Great Orme 1

On Tuesday, we set out to walk round the Great Orme. Marine Drive is a wonderful walk and you get some fantastic views. Below us, at the start of the walk, some very prestigious, million-pound + homes make you very jealous.

Further round, the cliffs sweep down to the grassy slopes below.

A pair of rather scarce Choughs flew past and Ravens called while displaying to each other.

The original idea was to complete the whole of Marine Drive, but the plan was changed when we got to the path up to the summit. So, up we went!

Close to the top, we passed the 12th century church of St. Tudno - Llandudno's original parish church.

Dotted around the area, the famous Kashmir Goats were keeping an eye on us. A gift to Queen Victoria from the Shah of Persia, the original pair of goats have multiplied and now number about 200 in all.

Finally, we reached the 679ft summit...

and some more fine views - this one, looking back down to the town.

Time to get back, this time, we took the direct route, following the Tram tracks back down to the town. Once again, we were being watched all the way. Sheep this time!

Just 7 miles this time - and a pretty steep climb. More about the Great Orme tomorrow.

Little Orme

Neither Malcolm nor myself had ever been round the Little Orme, at the other end of Llandudno bay from the Great Orme. So, we thought we'd put that right on Monday and ignoring the early dull weather and remnants of drizzle, we set out. It was quite a good walk even before we got there, but once away from the road and through the gate, we were soon climbing up through the scrub and catching glimpses of Llandudno through the trees.

There have been settlements on the Little Orme since Paleolithic times and traces of metalworking from the Iron age have been found too (though not by us). Much later, Catholics took to hiding themselves and their literature in the caves around here during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

These days it's all a bit quieter!

Soon, we were looking over the other side of the Little Orme, down towards Penrhyn Bay and the North Wales Coast stretching off into the distance - still looking a bit dull here.

Whichever way we looked, there were good views...

 A large Cormorant rookery occupied one of the cliffs.

And here and there, fragments of our recent past were visible. The area was occupied during the second world war, with gun emplacements used by the Royal Artillery gunnery school.

There are several coves around the Little Orme and Grey Seals can be seen either basking on the beach, or bobbing about in the sea. Malcolm managed to 'snap' me as I was looking for the elusive little blighters!

Enough of that, time to start heading back. Not a bad start to the holiday and a good eight mile walk to kick things off. More to come.

Back Again

Malcolm and I have been away for a few days in sunny Llandudno. As always, I've returned with lots of pictures which will need sorting out before I post them here, but for now, a couple taken with my phone on our first day.

Having arrived a little too early to check in to the hotel, we decided to stretch our legs along the coastal path towards Deganwy.

The Great Orme behind us, catching the sun.

Through the dunes, the views were quite lovely. So, more to come...

Over The Hill

This morning's walk took Malcolm and I over Shipley Hill and round the woodland and old Italianate gardens which once belonged to Shipley Hall. As always, the views from the hill were rather good as we looked south, towards the tall chimney of Ratcliffe -on-Soar power station.

Through the woodland, we came upon the remains of a folly. It is rumoured that this folly was constructed by the Miller-Mundy family of Shipley Hall, to give 'Bertie' the then Prince of Wales, somewhere to be 'intimate' with his various mistresses when he was staying. I couldn't possibly comment!

The formal, Italianate gardens of Shipley hall are, like the hall itself, long gone, but the grounds are still well cared-for and looking good, despite the recent drought.

Back through the trees again and time for another look at the view...

Then it was homeward once more for wonderful birthday lunch - not feeling over the hill at all!

Reservoir 2

This morning's walk took us through Shipley Park, over Shipley Hill and down to Osborne's Pond. We stopped first, to have a look at the swans on Shipley Lake. The planned development of land round the lake, has not yet begun, so for now, everything is quiet - and rather beautiful this morning.

Onward and upward, we crossed the top of the Hill and walked along the old Suffragette Wall of Shipley Hall.

Then it was down the hill once more and onward to Osborne's Pond. The 'pond' is actually an old supply reservoir providing water to the many small, disused canals around the park. It is also a haven for wildlife.

The view just calls for a more panoramic view.

We stayed for a short while under the old oak at one end of the pond and enjoyed the views from there too.

All too soon, it was time to head for home, but one more little delight awaited us as we crossed the parkland. A Common Blue Butterfly was being unusually photogenic. Normally, butterflies flit off as soon as you point a camera at them, but this one was happy to pose!

Round the Reservoir

A breezy day today, but still warm and rather humid as Malcolm and I set out for a walk through Shipley Park and around Mapperley reservoir.  The sound of young Great Crested Grebes demanding food from their parents echoed across the water as the wind rustled through the trees above.

At the far end of the reservoir, we stood to admire the hundreds of Yellow Water Lilies, flowering around the water's edge.

Further round, we stopped to check if the Mandarin ducks were still in residence (they were) and as we stood there, a movement caught my eye across the water. It turned out to be a gorgeous Fox, which had come to drink from the reservoir.

Soon he was off again, slinking into the trees and disappearing from view.
Last time we walked around the reservoir, I was delighted to find a new species for my 'life list'. Flitting through the hedge beside the water, this rather nondescript insect nevertheless caught my attention and after quite a bit of searching, I discovered that it was Britain's largest Caddis Fly (Phryganea grandis). Not as attractive as the fox, but still worth getting excited about!

Rain on the Way!

For weeks, we have been teased by mother nature and the weather forecasters alike. Many times over that period, we've been promised some rain and have watched as clouds formed, gathered and marched towards us. But for some unknown reason, time and again, those same clouds have separated, dispersed and missed us completely, passing to north and south of us. The upshot of this has been an ever-drying countryside as everything turns brown.

Even the lakes of Straw's Bridge are showing signs of drought as the levels drop.

The middle lake has, over recent months, been fed by a spring which has mysteriously appeared close to one end. This spring has turned the footpath into a soggy mess and where grasses once grew, Great Reedmace has taken over. But even here, the wet path has dried out once more.

This morning however, things looked a little bit different as we walked home. Clouds were gathering...

All getting very dramatic!

As I type this, we have at last had a good downpour - and a crack or two of thunder. Who would have thought we would be so excited by a shower of rain?

But we (and the garden) still need much more!