Author Topic: Walking  (Read 820646 times)

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Offline Fester

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Re: Walking
« Reply #960 on: January 11, 2013, 09:30:24 pm »
Mmmm, I like picture 2 Hollins!

Moody, atmospheric and evocative.  $good$
Fester...
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Offline DaveR

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Re: Walking
« Reply #961 on: January 12, 2013, 09:19:20 am »
I take it you stayed at the Lodore Falls Hotel, H? How did you find it?


Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Walking
« Reply #962 on: January 12, 2013, 09:50:44 am »
Sat nav?  :laugh:
A pigeon is for life not just Christmas

Offline Ian

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Re: Walking
« Reply #963 on: January 12, 2013, 10:34:30 am »
Map?   ;D ;D ;D
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #964 on: January 12, 2013, 11:09:21 am »
Definitely no sat nav in this household. We prefer to use our own brains and a map!
Yes Dave we were staying at the Lodore Falls Hotel.
We weren't actually planning a trip but an offer from Travelzoo landed in my inbox and we decided to make the most of it.
The deal was two nights dinner, bed and breakfast with a few add on benefits such as winter Pimms and crumpets on arrival which was nice.
We didn't really have very high expectations but were pleased with the accommodation we chose and the food was very good indeed, both the breakfasts and the dinner.
There was plenty of choice for dinner and the menu changed almost completely each night. The breakfasts were cooked freshly to order.
The main criticism would be that the main building has been added on to and there are several flat roofed extensions. It is a bit of a mess at the back because of this and also various ducts and extractors.
The room we chose was at the side which was fine as were the ones at the front but the ones at the back mostly have a poor outlook.
The hotel is quite old fashioned in terms of the decor and many of the rooms have heavily patterned carpets. We chose this one which looked as if it had been more recently renovated.
All in all though an excellent break and we were very lucky to get the gorgeous weather on one of our two days at least.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Walking
« Reply #965 on: January 12, 2013, 11:42:22 am »
Thanks for the review, H. I've signed up for the Travelzoo newsletter as well.  :)

I always think its a real shame when you see a grand old hotel that has had these tacky modern extensions added. I actually like old fashioned hotels, they have a lot more character, I think.

Do you have any other Lake District hotel recommendations? I've been thinking about Storrs Hall, looks pretty nice:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186330-d269494-Reviews-Storrs_Hall-Windermere_Lake_District_Cumbria_England.html


Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #966 on: January 12, 2013, 11:56:24 am »
Can't help with Storrs Hall. I have had lunch at Holbeck Ghyll which is a lovely old house with original "arts and crafts" features. It has a good view of Lake Windermere from high up above the lake. From 18 January onwards they have a special offer rate. They were closed for 10 days when we were there, having some work done.

Offline mull

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Re: Walking
« Reply #967 on: January 16, 2013, 11:37:50 am »
For Lake District I recomend Bridge House Hotel, Grasmere.
Stayed for a week last year, top quality.

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #968 on: January 16, 2013, 09:48:02 pm »
Mr Hollins braved the cold today (rather him than me) and did a circular walk from the forestry car park at Aber.
He and his friend walked over the peaks of Llwytmor, Foel-fras, Garnedd Uchaf, Foel Grach and Bera Mawr. The third photo shows the refuge at Foel Grach which was found to be in good condition.
They had to hurry at the end but still found themselves coming down in the dark under head torches.
Apologies if there are mistakes in the name spellings.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #969 on: January 19, 2013, 11:11:01 am »
That's a fairly long walk Hollins, especially in this cold weather. Rather your hubby than me as it looks bleak up there. We cancelled our walk today because of yesterday's snow so we're going out for a nice coffee in town instead.   

