase and will keep this copy to hand, probably moving this to work, for the price I might purchase the Kindle version to avoid the volume an wight in my backpack on public transport. This would be a handy reference guide for anyone starting life as either a Pen Tester or in a more defensive Cyber-Security role.</div><div><br /></div><div>As well as the Paperback copy selling for Ā£11.76 there is a Kindle Version for Ā£8.08, the copy I have is V1 which was released on 02 APR 2020</div>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-71583902906712101942020-04-18T12:29:00.002+01:002021-04-04T17:00:14.710+01:00Hill walk starting at Rhewl, near Lllangollen, North Wales<br />
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Start point: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sun+Inn/@52.9947807,-3.22423,16.95z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487ab57af9ff65ab:0xf5dbb843ea178fe9!8m2!3d52.993516!4d-3.225724">The Sun Inn Rhewl</a>, park in the car park,
refreshments available from 1700.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Walking: mostly paths, trails or quiet roads, though there
are a few difficult areas including a steep slope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In October last year we popped to North Wales for the day visiting the small town of Mold where we search the local shops for a local walking book. not finding one for the local area, we did find one we liked based in the Llangollen area. <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/walks-around-llangollen-and-the-dee-valley/david-berry/9781908748010">Kittiwake walks around Llangollen & the Dee Valley (David Barry)</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Driving over the Horseshoe Pass we headed up a side road
to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/suninnrhewl/">The Sun Inn, Rhewl</a> and the start of Walk 17 (Foothills of Moel Morfydd). The Inn allows cars to park
in the car park whilst going on walks, although it is suggested that you pop in
for a drink when you have finished the walk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjuES9jr3-U-cdAQPd6beEvA56bNJDnPxtMioa5jFTik3IaEt1avOhazpWh8VFis4nbbiNfxP0fTGKJ6M0e7rACFwRC4Lmdf79HoKLtu9cFwbMHdZZsyNvZ1KUHyxC0Sj2929tkiFnJg/s1600/IMG_20191030_123846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjuES9jr3-U-cdAQPd6beEvA56bNJDnPxtMioa5jFTik3IaEt1avOhazpWh8VFis4nbbiNfxP0fTGKJ6M0e7rACFwRC4Lmdf79HoKLtu9cFwbMHdZZsyNvZ1KUHyxC0Sj2929tkiFnJg/s320/IMG_20191030_123846.jpg" width="320" /></a>Heading out of the car park down the road you get to walk
alongside the side of the River Dee for a short while before heading up into
the hills. After a short climb you get a good view along the valley back to
Rhewl, before passing over the ridge into the next valley and down again along
some roads before heading across a small ford and back onto the main trail. In
the guide there it tells you to leave the fence at a second gate and head off
at an angle down the hill, do follow the guide, but not too literally at this
point as the gate to exit the field is higher up than you would think.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAmZrz5CF5nextaCXq5594BgkiHA7i17M7mkEIYJQPkehdcTc5HTWGSoqcpgAOJFpwx23yAukgtl7Z6EZFd7iWc-xHQzHnvg_mEE0pmvRFA0ItkqEHV2LbG-WTt0BmSoJRLB1szqOp0c/s1600/IMG_20191030_124619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAmZrz5CF5nextaCXq5594BgkiHA7i17M7mkEIYJQPkehdcTc5HTWGSoqcpgAOJFpwx23yAukgtl7Z6EZFd7iWc-xHQzHnvg_mEE0pmvRFA0ItkqEHV2LbG-WTt0BmSoJRLB1szqOp0c/s320/IMG_20191030_124619.jpg" width="320" /></a>There is a possibility on this hillside to see steam trains
travelling along the Dee Valley line. Although there was no steam trains whilst we were there the line of the track was highlighted by a couple of passing Diesel engines.</div>
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Following the trail according to the guide book takes you to
a disused farm house and then just down from the house a barn (point 3 in the guide), with a number of
fences. The guide tells you that at the left of the barn there is a style to
climb over before heading up a trail into the hills. Unfortunately the fence
and style appear to have deteriorated and been replaced by a gate across the path, although not
impassable, the rough ground that it stands in makes it better to head back
down to the main path, pass through the gates and walk up the rear of the barn.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Taking care to follow the guide, the next 50 yards are the hardest part of the walk, heading
up a steep slope through some trees to the right of a stream, the trail
is indistinct and this seems out of place considering the good paths that make
up the rest of this walk. I paused a few times wondering if we were heading in
the right direction, but as you reach the end of the trees the footpath that
you are heading for appears and it starts to make sense again. Although shortly
after this the path again disappears but keep following the fence up the hill
before the paths become proper trails again.</div>
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Shortly after passing point 4 and at the base of the slope, take care if the ferns are tall. As you arrive at the
next fence there is a style that you climb over and then shortly after turn and follow the trail on your left rather than heading up the slope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we visited the ferns were still up at
shoulder height and this completely hid the path other than a small path trodden down through the ferns, I could just see above the ferns, but much shorter that
me and all you can see is ferns. Basically head along the slope to meet up with
the right edge of the trees in the distance where the path starts to reappear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After heading down the trails past a cottage we appeared out
onto a road with a cottage, the owner of the cottage was out working in his
garden and directed us to head through the gate and then down some steps to a
path. Following this guidance led us off the trail in the guide and we had to find our own way backto Rhewl. A quick check of the map and we headed straight down into the valley and walked back up the road alongside the Rider Dee to the Sun Inn and the car.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Overall we did enjoy this walk apart from the steep hill by
the barn that just takes you the 50 yards to get back on the trail. There were
some fantastic views, especially as the trees were starting to chagne into their autumn colours. At times we were expecting rain, but the weather, although cloudy and windy held out for us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The walking was mostly on good paths, tracks or quiet roads,
the route did go up and down quite a bit, though there was a good bit of
downhill towards the end. <o:p></o:p><br />
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We found the guide book quite well laid out, with easy to follow instructions, the parts were we had problems following was more down to the changing environment and reading the detail in the instructions lead us in the right direction.</div>
<br />Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Rhewl, Ruthin LL15, UK53.136572 -3.33772124.826338163821156 -38.493971 81.446805836178839 31.818528999999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-91891650136099623182019-09-19T21:52:00.002+01:002021-04-05T16:27:16.865+01:00Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes Trail, Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.sepaq.com/pq/grj/annexes/sentiers_pedestres.dot"><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes Trail</span>.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Distance: 5 1/4 miles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Terrain: Track for the first 2 1/2 miles then rocky trail and boardwalks/stairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Refreshments: Visitors centre at the start of the trail has coffee and limited snacks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65DZBjJ4g5A7a0dbusREv-61HjN3SNnrgjJvyHvqFjDg5-6TpK2AiDt0Ab9t36qmRGeIhG7SYMcqt62CQL4foAD0BQgCzlqg-VDjK56kg2Y6q3kwrBKTVpshbs6rZAEWCZZ5MWFMjfCY/s1600/IMG_20190912_123012-PANO.jpg"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65DZBjJ4g5A7a0dbusREv-61HjN3SNnrgjJvyHvqFjDg5-6TpK2AiDt0Ab9t36qmRGeIhG7SYMcqt62CQL4foAD0BQgCzlqg-VDjK56kg2Y6q3kwrBKTVpshbs6rZAEWCZZ5MWFMjfCY/w640-h104/IMG_20190912_123012-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">During our trip to Canada we were staying at <a href="https://www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/en/sectors/baie-saint-paul/">Baie-Saint-Paul</a> in Quebec and looking to do some walking, inland from the town is the <a href="https://www.sepaq.com/pq/grj/index.dot?language_id=1">Parc national des Grands-Jardins</a> which contains a number of walking trails, of which the Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes Trail was recommended as having good views.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the trail head is a visitors centre that contains a small information desk, a small shop and some picnic tables. Walking out to the trail there is a meter to purchase hiking tickets for the day (CAD $8.75/adult).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The trail consists of a well maintained gravel path for the majority of the path as it winds steeply up the mountain until it reaches a lake and then changes to a dirt track that has some boardwalk and steps, but also contains some rocks to step over and some large rocks to walk over, most of the final climb to the summit being up wooden steps.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxUL89OckMgRq8mEcp_XdsHwdP6wJ8sfs5FiYFcLj2t2_fXw-ywM_fo45xMT-wBxmkhqxQra5aFPo2WKhxuClTGZZIUONjJapvQFYgkgXULoVGPvqWLcKHaC0kWVa6fh5UsYA33J3s9o/s1600/IMG_20190912_134301.