Health Walk - Tuesday 17th April 2018

Photos by Sheila T & Michael S - Please click on photos to see a larger one

Today we had forty-seven walkers.

James led the main walk with Michael S back marking.  Suzi led the short option walk with Colin C back marking

Keith wrote on Facebook:

Another dreary morning in Cuerden Valley Park was illuminated today by the enthusiasm of an admirably large number of health walkers assembled in the visitor centre, who weren’t to know they were about to embark upon a route never experienced by the [larger] group before.

One member of the group was in particular sparkling form today, and that was our designated leader James who, along with his customary salutations, performed a word perfect rendition of William Wordsworth’s lyric poem “Daffodils”, the reason for which was soon to become apparent.  

With light rain in the air this morning, James conceived a route that would incorporate passages through as many woods that our time allowed, and so with that in mind we set off along the path that runs behind the back gardens to Cuerden Hall, which are looking very attractive at the moment and filled with colour.

The field to the right was occupied by a solitary pair of geese, a common theme on our walk this morning, with geese being the visibly dominant species of birds and invariably seen in pairs as they seek a little privacy to do what geese do at this time of the year.

We then found ourselves on the car park to Sue Ryder (Cuerden Hall) whereupon, in my personal experience, we entered Wibraham’s Wood for the first time

Photo 1 - Sheila       Photo 2 - Sheila                  Photo 3 - Sheila
to tip-toe through the aforementioned daffodils

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and soon to be spectacular drifts of bluebells. It’s no surprise that this beautiful little area should be adopted as a memorial site for past residents of Sue Ryder.  Having emerged onto the Sue Ryder Drive,

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we then briefly merged with the other walkers to form a super group, until they kindly allowed us to leapfrog them for our transition along the Cinder Path

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and into Cock Cabin Wood. This is always a wonderfully atmospheric wood, where the established path literally weaves in and out of the trees, providing a cool dappled shade on a sunny day, and protection from any wind or rain on a day like today. It also contains one of the more

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fascinating ponds on the park, due to the variety of wildlife attracted to it, however, in keeping with today’s theme it was occupied by (you guessed it)

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a solitary pair of geese. Having emerged from Cock Cabin Wood onto Bikers Hill, we turned left for brief walk before turning left again into wood number two – Walkers Wood. This led us down into

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the bowl of the park, but after crossing the stone bridge James introduced another imaginative twist in the route today by continuing to follow the path running alongside the river,

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an endless source of interest, passed the view up to

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the visitor centre that just requires some cladding to the fascia beneath the café balcony (thanks Sheila) before it’s completely finished, and all the way up to the turn off to the left for the climb

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into wood number three – Gravel Hole Wood. It was whilst passing through this wood that I saw the first individual bluebells in flower this year, very small and sporadic, but such an exciting glimpse of the glorious spectacle to come. In fact the floors in all the woods are now beginning to fill with all kinds of delightful little flowers, the names of which I’d love to know, but along with emerging blossom on the trees nature is well underway with it’s painting-by-numbers of the park’s landscape. We bobbed and weaved our way through Gravel Hole to seamlessly enter wood number four this morning – Dog Kennel Wood, that eventually drops down to the southern edge to the lake. This little corner of the lake was the preserve of the ducks today, but as we completed our clockwise circuit it would’ve been a shock to see anything other than pairs of geese occupying most of the surface, albeit very quietly with just one discernible honk coming from a group of promenaders who we disturbed along our way. Having circled the lake as far as one can go, we took the steps down into the picnic area where Brian pointed out a very unusual phenomenon to me that I was completely unaware of.

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Apparently, there’s a current craze being followed by children that involves the discreet humorous painting of small pebbles, which are then secreted in various parts of parkland – pathways, trees, hedges, walls etc. The idea is for other children to find them and then to place them elsewhere for others to re-find. It’s like a modern version of ‘paper chase’ or a low-tech version of the recent ‘Pokemon Go’ phenomenon. This one was spotted by Brian lying in an indentation by the side of the path in the picnic area, which for all the world looked like a psychedelic frog and has now given me something else to look out for on the walks!  (Margaret & Sheila picked it up to place it in another place, which is the custom - Michael)

From there we re-crossed the stone bridge for a steady

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climb up Snake Hill, to make our way back to the visitor centre and enjoy some

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welcome refreshments.

We had exclusive use of the classroom today, so everyone was kept together to natter, sip and chomp away to our hearts’ content. And what a lot we had to reflect upon – our first meander through Wilbraham’s Wood, a passage through Gravel Hole and Dog Kennel Woods during the second half of a walk, as well as all the other sensory pleasures & delights which are guaranteed on any walk in this beautiful park. Very many thanks to James for his leadership, thoughtfully planned route and entertainment, to Michael for watching our backs, and to everyone else for their precious company today. The next auditions for the X Factor will be taking place this coming Thursday! 

Back to Michael

The elite walkers set off through the Car Park, round the back of the Barn to join us

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on Sue Ryder's Drive and then followed us all the way to the turning for the Wooden Bridge where they turned over the Wooden Bridge, walked up Cardiac Hill past alongside the Walled Orchard and back to the Visitors Centre through the Car Park.

Today's walks

Today's walkers

Main Walk - Ann F, Barbara G, Barry, Bernadette, Brian C, Carmel, Christine S, Colin D, Frankie, Graham, Irene S, James, Jim, Joan, John M, John W, Judy, Kath H, Keith, Maggie, Malcolm, Margaret W, Marilyn, Michael G, Michael S, Rosemary, Sheila T, Vic, Victoria & Yvonne C

Elite group - Beth, Carol W, Carole, Colin C, Dee, Elizabeth M, Irene T, John B, Julie, Linda E, Marie, Muriel, Roseanne, Suzi, Sylvia, Yvonne M & Zandra

It was Jim, Joan, Julie, Kath & Yvonne M's first walk with us

Compiled by Michael Swarbrick

Cinder Path                Cuerden Hall          Hawksclough Farmhouse                         Cam Lane             Lower Kem Mill

Cuerden Valley's Health Walk    Cock Cabin Wood   Cam Lane Cottage

The Chorley Walks.