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #970 on: February 02, 2013, 06:06:07 pm »
I've always liked the villages of Glanwydden and Bryn Pydew so today I took advantage of the weather and did Walk 8 in Christopher Draper's walking book. I started from the Old Windmill and walked down the street to the Queens Head, in this small street years ago were at least three public houses and a few shops too so there have been some considerable changes over the years.  Turning right up Waun Road and after passing the old Chapel I crossed over the Afon Wydden and made my way to the old Baptist Cemetery which is just in front of the Ffolt Cottages.   If as hoped some volunteers can clear this Cemetry sometime this year then I think chain saws will be needed in addition to loppers etc as it is a mess.   I left the Cemetery and continued uphill and passed the quarry that supplied the stone which was used to build the Grand Hotel in Llandudno and then passed Wiga Farm Cottage before crossing the Pydew Road and going on to Tan Y Bryn Caravan Park. At the top of the ridge at 400 foot there are good views all around and you could see the Afon Ganol in full flood.   Somehow I couldn't find the footpath described in the book and as all I could find was a dead sheep I decided to go the longer way along the main road to Llangystennin Church.  At least I had a bakewell tart in my ruck sack for some comfort eating but when I reached into the rucksack it was squashed  flat!   Instead I had to settle for a Kitkat.   It wasn't far to the Church so a very quick look at it and then a look at Llangystennin Hall and then a search for that elusive footpath.   The book said retrace your route through the woods but as I hadn't come through the woods that was going to be a problem.    There were no obvious paths or waymarkers so I just took the direct route straight up but wouldn't recommend it to anyone else and certainly not to the OAP's that I walk with once a month,   After reaching the top I crossed a couple of fields and got back on to the Pydew Road and made my way to the centre of the village.   Around this village green years ago was a shop,school, Chapel and pubs but now all converted into private houses.  I turned right down Goedlodd Lane and again you can see how the village has changed so much. There is a beautiful building on the left that was formerly Midacres Tea Gardens but I was about 60 years too late for a cuppa and across the road was the Bryn Awelon Bungalow Cafe so in years gone by this little village must have been a busy little community.  I took the footpath through the woods but had to be especially careful as it was very muddy and slippery but managed it ok without falling.  Passing through Cilmeityn Farm I continued on my way along the road until I came back to my car in Glanwydden.  I'll do the walk again sometime but will bypass Llangystennin next time.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #971 on: February 02, 2013, 06:11:01 pm »
Glanwydden and Bryn Pydew

Offline Cordyline

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Re: Walking
« Reply #972 on: February 03, 2013, 05:55:56 pm »
Lovely photos there Hugo; most inspiring

Especially  the 3 ducks

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #973 on: February 03, 2013, 10:45:00 pm »
Thanks Cordyline,  when I was coming back to Glanwydden there was a line of 5 similar Ducks heading to a very large pond on the land belonging to Cilmeityn Farm.   I could see that there were loads of other Ducks on the pond too which was nice.

Offline Jack

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Re: Walking
« Reply #974 on: February 16, 2013, 06:27:15 pm »
My mate has decided to visit every aircraft crash site in the Snowdonia National Park and informs me that there are around 100 or so! Yesterday he went up Llwytmor behind Aber Falls to find the remains of a German WW2 bomber and a British plane called a Blackburn Botha (Which I'd never heard of!).  As it was such a lovely day I tagged along especially as I had never taken the path to the left of Aber Falls but had always wanted to.  The weather was perfect at sea level but by about 1500 feet it was starting to get pretty cold and the cloud was closing in.  We saw a red kite over the falls itself and walked into the Carneddau following the stream.  After a mile or so he showed me an engine of the Blackburn Botha that crashed on 28th August 1943, it crashed much higher up the mountain but the engine ended up in the river at the bottom.  Four RAF crew were killed and the plane was from Hooton Park on the Wirral.
We then walked up the slope to the summit of Llwytmor, you could see no further than 20 or so metres in front of you and Foel Fras looked very foreboding with its dark pinnacles of rock in the gloom.  It was a map and compass job to navigate ourselves to the crash site of the German Heinkel bomber that crashed in April 1941.  The bomber had been tasked with bombing Barrow shipyard but was hit by anti aircraft fire damaging its navigational aids, lost it crashed into the mountain in low cloud.  Three airman survived and one was killed.  The survivors walked off the mountain and went to the first farmhouse to surrender.  All three ended up in a Prisoner of War Camp in Canada!  Great walk, even in tricky conditions, and on a better day would like to carry on up Foel Fras and around to Drum before dropping back into Aber, however yesterday we just retraced our route back to the Falls and the Aber valley.