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxUL89OckMgRq8mEcp_XdsHwdP6wJ8sfs5FiYFcLj2t2_fXw-ywM_fo45xMT-wBxmkhqxQra5aFPo2WKhxuClTGZZIUONjJapvQFYgkgXULoVGPvqWLcKHaC0kWVa6fh5UsYA33J3s9o/s320/IMG_20190912_134301.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are a number of information boards along the pat that detail the glacial formation of the valleys these are often located at good viewpoints over the valley.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKdhrRBXdie4ssGzdFlCTc2nYjjpxmP8yqDUJGuOjiKcej7hvYdMRkGQ4yrf0Nxd1DYqKu1-MRe_y-ViMIgZ-Ez4EtalMApp7ebxJgnLU4i4lp6XFPqZ5hcHc7WXwhSmaYf4j0yc5mCA/s1600/IMG_20190912_122016.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKdhrRBXdie4ssGzdFlCTc2nYjjpxmP8yqDUJGuOjiKcej7hvYdMRkGQ4yrf0Nxd1DYqKu1-MRe_y-ViMIgZ-Ez4EtalMApp7ebxJgnLU4i4lp6XFPqZ5hcHc7WXwhSmaYf4j0yc5mCA/s320/IMG_20190912_122016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once at the summit there is a stunning view out towards the St Lawrence River the ancient</span> <a href="http://craterexplorer.ca/charlevoix-impact-structure/" style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">meteorite crater that contains Baie-Saint-Paul</a><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from a wooden lookout stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again around the summit are a number of information boards, including a board identifying landmarks in the view.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjco8D82DbBdIp8ugVFed5S7YkJ7gm1QyKmf8joR3Bu1Uo_MnXyz5Qu9Ltpqo0Ye-WQXBTYtq7DWnFXZ05Zgu6CVW0KQm6SaNwFyCkm8K21nmg_TOm-JGlkeH9IfVUaouaOhW_YGIx_5Qw/s1600/IMG_20190912_122439.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjco8D82DbBdIp8ugVFed5S7YkJ7gm1QyKmf8joR3Bu1Uo_MnXyz5Qu9Ltpqo0Ye-WQXBTYtq7DWnFXZ05Zgu6CVW0KQm6SaNwFyCkm8K21nmg_TOm-JGlkeH9IfVUaouaOhW_YGIx_5Qw/s320/IMG_20190912_122439.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Immediately below the summit is the lake (in the shape of a swan) that give the mountain its name.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those not wanting to go over the rougher trail at the top of the climb, the walk up to the lake covers most of the distance and is a good walk in itself.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkV-1cD8kBh1ZPOmtIdsnl1_m68jxueiQP87RlCRmnwm6gzQ_DnjgOXgMaxpwf3yGbW7QWP7eNasagHQ_G6R55kNxR5OANr8YjhoHxo3_0RuRXJtd9dQbAx0378v2H85ucmN43UueUqE/s1600/IMG_20190912_131807.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkV-1cD8kBh1ZPOmtIdsnl1_m68jxueiQP87RlCRmnwm6gzQ_DnjgOXgMaxpwf3yGbW7QWP7eNasagHQ_G6R55kNxR5OANr8YjhoHxo3_0RuRXJtd9dQbAx0378v2H85ucmN43UueUqE/s320/IMG_20190912_131807.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We liked this walk, although the entry fee for the trail caused us some confusion and the trail was reasonably busy, this was a good walk along a lovely trail which gave us good exercise for the day and some good views, additionally some of the trees had started changing colour for the autumn which allowed us a view of what they may look like in a few weeks.<br />
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Before our stay in the areas we had difficulty finding information about the trails and walking in the area as there were no guide books, the local tourist board produce a guide which can be picked up in Baie-Saint-Paul information office.</div>
Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Mont du Lac des Cygnes, Lac-Pikauba, QC G0A 4K0, Canada47.666666600000013 -70.623.528504903064245 -105.75625 71.804828296935781 -35.443749999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-53130934139076695802019-07-21T06:56:00.002+01:002021-04-05T16:26:35.279+01:00Welshpool Airport to Powis Castle Walk<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.welshpoolairport.co.uk/" target="_blank">Welshpool airfield</a> to <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden" target="_blank">Powis Castle</a> and return.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Distance: 5 Ā½ miles.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Terrain: Some busy roads, tracks, paths and tow paths, a few styles.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Refreshments: Welshpool Airfield Cafe & National Trust Cafe</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSVB-KNXV5Vpn2Toay-wGyam_9XMuiFI4rwOLE9D5FKnTX98fIcXyZbZdbGsWyDzCloYpwbtmriqlqFtjSZnkVRnmPxfKKx7pejWn1y1SNNcOcYEu7rGZyVXYG2g2_Cls30YrefCfyQw/s1600/Screenshot+2019-07-20+at+04.13.46+-+Display+1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSVB-KNXV5Vpn2Toay-wGyam_9XMuiFI4rwOLE9D5FKnTX98fIcXyZbZdbGsWyDzCloYpwbtmriqlqFtjSZnkVRnmPxfKKx7pejWn1y1SNNcOcYEu7rGZyVXYG2g2_Cls30YrefCfyQw/s400/Screenshot+2019-07-20+at+04.13.46+-+Display+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Setting off from the airfield requires a walk along the fairly busy A490 up to the roundabout, although the road does have reasonable grass verges to stand on whilst the traffic goes past. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once at the roundabout we crossed the road to follow the second exit on to the A458, before after 50 metres a small road comes off on the right, following this to the end past some cottages there is a right turn to head up Lime Kilns Lane towards a bridge over the <a href="https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/montgomery-canal">Montgomery Canal</a>.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montgomery Canal - Belan Lochs</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just after the bridge there is a gate on the right and a style, passing over this and following the wide path as it heads up hill passed some trees and before long passes into another field where the path bends right to follow a fence line on the left before heading down to a gated fence and then another bridge. Following the track until it becomes grass across a field with a style at the edge of a road. Directly across from the style is the single track road leading into the grounds of the castle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had been advised to head further up the hill to the other entrance to the grounds (which, for cars is the exit) as this was the shortest way to the castle. We chose however to walk up to the castle using the vehicle entrance which meant we followed the road as it wound around passed the gardens and around the back to the car park. As we found out later this was probably the best idea.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following the road around gave us a good view of the land around the castle and also a great view of the castle from outside the lower part of the gardens. Following the road round it continues through the grounds before turning in to the large car park towards the rear of the castle. Continuing further on at the end of the car park is the </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">final</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> short climb up to the entrance of the castle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Powis Castle is run by the national trust and so we had our cards scanned and had a map of the garden stamped and entered the castle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a National Trust Cafe here and so we had a couple of expensive juices before walking round the grounds and taking in the view.</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP81AAndGBJ31H5ucHGt7P84R0aUHmPtldj0k8hTbk9mKICr2ILoHFPraX9nnTTNZIq0gURqOM_V_0zk2La70lluUR9pvT0QBRuQF9lLFl8q3H2sO_JbKSHdq3FChr5E2HV9mztI6gso/s1600/IMG_20190716_135624.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP81AAndGBJ31H5ucHGt7P84R0aUHmPtldj0k8hTbk9mKICr2ILoHFPraX9nnTTNZIq0gURqOM_V_0zk2La70lluUR9pvT0QBRuQF9lLFl8q3H2sO_JbKSHdq3FChr5E2HV9mztI6gso/s320/IMG_20190716_135624.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across the valley from the castle.</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As time was getting on we decided to leave the castle and head for the airfield, initially we started walking down the vehicle exit, but after passing over one cattle grid we came across a number of cows sitting either side of the road, with one of them looking suspiciously like a bull, so we turned back and retraced our steps out of the grounds along the road that we had arrived on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Exiting the grounds, instead of crossing the road and heading back across the fields we turned left and followed the road down the hill until, at a T junction it met the main road. We turned right passing over the road. After 150 metres a path crosses the road and goes through a gate, entering this there is a short walk between fences until the patch joins the towpath for the canal.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uMPB4ZgA5VGl3QIiqG-4YkVSGO5HgYFUqqZJdo9LZ76ePoDmbXiwOT4-WWEoT-wB1yab9k1lfhVjjvL34KSZksgriGJ1GwUqk0AuBSQfkP_urhqKgDc2DGA1nFRH_2jc1mJ7VwLHlKE/s1600/IMG_20190716_150057.jpg" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uMPB4ZgA5VGl3QIiqG-4YkVSGO5HgYFUqqZJdo9LZ76ePoDmbXiwOT4-WWEoT-wB1yab9k1lfhVjjvL34KSZksgriGJ1GwUqk0AuBSQfkP_urhqKgDc2DGA1nFRH_2jc1mJ7VwLHlKE/s400/IMG_20190716_150057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belan Loch Cottages.</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following the canal took us to Belan Lochs at which point we turned off and followed a short road through the houses until we rejoined Lime Kilns Lane and followed this back to the cottages. Turning right at the bottom of the road we took a path along some trees until we arrived at the A483, which we crossed and headed for the </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">roundabout</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and then back down the A490 to the airfield.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Links:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.welshpoolairport.co.uk/" style="font-size: 14.6667px;" target="_blank">Welshpool airfield</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden" style="font-size: 14.6667px;" target="_blank">Powis Castle</a><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/montgomery-canal" style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Montgomery Canal</a></span></span></div>
