Author Topic: Walking  (Read 820669 times)

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Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2250 on: August 26, 2021, 11:45:51 am »
Blaenau Ffestiniog to Dolwyddelan walk

Offline mull

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2251 on: August 26, 2021, 12:55:55 pm »
Wow.

What a walk and away from the crowds, that's a bonus.


Offline SteveH

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2252 on: August 26, 2021, 01:34:45 pm »
Once again excellence travelogue.................. $good$

Offline Dave

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2253 on: August 29, 2021, 10:09:58 am »
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/action-taken-tackle-problems-beauty-21411587

I couldn't agree more with the sceptics. A walk up to Geirionydd last week brought the welcome sight of a near empty lake with just a handful of canoes and paddle boards anywhere near the monument end.This was a far cry from my last visit a week or two ago when I took one look at the crowds and turned tail and headed back to Trefriw.
Up at the car park end it was still very ,very busy but at least a sense of tranquility had returned to most of the area. Let's face it, up there very few actually want to walk very far from their cars.
To achieve this though the council have actually been as destructive as the accused tourists. It was obvious that something needed to be done about parking along the shore of the lake but is this really the answer? It looks like a mole has been at work and the roadside is now littered with signs and cones talking of which, when we got to the car park end two cars were parked on either side of the gate next to the cattle grid. They wanted to be right next to the boat launch and judging from the number plates they were both from Lancashire and had obviously arrived together.One was parked right next to a temporary "No Parking" sign. I looked at the sign with a deliberate bemused look and the driver just walked up to it and turned it over face down on the grass.
I don't blame people wanting to enjoy our countryside, it's not ours exclusively just because we happen to live here, but a lack of respect is something totally different. It is however perhaps time that the council started looking at increased parking areas where space allows in some of our most popular spots.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2254 on: August 29, 2021, 10:48:41 am »
Heartbreaking, the major reason why we left, I know it was meant to be shared, but by people who appreciated it.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2255 on: August 29, 2021, 11:49:32 am »
You're right when you talk about the lack of respect Dave,  but these individuals who cause the problems have no respect for themselves let alone the countryside.       
I'm afraid that larger car parks are not always the answer if it means attracting more of those undesirables.
My friend who is a Forest Ranger has told me that the Ranger looking after Llyn Geirionydd has faced unbelievable problems there.  She has been verbally abused and threatened and even when Police are called these people have also been verbally abusing the Police too
I don't know what the answer is to the problems but rules should be enforced.by the Police or Wardens

Offline mull

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2256 on: August 29, 2021, 12:25:07 pm »
Same problems all over UK this year. With a bit of luck the undesirables will be back to Benidorm next year.

There have been some shocking problems in the north of Scotland. See "the land weeps" Facebook site.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2257 on: August 29, 2021, 02:12:31 pm »
Send John Long Cooper down to N Wales Mull,  we need more people like him to sort out the riff raff that are causing the problems       $good$
Scroll down to see the video and you can see what I mean

https://www.facebook.com/groups/nc500thelandweeps/

Offline SteveH

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2258 on: September 03, 2021, 01:39:09 pm »
Tesco, Asda and Aldi among supermarkets urged to stop selling disposable BBQs
Senedd member Janet Finch-Saunders has written to the head offices of various store giants asking for action

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/tesco-asda-aldi-among-supermarkets-21474204


Offline SteveH

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2259 on: September 04, 2021, 10:04:25 am »
A task force has been set up to tackle problems caused by the increasing amount of visitors to some North Wales beauty spots.

Llyn Geirionydd and Llyn Crafnant in Eryri (Snowdonia) have become a magnet for walkers and picnickers - but there have been reports of major litter and traffic problems caused by 'over tourism' in what is a very rural local.

To tackle the problems faced by landowners and local residents at the sites in the Conwy valley, Conwy County Council has recently introduced traffic management measures to ease the problems and improve road safety.

cont   https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/task-force-set-up-tackle-21475317

photo of my old house in the background............

