Wilmslow to Motram Bridge and More 21st February 2013

Heading across the fields near Motram.

A delightful Poplar lined drive leading to Dean Farm.

Is it a running start?

Wilmslow Parish church - with justten minutes to get back to the car!

Walking through Lindow Common.

The Carrs.

Walk stats:  (Wilmslow to Motram Bridge) Distance: 6.7 miles. Climb:392'.

Time: 2 hours 50 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.2 m.p.h.

Walk stats: (Twinnies Bridge, Lindow Common and The Carrs) Distance: 2.6 miles. Climb: 106'.

Time: 1 hour 4 minures. On the move walking average: 2.9 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.5 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn, Mike, Wendy and Annie.

We arrived at the Carrs / Wilmslow Parish Halll Car Park, and to our surprise we found that it was a short stay car park, maximum 3 hour stay, and it was a pay and display car park!

The described walk was said to be 5 miles, so we set off expecting to have plenty of time, but in reality we arrived back at the cars just in time, the walk turned out to be over six miles!

An interesting walk that enabled us to see how the other half lives, no  need to worry about the size of benefits for the residents in most of the  houses / country mansions that we went past.

The best part of the walk along the Bollin Way alongside the River Bollin, and it would have been good to linger as we followed the rivers meandering course, but the threat of a parking fine if we were back too late, meant that this was not possible today.

We moved the cars to the Twinnies Bridge Car Park (free) and before setting off on a gentle afternoon stroll, we had lunch sitting at one of the many pic-nic tables nearby.

Overall the weather was superb for walk, warm and sunny, but still cold enough that potential muddy sections remained quite firm.  The only time that I was forced to wearing a woolly hat was as I ate my lunch, and I was glad to put on my mitts as we headed for Lindow Common. The walk after lunch seemed like a stroll in the park in an area where we dog walkers were seldom far away.

Birds seen or heard today included: Black-headed gull, Common buzzard, Common kestrel, Common blackbird, Redwing, Common starling, Lapwing, European robin, Blue tit, Great tit, Winter wren, Common coot, Moorhen, Mallard and Woodpigeon.

After walk drinks were enjoyed at what must have been the warmest pub in Britain, the Bird in Hand at Mobberley, there was a real fire in every room, and there were at least five that we could see. The only beer on offer was Sam Smiths Old Oak Bitter, but even this went down well. The Fair Trade Tea went down well too.

Overall  a good walk, but next time we will start at our usual car park at Twinnies Bridge.  The warm welcome at the Bird in Hand, means that we will call there again, especially if it is after a walk on cold day!