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Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Mid Wales Airport Ltd, Welshpool SY21 8SG, UK52.6314089 -3.149857524.321175063821151 -38.3061075 80.941642736178835 32.0063925tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-58705381698208756532019-07-20T03:13:00.004+01:002021-05-09T10:02:44.654+01:00Flying visit for a walk.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Last year when we visited <a href="https://shobdonairfield.co.uk/aero/">Shobdon airfield</a> we had a look at the map and discovered <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden" target="_blank">Powis Castle</a> was close to <a href="http://www.welshpoolairport.co.uk/">Welshpool airfield</a> and did some quick checking and realised it was about 2 miles on foot from the airfield. So we have had a plan this year to fly into Welshpool and take a walk up to the Castle. This has been delayed as the aircraft has been delayed coming back from the extended maintenance over winter.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-2a1b0125-7fff-f837-7246-652c1e5a3fad" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Last weekend we looked and Tuesday appeared to be a good day for this, the weather looked OK, both of us were available and a quick check on the aircraft booking showed it available also.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Having a quick plan for the route on Sunday night it's a fairly straightforward route with nothing major in the way, just RAF Shawburyās MATZ stub to cross.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Monday afternoon I called Welshpool airfield for permission to land and took the chance to see if they had advise on walks up to the castle, which we had a short chat about.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">On Tuesday morning we got up early aiming to arrive at the airfield at 1000 to get the aircraft checked and ready fro an airborne time of 1100.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Doing the walk round of the aircraft showed the fuel tanks to be Ā¾ full which means more than enough fuel to get to Welshpool and back, with our walking gear in the luggage area behind the seats we were ready to pull out and set off.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">The runway Tatenhill were using when we arrived was 26 and so we taxied up to the threshold of 26 to give the oil time to warm up. As we arrived at the 26 hold, there was a discussion on the radio and Tatenhill changed the runway to 08, so we completed the run up and headed back down to the 08 hold.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">At Tatenhill the 08 hold is some distance short of the runway threshold and so requires aircraft to ābacktrackā down the runway before lining up and taking off during which time no one else can land or take off on the runway as it is considered āoccupiedā. After we arrived at the hold we had to wait for 2 other aircraft to land so we did not get in the way of their landing.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">At last we were free to get </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">airborne</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and enjoy the flight.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Clearing the circuit to the west I changed over to Shawbury zone frequency and listened to their frequency before calling them up and asking for a MATZ penetration and Basic Service.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Continuing </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">onward</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> we passed over Stafford, Telford and Shrewsbury before the hills surrounding Welshpool came into sight and we changed to Welshpool radio.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Because Welshpool is surrounded by hills the Circuit height is at 1500ā above the airfield instead of the usual 1000ā arriving overhead the airfield we were the only aircraft in the circuit. Descending down to circuit height and heading down the downwind leg the height of the hills becomes apparent and looks dramatic, turning base I caught a glimpse of Powis Castle on the far hillside and went back to concentrating on the landing.</span></span></div>
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</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3qKg-hTD4OBevah3OuZoTMRYD8qIgYn5b1QVc8mF1FXVWeywlO1lZEctdiZuqfLC9dKTOxjPZVWeyM0XHc__476bOUMWNgywqA6qa-dUui5ZweLCfWIGfTozoO0BOo7CAr-npeGqXqw/s1600/IMG_20190716_123444.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3qKg-hTD4OBevah3OuZoTMRYD8qIgYn5b1QVc8mF1FXVWeywlO1lZEctdiZuqfLC9dKTOxjPZVWeyM0XHc__476bOUMWNgywqA6qa-dUui5ZweLCfWIGfTozoO0BOo7CAr-npeGqXqw/s400/IMG_20190716_123444.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Welshpool (Mid Wales Airport) airfield operations.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">As we were on final approach one of the helicopters from RAF Shawbury came onto the radio and started carrying out a practice emergency diversion into the airfield.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">After landing and backtracking the runway to the parking area, we were given guidance on where to park the aircraft, we shut down and went to the airport staff to pay landing fees etc.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></b>
<br />
</span><div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Heading for the Cafe, which is in a group of porta cabins on the edge of the buildings and has a small terrace overlooking the airfield, which as it was warm we enjoyed coffee and sandwiches, whilst watching a number of arrivals, I had a very nice bacon sandwich.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MCiPK2fWwnoQpZ7-YW5zsAC-QQARLYKsIsJf8bjytv3Wek8lvA6KxfoJclwhANk-_Iz3SnnBw15sdHfMP92IrR516eg5rL-Y5AuEV7W69D5WkFtTh7chG9eNgaxVJzmK8qehZRLiRyQ/s1600/IMG_20190716_121106.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MCiPK2fWwnoQpZ7-YW5zsAC-QQARLYKsIsJf8bjytv3Wek8lvA6KxfoJclwhANk-_Iz3SnnBw15sdHfMP92IrR516eg5rL-Y5AuEV7W69D5WkFtTh7chG9eNgaxVJzmK8qehZRLiRyQ/s400/IMG_20190716_121106.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Binky sitting out on the parking, taken from the Airport cafe terrace.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">After the quick lunch it was back to the Cessna to change into our walking shoes and ensure everything was locked away.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://cottie-myadventures.blogspot.com/2019/07/welshpool-to-powis-castle-walk.html">I will write later describing the walk up to the castle as we did not follow a guide, just the map.</a></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">When we returned from the walk we booked out with the airfield ops and had a short discussion about the weather and the possibility of thunderstorms later. I did a walk round of the aircraft and checked the fuel and then ensured all the gear was safely stowed before climbing in and firing up. Calling the airfield on the radio, they advised us we could use either direction on the runway as we were the only aircraft around, but the wind favoured runway 04. I elected for 04, as although it would require a backtrack on the runway the engine would have more time to warm up before getting to the high revs.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">After taking off we had good views as we climbed out from between the hills before turning onto track and calling Shawbury for the MATZ crossing, which was approved.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After passing the MATZ I pointed out Telford and the Wrekin hill off to our right.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was alerted by the Pilot Aware system of an aircraft just to the left of the nose around 1700 feet below and had a short look but could not see it, anyway as it was below us it should not be an issue after a short while I checked again and discovered it was climbing and resolved to check on it again. When I next checked it was getting close to the same altitude and was starting to become an issue looking in the rough direction I quickly acquired visual on the helicopter was by now at the same altitude as us. Due to the way the helicopter climbed I suspected they had not seen us and decided to turn slightly to the left so we would pass wall behind, just as I started the turn the controller at Shawbury called on the radio to alert me to the presence of the helicopter, and I advised them I was visual and turning to add some separation.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Once clear I returned on to track and had an uneventful trip the rest of the way back to Tatenhill where we refuelled and parked the aircraft back in the hanger before tidying up and getting in the car for home.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Looking back at the sky in the direction we had come from we felt we made a wise decision to head back when we did.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Sky Demon log of flight to Welshpool</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Return flight, the kink just by Telford is the turn around the helicopter.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Links:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden">Powis-castle-and-garden</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://shobdonairfield.co.uk/aero/">Shobdon Airfield</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.welshpoolairport.co.uk/">Welshpool Airport</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tatenhill-aviation.co.uk/">Tatenhill Airfield</a></span></div>
Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Mid Wales Airport Ltd, Welshpool SY21 8SG, UK52.6314089 -3.149857531.016628384366275 -38.3061075 74.246189415633722 32.0063925tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-36082532594089829392018-11-28T05:33:00.001+00:002018-11-28T05:44:08.959+00:00Flying visit on a clear, sunny day to Shobdon airfield.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the end of October we had a nice flight down to Shobdon airfield, home of the Herefordshire Flying Club.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Planning a few days out I was supposed to be by myself, as the weather was stunning in the morning I gained a passenger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arriving at the airfield, I checked and readied the aircraft then had a quick break before pulling her out of the hanger, taxying and departing Tatenhill. Making sure to make a phone call first to Shobdon as they require Prior Permission before landing there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The flight to Shobdon was fairly smooth at 2500ft below some cumulus clouds. I contacted Shawbury and obtained a basic service from them and routed between Cosford and Wolverhampton and then past the isolated Clee hill with its radome on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Approaching Shobdon we dropped Shawbury and called Shobdon for joining information, as they had our details it reduced some of the traffic on the radio and they were able to pass the runway in use (08 - Right hand circuits). I announced my intention to do an overhead join and was reminded to not descend below 1500 feet until on the downwind leg, due to noise abatement as there is a small village to the north of the airfield. Part of the reason to hold the descent at 1500 is to allow for the gliding club climbing out of the northern grass runway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Landing in a reasonably short distance I made the turnoff and crossed the northern grass runway. The parking for visiting aircraft was well signposted and I was also given guidance over the radio to a parking slot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">After shutting down the aircraft, and entering the buildings booking in an paying the landing fee was a swift process. The landing fee was Ā£14 and there is a loyalty scheme for regular visitors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lunch menu for the day consisted mainly of fried products and we both opted for the light breakfast that was available. The office, the cafe and a club bar area are in a nissan hut that is quite well maintained.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">After refreshments I booked out and was given a short briefing on a couple of points to avoid e.g. ensure taxiing on the grass taxiway and not the grass runway, once power checks were done to keep a good lookout up the approach as there may be glider traffic on the approach to the grass runway before crossing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The aircraft parking and taxiways are very clearly marked and so there was no issue with taxiing out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the return flight we passed up the west side of Clee Hill and then between RAF Cosford and Halfpenny green.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arriving back at Tatenhill we refuelled the aircraft, cleaned the windows and parked it back in the hanger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shobdon is a welcoming airfield which has nice facilities, I understand that since our visit the Cafe is changing management, so we might return to visit to see how it changes.</span></div>
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Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Shobdon Aerodrome, Shobdon, Leominster HR6 9NR, UK52.2417149 -2.88044719999993532.6330204 -44.189041199999934 71.85040939999999 38.428146800000064tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-35347310840268939642018-10-05T06:07:00.000+01:002018-10-12T22:32:00.920+01:00Sometimes you have to change plans.<br />
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On Sunday 23rd Sept I had a reunion to go to in Norfolk, which is a 4Ā½ hour drive each way from home. Or 1 hour 20 minutes in the aircraft.<br />
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Having checked that I could fly into Cromer airfield and get a couple of taxis and trains to the reunion I decided that I would either fly or not go.<br />
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The weather forecasts in the weeks preceding were as expected of 10-15 day forecasts, unreliable and changed to the opposites each day that I checked them. With a few days to go it looked like the remnants of one of the American storms would be sitting in the middle of the country, calling Cromer the day before they were suggesting that in the afternoon of the 23rd there would be strong winds gusting up to 45 knots.<br />
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On the morning of the 23rd I headed to the airfield early under a lifting stratus cloud layer, arriving at Tatenhill however there was a lower cloud base and rain. I opened the hanger doors and gave the aircraft a thorough check. Checking the weather showed that the rain would move off to the south and clear the whole route by around 11, and looking out the window this was matched with clearer weather to the northwest.<br />
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After a coffee and a breakfast the weather at Tatenhill cleared and improved dramatically. I pulled the aircraft out of the hanger checked my final preparation for the flight.<br />
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The weather continued to improve into a good clear sky. So I taxied out and took off, heading south east initially to avoid the East Midlands zone before turning east. The journey east was relaxing with good visibility and receiving a basic service off East Midlands it appeared that there was little other traffic around. I ended the service with East Midlands as the route was passing through the overhead of Fenland airfield.<br />
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Contacting Fenland to let them know I was passing through their overhead I requested if they were available for a fuel stop, which they said was OK, and that there was currently no traffic in their circuit, so I joined and landed to check out Fenland and pick up some fuel.<br />
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Fortunately one of the locals helped me get used to the self service fuel pumps and I topped up my tanks and recorded the landing and intended departure in the airfield logbook. After updating the paperwork in the aircraft I started up and headed off again towards Cromer.<br />
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Just after Kings Lynn the cloud base dropped dramatically to 1500 feet so I descended to take a look at the conditions below the clouds. Spotting that the clouds were clearer towards the coast I turned around and climbed up to 2500 to go over the restricted areas of Sandringham and Anmer Hill, before trying my luck along the coast. It wasnāt long before I was back down to 1500 and shortly after that I was faced with a wide band of showers, having a look at the showers they were quite heavy and I realised that I would have limited visibility and would be close to Instrument Conditions (IMC) which I am not currently licensed to fly in. I did not fancy arriving at a short grass airfield that I had never been to before, low and in limited visibility. Looking north the showers appeared to extend a few miles out to sea, I thought that they would be around for some time, so I made the decision to turn around and head for home.<br />
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The return journey was great and the weather over the centre of the country remained excellent throughout the rest of the day. Although I was only on a basic service with East Midlands the controller warned me of other traffic just before I changed frequency back to Tatenhill.<br />
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Although I did not make it to the reunion, it was an interesting trip and I managed to get into a different airfield and get experience on a shorter, grass airfield and learn of a great location to pick up fuel/ break if I am out to the east.Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Tatenhill Airport, Tatenhill, Burton-on-Trent DE13 9PD, UK52.813809 -1.766217999999980727.2917745 -43.07481199999998 78.3358435 39.542376000000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-18877227655981513402018-08-17T07:15:00.000+01:002018-08-17T22:20:27.072+01:00Return from Beverley via Spurn PointThe return leg of our flight up to Beverley was folloing more scenic route down the coast to Spurn Point before turning inland at Grimsby, as this was a weekend and the weather was good we transited over RAF Waddington at 4500ft. One of the reasons for coming north on this trip and not south was because the weather was good and there were a number of gliding competitions to the south to avoid (as one pilot found out).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hO_5YulL5GxFfY6sBNUOfi9fGBO7fV1r5kB_qZPNlcH-66pQyYMjp9yj9fqlyFtYxb-XnQ9y7KDGbWfUT5uNxULZAgmSZUhq-Or6BxG4wANits1xJoxJYXZjbuhW-UBphOnwNM694aI/s1600/Screenshot+2018-08-12+at+22.30.16.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hO_5YulL5GxFfY6sBNUOfi9fGBO7fV1r5kB_qZPNlcH-66pQyYMjp9yj9fqlyFtYxb-XnQ9y7KDGbWfUT5uNxULZAgmSZUhq-Or6BxG4wANits1xJoxJYXZjbuhW-UBphOnwNM694aI/s320/Screenshot+2018-08-12+at+22.30.16.png" width="313" /></a><br />