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2260 on: September 08, 2021, 04:34:01 pm »
I was reading the September edition of the free North Wales Magazine and the walk for the month was Wepre Park and Ewloe Castle and although I had walked it before it was such a nice walk I thought that I'd like to do it again
So yesterday Tellytubby and I drove to Connah's Quay and to Wepre Park which is a delightful place to go to. It has 160 acres of parkland and ancient woodland and is perfect for families and dog walkers and walkers like ourselves too.
The walk started from the visitor centre but we immediately dropped down on our left to follow the brook up to Ewloe Castle.   If you do the walk this way you see a number of wooden and stone bridges and you also see the waterfall where the ghost of Nora the Nun is supposed to walk across.  Anyway we didn't see her, perhaps it was too hot and light for her yesterday!
After the waterfall the walk is on well maintained boardwalks and the path passes the red sanstone cliffs called Hollins Rock and it wasn't long before we came to a wooden bridge that was the start of a steep climb up to the ruins of Ewloe Castle.    After a good look around the ruins we stopped there to have some food and drink but after a while we moved on and retraced our steps over the bridge.
The steps across from the bridge were under repair so we found another way to get to the old golf course and headed downhill to the fishing lake.     The lake like most things in the park is well maintained and there were a number of Anglers around the edges of the lake.    You could see lots of fish feeding there and while we stood there talking to a fisherman one very large fish leapt out of the water and we think that it may have been a Carp.
We then made our way to the cafe, just taking a short detour to see the Pet Cemetery again and then we enjoyed large ice creams sitting in the hot sunshine.
It was a short but very enjoyable walk with lots to see and well worth a visit

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2261 on: September 08, 2021, 04:40:40 pm »
Wepre Park to Ewloe Castle

Offline Helig

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2262 on: September 09, 2021, 10:56:15 am »
Thank you for posting these photos Hugo. They bring back memories for me as I lived in what was known locally as "the back of Wepre" at one time. This was at the top of the hill there. Wepre Park ran along the road up to it. I had many a walk around there and used to enjoy them. The wildlife was fantastic as badgers and foxes used to come round for food when dusk fell. I have never seen such huge foxes in all my life.

I know that Wepre Park received a hue amount of Lottery money to restore it to how it was years ago. I haven't been back since then, do you think they have done a good job with all that money?

Another good walk in the north east Wales area is up Penycloddiau: https://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/projects/hillfort-penycloddiau/ There is a magnificent view from there as well as an Iron Age hill fort, plus Offa's Dyke runs through it too.

Helig


Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2263 on: September 09, 2021, 11:40:19 am »
Thanks very much Helyg and I hope that the walk brought back many happy memories for you.    I was born in Llandudno and my father used to drive through Connah's Quay ( prior to the A55 0 and my impression of Connah's Quay wasn't too good until my friend Tellytubby took me to Wepre Park for the first time a few years ago.     That impression changed as we drove through the large housing estate to reach Wepre Park.    What a beautiful place to live and as nice as anywhere else in Wales

There has been a lot of improvement in the 160 acres of Parkland and woodland since I went there last time and it's still ongoing.  We were unable to climb up the steep flight of steps on the hill opposite the castle as a lot of work was going on replacing those steps.   When we went there last time the Pet Cemetery was overgrown and also off limits but we did manage to find it but now the place has been cleared completely and is fenced off with some ornamental railings.    We chose the shorter walk because everything I wanted to see in the park was included in that walk.    The park is very well maintained by the authorities but some people have no respect for anything and there were a few instances of litter about but not as much as in some places I has been to

I've waled to most of the hill forts along the Clwydian Range and Penycloddiau is one of the best there.    In fact Tellytubby did a walk for charity from Moel Famau to Prestatyn so you will be able to appreciate how difficult that was for him.

You were lucky to be growing up in such a lovely area but I'm sure that the Scottish lowlands are nice too.      I've only been there once and it was only for a day when we were showing our Old English Sheepdog in a Championship show in Dumfries.  There and back in a day was quite a journey

Offline Helig

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Re: Walking
« Reply #2264 on: September 10, 2021, 10:37:36 am »
Thank you for this information, Hugo. My memory is that they obtained the Lottery funding in order to restore some of the park to the original lay out when Wepre Hall was in existence. The gardens were said to be wonderful then and they were going to redesign things to put them back to their glory days. It is a pity that Wepre Hall was demolished. This shows how it looked way back:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wepre+hall&rlz=1C1CHBD_en-GBGB734GB755&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=x-pCRKtwn1mwhM%252CWpGk76hdDkdZZM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQMaPejl6grNbivNJzlDu3cybsYhg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6mIjBjPTyAhVmQEEAHRmHBkoQ9QF6BAgSEAE#imgrc=x-pCRKtwn1mwhM

My gt gt gt grandfather was from Flint Mountain and he worked as a gardener in Connah's Quay. He died there is 1865. I wondered whether he would have worked at Wepre Hall at some point.

They have Iolo Williams involved in some of the wildlife projects in Wepre.

Helig