After a little time and booking out at Beverley I checked the Cessna over and manually checked the fuel tanks to see how much was left in. Happy with the aircraft we climbed in and prepared to the return journey. After the last checks just short of Beverley's Alpha old, we lined up rolled down the grass of runway 12 and in a short time were airborne, turning left we headed out of the circuit to the north until clear and set course east for the coast, before following the coast southbound, and contacting Humberside radar for a basic service.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Offshore windfarm</td></tr>
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Looking out to sea, I pointed out that the sight of the offshore wind farm was a bit of a surreal sight. A huge area of white stalks sticking up out of the sea, as we were moving it reminded me slightly of the graphics from old computer games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqz8z8iFIUs-9aZPo5EIFwl5f0hKP3Wfp4SUMcaOTq-FlHXugcOOkuIxQLD-_I9DK96cNBwzE1-WXKfPSy9mHH7iRbLgQw_iIkzgmuiDm0NLdjE8jEPmPfTtQvAPTU4Gl38Ky6gPXes8/s1600/IMG_20180805_153725863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqz8z8iFIUs-9aZPo5EIFwl5f0hKP3Wfp4SUMcaOTq-FlHXugcOOkuIxQLD-_I9DK96cNBwzE1-WXKfPSy9mHH7iRbLgQw_iIkzgmuiDm0NLdjE8jEPmPfTtQvAPTU4Gl38Ky6gPXes8/s400/IMG_20180805_153725863.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spurn Point</td></tr>
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As we approached the Humber Estuary I turned inland to avoid the Gas Venting station that was marked on the map, such that we passed slightly inland of Spurn point. The Humber estuary is quite a substantial body of water and it feels odd flying over it for someone who is used to normally flying overland, at least this takes some of the edge off When I decide to head to the continent at some point.<br />
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Leaving Spurn Point behind we passed to the east of Grimsby and started the turn inland towards Bardney disused airfield.<br />
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Climbing up to 4500ft, we travelled through quite smooth air up until our next turn at Bardney disused airfield.<br />
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Having confirmed with Humberside that Waddington Zone was not active the controller politely reminded me that at my altitude we could go straight over the top as long as I stayed out of their ATZ.<br />
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After shortly after passing over Waddington the controller said that I was passing outside his cover and that I should free-call East Midlands for a service off them. I tuned into East Midlands and listened for a gap in the comms. G-OM had just called them requesting for a 'traffic service', this is a service from a radar controller that gives information and warnings of other traffic that may affect the flight. As soon as the controller had identified G-OM he gave him a warning of 'two contacts straight ahead 1 mile, no height' which G-OM replied, 'seen, gliders taking avoiding action'. There then followed a couple of minutes of radio exchange between the two of them as the pilot weaved his way out from the middle of a large group of gliders with the assistance of East Midlands.<br />
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Once the airwaves settled down, both me and another aircraft contacted East Midlands to request services from them.<br />
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The rest of the flight went well, and as the route approached Tatenhill and the controlled airspace surrounding East Midlands lowered, I descended a couple of times to keep clear. Passing over the recently disused Hucknall airfield, which is rapidly becoming a housing estate.<br />
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Arriving back at Tatenhill at 1645 I was happy to see that fuel was still available and topped up the aircraft so that the next pilot didn't have to. Taxiing back to the hanger, cleaned the bugs off and put the aircraft to bed until its next adventure.<br />
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All in all a successful trip as we got to see a new airfield, had a nice view of the coast and some different sights. Additionally I have gained more confidence talking to air traffic and using the radio equipment in the aircraft. I look forward in the near future to either doing a transit of controlled airspace, or utilising a traffic service.<br />
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Flight Details:<br />
Distance: 127nm<br />
Duration: 1h 27m<br />
Sights: Spurn Point, Humber EstuaryCottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Beverley/Linley Hill Airfield, Beverley HU17 5LT, UK53.8983333 -0.3613889000000654128.376298799999997 -41.669982900000065 79.4203678 40.947205099999934tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-33953921285956781512018-08-14T19:06:00.003+01:002021-04-04T17:02:04.287+01:00Early August flight to Beverley airfieldJust over an hour away from Tatenhill is Beverley airfield, which had a free landing fee voucher in the summer edition of Flyer, although I didn't really feel put upon by the rather reasonable Ā£5 landing fee and didn't take much effort to take the Flyer voucher with me.<br />
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The weather was good, with light winds and cloud bases around 4-5000 feet, so I opted to take advantage and fly at a higher altitude than I had flown since renewing my licence.<br />
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We decide to head out to the south of Gamston airfield and then head up between Doncaster and Humberside airport at 3500ft, the return journey was more of a coastal route.<br />
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Arriving at the hanger I was greeted with the new hanger doors which had been installed since I was last flying these took a few seconds to work out how to open them.<br />
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With the preflight checks complete, we strapped in and headed for the runway. Following a smooth takeoff we turned right to head north, being careful to stay clear of Darley Moor hang gliding site, which was a good thing as looking over n their direction we watched one of the hang gliders completing a winch launch. Shortly after passing Darley moor we took up the Easterly track to Carsington Water and on to the next way point of Ossington Disused airfield.<br />
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Contacting East Midlands for a basic service and getting their QNH which lets us setup the altimeter to ensure that we remain below East Midlands airspace. Once clear of East Mids we could then climb up to our planned cruise altitude of 3500ft.<br />
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Passing Mansfield, East Midlands requested we change off their frequency and suggested we contact Doncaster, however I decided to head for the rest of the trip north without talking to anyone until we we closer to our destination. This Altitude would provide us with some buffer over the airfields and gliding sites on the next leg, although I did turn off the track to avoid a glider that was gently climbing to the north of Darlton.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Humber and bridge from 3500ft</td></tr>
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Flying further north we could start to make out the humber and Hull beyond, which allowed us to get a good view of the Humber bridge out of the right window. Starting the descent towards Beverley as we passed over the suburbs of Hull.<br />
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Setting the radio for Beverleyās radio frequency, Beverley have a new radio frequency that is based on the 8.33Khz separation rather than the older 25Khz frequency. I called up and received the latest information, that they were on Runway 12 passed me their QFE, shortly after one of the arrivals (a Europa) announced that they had dead sticked (landed without power) the landing and had stopped at the end of the runway, this would mean that it would be unsafe to land until they had been cleared off. I continued to do an overhead join and enter the circuit, the overhead join unusually at Beverley is at 1500ā and all the circuits are to the north of the field which allowed a left hand circuit onto runway 12.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverley clubhouse and hangers.</td></tr>
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As we continued to join and fly round the circuit we could see the rescue truck driving out to assist the stranded Europa and assist removing it from the runway, fortunately it was clear of the runway when we turned onto finals. After a nice approach and a short landing we were able to taxi off the runway and follow the Europa back to the parking. We did not take on fuel at the airfield, although the fuel bowser is conveniently located near the clubhouse with good access from the parking area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverley Clubhouse</td></tr>
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Once parked up we found that Beverley had a nice little well maintained clubhouse with a small cafe where drinks and food could be purchased along with a nice seating area with comfortable chairs, outside were a number of picnic tables that had a good view of the airfield.<br />
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Landing fees were a most reasonable Ā£5 which were paid with a short welcoming chat with airfield management in the corner of the clubhouse.<br />
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Having spent a short time at Beverley I would recommend it as either a destination in itself or a stopping point on a larger adventure.<br />
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Flight details:<br />
Distance: 109nm<br />
Duration: 1h 05m<br />
Landing Fee (Beverley: Ā£5<br />
Sights: Humber and the Humber Bridge<br />
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Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Beverley Airfield, Linleyhill Rd, Beverley HU17 5LT, UK53.8981056 -0.36595432.366552077718509 -35.522203999999988 75.429659122281493 34.790295999999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-15524052991663639612017-12-09T22:08:00.001+00:002021-04-04T17:01:42.052+01:00First land away since PPL renewal<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having done a bit of local flying, including a first flight with passengers I was itching to get out of the local area and head to a different airfield, so set up a plan to fly to Turweston airfield in Oxfordshire.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-8a57d370-28ff-dacb-917a-7afef2240a3c" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The weather was looking good for a trip on Friday 1st December, so I booked one of the PA28 Archers the day before, the only issue with the weather would be a cross wind from the north, so it all depended on the strength of the wind.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arriving at the airfield, I signed the aircraft out, contacted Turweston with the airplane details as they request inbound pilots obtain prior permission and was told they were using runway 27 Right.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A thorough check of the aircraft inline with the PA28 checklist and we were ready to set off. At Tatenhill the grass on the airfield is waterlogged at the moment so all the planes are parked on the tarmac which makes for a very crowded and complex environment and I had to wait a few minutes for one of the other aircraft to complete its run up and pre takeoff checks.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Birmingham was on track and heading for the Daventry VOR made a nice kink I was planning to track the radial down to the VOR and turn direct to Turweston when passing Daventry town itself (about 5 miles short of the VOR) and do the reciprocal on the return journey.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although there was almost a 90 degree crosswind it was fairly light so the take off and turn out of circuit was fairly comfortable. Although there were few clouds, the base was around 1900ft on the QNH so I stayed below my prefered altitude until around Daventry when they cleared more.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heading south I set the radio to East Midlands and set up their listening squawk, which was something new to me but something that I think I will use in the future. Squawking the code for East Midlands allows them and other air traffic units that I am listening on that frequency, so they can give me a call if they need to.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tracking the Daventry VOR did not go quite as planned on the journey south and I never really got on top of it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRPTWys2Y9vLXpE-tforezOi_pNwJu26ctWCgoizIlAx_LOKlOC0KiNmjtUx7uJHouPbx_3_qKUCQ1hAyMSlfHeI08gIZ1RssjpvDkoxRKzFBaIK0r4FYj6J9uv_QUwkuw47Oj9XJXqA/s1600/IMG_20171201_113558807.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRPTWys2Y9vLXpE-tforezOi_pNwJu26ctWCgoizIlAx_LOKlOC0KiNmjtUx7uJHouPbx_3_qKUCQ1hAyMSlfHeI08gIZ1RssjpvDkoxRKzFBaIK0r4FYj6J9uv_QUwkuw47Oj9XJXqA/s320/IMG_20171201_113558807.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Approaching Turweston I changed the squawk back to 7000 and called them up on the radio, where the joining instructions reiterated runway 27 RH. Silverstone stood out as a great landmark, but I was late spotting Turweston airfield and put in an orbit north of the airfield to settle myself down and plan the circuit. Joining downwind and heading down the circuit I heard someone joining for an overhead join.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The circuit at Turweston is odd in that the approach and departures are offset 20 degrees from the runway to avoid houses on the extended centreline, so this was a bit of a new challenge as the last time I had to contend with this was when I was training for my PPL back in the 90s.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My approach went quite well up until I ballooned the flare and so elected to go around and have another go. Heading back up to circuit height I could see the other aircraft in circuit heading across the upwind of the airfield to start the downwind. All through the circuit I was aware that it was going to be fairly tight as to whether he would still be on the runway when I arrived to land. Fortunately he must have had the same problem as I had off the first approach and he also went around for a second attempt leaving the runway clear for me to land. This attempt was a vast improvement on the first go and is probably one of the best landings since I restarted flying, definitely better than the landing at Tatenhill on the return flight.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since I was last here there has been a large investment in the airfield and the airfield offices and control have moved out of their previous portacabins and into a nice shiny conference centre/tower complete with cafeteria. So it was up to the top floor to pay the landing fee and then back down to the first floor for a light lunch and had the chance to bump into some people that I had known when I was flying previously.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The flight back was a lot more relaxed, and I managed to follow the radial back out from Daventry to Tatenhill.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following us back into Tatenhill we were followed by a student in one of the Cessna 152s as she returned from her qualifying cross country.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After parking the aircraft we tidied up, paid for the flying and headed for home.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This trip allowed me to practice some things that I had not used for so long, and the return leg was much smoother and relaxed as I learned from the issues of the outbound lag and put them into practice for the return.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All in all a successful dayās flying.</span></div>
Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Turweston Flight Centre Ltd, Turweston Aerodrome, Biddlesden Rd, Brackley NN13 5YD, UK52.0396324 -1.104967523.729398563821157 -36.2612175 80.349866236178855 34.0512825tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-58864642711969057482017-09-27T22:31:00.000+01:002017-09-27T22:31:00.976+01:00Walk over The Bosley Cloud<div dir="ltr">
Wanting a short, but slightly strenuous walk today, we decided to follow a walk that appeared in the walking guide <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/100-walks-in-cheshire/david-bishop/9781785001819" target="_blank">100 Walks in Cheshire </a>by David Bishop (Route no. 52).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the start of the walk, Timbers Brook.</td></tr>
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<br />The route was easy to follow as it stayed on well developed paths, although we did decide to come of the route as the road that this follows was a bit busier than we would have liked. There were a couple of times that we had to think about the directions on after we had reached the summit and were on our way down, but checking the map in and a bit of thought showed us the right way.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama near the top.</td></tr>
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Even though the weather was hazy, from the summit we could just about make out the radio telescope at Jodrell bank, which according to the sign by the trig point was 8 miles away as well as some of the larger buildings in Macclesfield and would look forward to popping up here again when the weather is clearer.</div>
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The walk starts off on an open track and heads through woodland most of the way to the summit. Pausing at the first clearing that had a view we took advantage of the low seat that was there and had lunch.</div>
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As we approached the summit it cleared to open moorland where the best views are to be had in all directions, including a view down towards Rudyard lake.</div>
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By the trig point there is a metal plaque pointing out directions and distances to some of the local landmarks, but it is probably optimistic to say you can see London.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bridestones.</td></tr>
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The walk downhill is also pleasant passing down steps and through more woodland down to the main road, here we walked the short distance to visit The Bridestones, which is the remains of a burial mound, the stones being those that surrounded the burial chamber itself.</div>
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Turning to the road we started walking towards the coach and horses, but gave up on this as it stayed to get into tight bends so we checked the map and found a small footpath that cut a corner back to one of the lanes that lead back to the car park.</div>
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Overall this was a nice walk, not too strenuous and with great views and a nice variety of terrain and landscape to walk through.</div>
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The directions in the guide were reasonably easy to follow and lead us on our way quite well.</div>
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Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-86006160074341638532017-09-25T08:53:00.004+01:002022-08-20T09:48:23.851+01:00Pilots licence renewal (after 17 years)<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a number of reasons 17 years ago I let my pilots licence lapse and stopped flying.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-ab8f5df1-b805-2298-07cb-6f92b0877360" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the end of last year a few people suggested that I should see if I could get flying again. Fortunately I obtained my original licence under the old CAA rules which meant that it was valid for life as long as the pilot kept in current practice or satisfied an instructor during a flight test that the pilot possessed the necessary skills to continue flying.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First thing though was to visit an Aeromedical Examiner (AME) to get a medical sorted out, unfortunately the last test of the medical threw up a problem and the AME could not issue the medical at the time, extra tests would be required and he took a few minutes explaining how I could go about getting them done through the NHS, and provided a letter to take to my GP to get the ball rolling.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took a few months and a number of tests, but eventually the Consultant declared me all clear, a letter was sent to the AME and a brand new medical certificate, backdated of course to the earlier date that the medical was undertaken. So with a good 20 months medical it was time to move onto the next step.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whilst waiting for the medical I had been looking around for a training operator, also checking what steps I need to actually renew. The consensus was that renewal should be a proficiency check with a flight instructor, following a period of training to bring my skills back up to the standard.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although there are a number of flying schools near me that had Cessna 152s. In the past I had rarely flown high wing aircraft and decided to go with a school that had the more familiar, to me, PA28 series of aircraft, although they are around Ā£15/hour more expensive.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF528QzZBa0W3a_OkWlNpI7s9MUdFxr_OlvXyhsvILorabYcvYdOSFu-KWE9aOT5PmBSSgDaH8f6J5ayg9qYcmdGcH6a6r2HHIi8oCx_zjDcshBW-hWCdc4_AqmfAlYG5NMSm_Hg53LHE/s1600/IMG_20170804_120822.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="956" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF528QzZBa0W3a_OkWlNpI7s9MUdFxr_OlvXyhsvILorabYcvYdOSFu-KWE9aOT5PmBSSgDaH8f6J5ayg9qYcmdGcH6a6r2HHIi8oCx_zjDcshBW-hWCdc4_AqmfAlYG5NMSm_Hg53LHE/s320/IMG_20170804_120822.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first lesson involved checking to see if I could land OK and getting used to the aircraft. The first landing was really rusty and was a bit heavy on the nose wheel, not exactly the best way to land a PA28. Also throughout the flight I was trending to lead with the rudder too much. After around 10 circuits there was some improvement, but I left for the day feeling a bit deflated and thinking this was going to take a little longer than I originally thought.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately this year's appalling weather the second lesson was cancelled due to fog on the airfield.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the enforced gap I was able to go over the flying in my head, what I did wrong and what went right. When getting in the aircraft I had lowered the seat quite low and thought it might help if I didn't the next time. </span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few weeks later I was back and with a string of lessons already booked over the following couple of weeks. The second lesson was better, I was relaxed with the aircraft from the start and the higher seating position made me more comfortable and in control. At the end of the lesson and feeling a lot better about my flying the instructor said that the following day's lesson would be outside the circuit.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The third lesson started with a take off and heading out of the circuit to do some upper air work, I was asked to demonstrate a clean stall. After carrying out the necessary HASELL checks I closed the throttle and lifted the nose quite high into the air, and executed quite a savage stall. My instructor was impressed that I had remembered the HASELL checks, but didn't quite want such an aggressive stall. We continued with the lesson, through a clean stall and a stall in landing configuration. Then onto steep turns, a couple of practice forced landings. Boy PA28 really falls out the sky if you stay at 100 kts and don't set up for best glide.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Returning to the circuit we finished off the lesson with a practice forced landing over the airfield and different landing configurations such as flapless and glide approaches.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was feeling a bit better after this and even better still when after the flight he said that we should try for the test on the next flight.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Almost a week later and having planned a short navigation exercise to a disused airfield we set off into the air again.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Climbing out of the airfield, I set course for the airfield checking my course as we went along, the halfway point as we crossed the motorway and not forgetting to do a FREDA check the disused airfield appeared just to the right of the nose.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy with the Navex we turned back roughly towards the airfield and was given a heading to steer, once over open countryside carried out the upper airwork, stalls and steep turns etc.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A well executed PFL and we were heading back for an overhead join at the airfield and then into the circuit for a number of landings.</span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Landing off the glide approach we taxied back and after shut down from the passenger seat came the words āYou tidy this up and I'll get the computer started and we will sort the paperwork out.ā I Smiled.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the paperwork was finished, and a well earned coffee, I had a nice beaming smile all the way home.</span></div>
Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-64092691382767042792014-07-31T22:28:00.001+01:002014-07-31T22:28:52.617+01:00My experiences with Mobile Phone Roaming in Europe.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have recently been on the continent, staying in Germany, Switzerland and finaly France.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a10dc1d3-1ca5-7564-41c0-eb34629d087a" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three UK expanded their āFeel at Homeā service to more countries including Switzerland and France on the 3rd July 2014.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately the outbound leg of our trip through France started prior to the switch being thrown on this, however a few years ago before going on a trip to Italy I purchased a Vodafone Italy SIM card from <a href="http://www.europasim.com/en_GB">Europasim</a> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which was prepaid and had good roaming rates within Italy and throughout Europe. Previously I had also used Threeās daily Ā£5 data tariff for all you can eat data for 24 hours, over a 14 day trip this would start getting expensive.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I was researching for this trip I discovered that the rates had changed on the Vodafone SIM to be called āSmartPassportā, the SIM which I had was still live and so I arranged for the tariff to be changed to the Smart Passport and topped up the credit on it.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So my plan was to use the Italian SIM in the areas that Three did not cover with their feel at home package, and then change back to my Three SIM as we entered Switzerland.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shortly after getting on the ferry at Dover for the run to Dunkirk, my phone connected to Maritime Net and ended up with Ā£3.45 worth of data going over their network, so first lesson is to switch roaming off unless you're sure that you're within a good roaming area.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Approaching Dunkirk I switched over to the Italian SIM and was happy to see a connection and receiving a text message in Italian announcing that 3 euros had been debited and my allowance for the day. Getting off the ferry I fired up Waze and was happy to see that it connected and downloaded my route to the apartment in Germany that we were staying, along with the emails that arrived whilst we were on the ferry.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the next few days this worked perfectly, me having 3 euros debited and receiving the same text from vodafone.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The transfer from France to Germany worked fine, with only a couple of minutes lost connection whilst the SIM registered with the new Network.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The apartment was in an area that was only covered by a 2G signal (and did not have WiFi, but although the connection was slow, and I had to be careful to time big downloads and uploads for my quiet time, one night I downloaded the German language pack for Google translate. I averaged around 100-200MBs/day, well within the 500MB allowance. Including one evening downloading the Google Translate German dictionary, with no problems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During this time I made a few, although not many calls back to the UK, staying within the 25 minute call allowance. I checked my credit amount a number of times using the short code 404 and daily the credit decreased by 3 euros each day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Entering Switzerland I changed the SIM card back to my Three SIM, and waited a few minutes for the connection and confusingly received a text from Three explaining the roaming rates within the EU, shortly before receiving the text that I was in a feel at home country and I could use the phone as if at home.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I found the data rate and experience in Switzerland good and had no problems with signal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The return back to the UK involved a night in France to break up the journey. Crossing the Switzerland/French border gave the same two texts, first the Euro charging rates, and then the Feel at home text.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the trip abroad I found both SIM cards lived up to the expectations that I ahd and the service that was advertised.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both cards could be slightly problematical on the move. The transfers between towers seemed occasionally not to happen, and I would loose signal, and wait some time for the SIM to be registered on the new network, although I did not notice this with the Three SIM until I was in France, so maybe the Swiss network is much better at this.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the trip I noticed a higher than usual battery drain, probably due to the phone trying to find its home network rather than the roaming network.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was nice returning back into Portsmouth that I did not have to change my SIM card and was ready to go on leaving the ferry.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would recommend the <a href="http://www.europasim.com/en_GB">Europasim</a> product, just be aware that all the texts from the network are in Italian, although the Europasim website has a quick guide to most of these, so you can have at least a good estimate as to what each means. Also be very careful to read the setup for the APN, which Europasim have on their website as this could cause issues with your data signal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are lucky to be on the Three network and are heading abroad to a Feel at home country, it works fine and you should have no problems, if you are not on Three you could always pick up a prepaid SIM card for the time you are away (make sure your phone is unlocked though).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-27850637204910685882014-06-08T23:04:00.000+01:002014-06-08T23:04:30.722+01:00Cycle route North Hampshire from Sutton Scotney<div>
Distance: 14.5 Miles<br />
Terrain: Roads, no steep climbs, but parts of the route are seriously undulating.<br />
Refreshments: Coach and Horses (Sutton Scotney), The Swan (Barton Stacey) & The Plough (Longparish).<br />
Route: <a href="http://runkeeper.com/user/Cottie/route/3169989" target="_blank">Runkeeper</a><br />
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This is a nice little route from Sutton Scotney to discover the village of Barton Stacey, and touch the ends of Longparish and Wherwell. This route is 14.5 miles, but for a shorter route start from the village of Barton Stacey and do a shorter route.</div>
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The start point is the <a href="http://www.coachandhorsessuttonscotney.co.uk/" target="_blank">Coach and Horses</a> in Sutton Scotney, heading up the side road to the left of the pub (Stockbridge Road), past Naomi house to the A30 and turn left. Follow the A30 through a few undulations until the a right turn signposted Cocum Barton Stacey.</div>
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Arriving in <a href="http://www.bartonstacey.parish.hants.gov.uk/main/index.html" target="_blank">Barton Stacey</a>, there is the Swan Inn, should you need some early refreshment, along with a small store.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEebb8281XXgLb1TE6fHGFSYkvX7AbspI_2-dK5XGPitoqq0ja6GR25IV-M66Y7CRC_gDqwzPtMpueXa9embHelai3md_toSpnwgkj1lP6qdMteMqoiCurQaCT3ruR_KWIvgoWGxfaWWw/s1600/IMG_20140608_140442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEebb8281XXgLb1TE6fHGFSYkvX7AbspI_2-dK5XGPitoqq0ja6GR25IV-M66Y7CRC_gDqwzPtMpueXa9embHelai3md_toSpnwgkj1lP6qdMteMqoiCurQaCT3ruR_KWIvgoWGxfaWWw/s1600/IMG_20140608_140442.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Plough Inn, Longparish</td></tr>
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Continuing straight up the road, signed as being 2.5 miles to Longparish, you will pass Dever Springs trout fishery, before passing over the busy A303. Shortly after passing over the River Test you will reach the Village of Longparish, or at least its western end, at the main road turn left to pass <a href="http://www.theploughinn.info/" target="_blank">The Plough Inn</a>, which is again a nice place to stop for a drink.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross in Longparish</td></tr>
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Continue along this road as it twists pas the church and the community hall, but take care as we are approaching the busy A303 again and if you miss the turn for the bridge over you could quite easily find yourself on the slip road. Turn right just before the A303 following the signpost for Exeter, this will take you over the bridge. Follow this as it curves round all the way to the T-Junction, and turn right to wind your way into the Village of Wherwell. Again we don't quite make it all the way into the village as just after the primary school we turn left to join the road to Chilbolton.</div>
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Head down the B3420 as it twists left then right and continue along until you reach the A30 again.</div>
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Unless you started at Barton Stacey, continue along the A30 back into Sutton Scotney, turning right just after the A34 to return to the Coach and Horses.</div>
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If you started in Barton Stacey do start down the A30, but turn left signed Cocum Barton Stacey just after the rifle range to complete the loop to Barton Stacey.</div>
Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Wonston, Hampshire SO21, UK51.153271873102085 -1.338163886260986151.152026873102088 -1.3406853862609862 51.154516873102082 -1.3356423862609861tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583342464124118872.post-26860072146286052492014-05-31T15:26:00.000+01:002014-06-08T22:34:47.687+01:00Cycle Route Whitchurch, Overton and Micheldever Station<br />
Distance: 14 Miles<br />
Terrain: Roads, gently undulating, no steep climbs.<br />
Refreshments: Numerous pubs in Whitchurch and Overton, The Dove at Micheldever Station.<br />
Route: <a href="http://runkeeper.com/user/Cottie/route/3150302" target="_blank">Runkeeper</a><br />
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This is a circular route that I have done a number of times, in both directions from Whitchurch, this route is on-road.<br />
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Setting off from Whitchurch Town Square, head east towards Basingstoke on the London Road, passing the <a href="http://www.theredhousewhitchurch.com/" target="_blank">Red house</a> and then the Prince Regent towards the top of the hill.<br />
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Continue on London road, where you will pass through Freefolk and then Laverstoke, along the way up a short drive on the left is the Watership Down pub just before a string of cottages, with what must be one of the longest thatched roofs. Maintain straight ahead until you reach the traffic lights in <a href="http://www.overtonvillage.com/" target="_blank">Overton</a> where we turn right and start to head up a slope towards the highest point of the route, before heading downhill towards Micheldever Station.<br />
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Along the road to Micheldever you will pass <a href="http://www.laverstokepark.co.uk/" target="_blank">Laverstoke Park Farm</a>, which has an organic farm shop and calls itself the worlds largest smallholding, and then on past the Test Valley Golf Club.<br />
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Pass over the Railway, and then under the A303. When you arrive at the T-Junction by the railway bridge turn right and pass into the village of Micheldever Station, passing Micheldever tyres, the railway station and <a href="http://www.doveinn.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Dove Inn.</a><br />
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Continue straight along the road until you meet the main road, just before the A303, here we turn left before taking the right signposted Whitchurch & Laverstoke.<br />
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After an impressive wall on your right you will bend around to the left before a short rise that leads to a sharp right hand bend. Follow this bend and take the next left and follow this road up and down some slight slopes before the final downhill as you re-enter Whitchurch.<br />
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At the T Junction turn right and follow Winchester Road back to Whitchurch Town Square, where you will find a number of pubs ready to quench your thirst.Cottiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502399128619507504noreply@blogger.com0Whitchurch, Hampshire, UK51.229769999999988 -1.33530399999995151.150238499999986 -1.4966654999999509 51.309301499999989 -1.173942499999951