Burton-le-Coggles, South Kesteven, 29th September 2019

Richard led ten Ramblers on this 9½ mile walk from the village of Burton le Coggles to Lower Bitchfield and Inglesby and back to the start. The village was mentioned in the Doomsday Book and named for the path of cobbles (or coggles) which ran through the area. Richard had amended his walk following the previous week's heavy rain to provide a drier walk.
The rain held off for most of the walk but came on for the last mile.

Richard’s briefing outside St Thomas’s Church in Burton le Coggles

Leading the way

St Magdalene’s Church in Lower Bitchfield

River Glen running high as were many local streams

Coffee stop

Lunch stop in the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s Church, Inglesby

A lepidoptra’s delight!

Many of the group enjoyed a drink at the Cholmeley Arms at the finish

Dolgellau Weekend Away, 20th to 23rd September 2019

This year's VBR Weekend Away, organised by Elaine and Sue, was based at HF's Dolserau Hall near Dolgellau, with all the offered five walks arranged, recced and led by Maggie and Glen.

Dolserau Hall

Saturday's long walk of 12½ miles started at the Hall before climbing up to the hillside village of Llanfachreth.  A traverse along the Precipice Walk, with its magnificent views of the Mawddach Estuary and Cadair Idris, took us round to Lyn Cynwch before we headed back down to Dolserau Hall.  The short walk of 8 miles took in the Precipice Walk and Lyn Cynwch.

Coffee stop on the way up to Llanfachreth

Llanfachreth Church dedicated to the Celtic Saint Machreth 

The short walkers meet the long walkers near Lyn Cynwch

Precipice Walk with views down to Afon Mawddach

Lyn Cynwch

On Sunday, the longer 10-mile walk started at Cregennan Lakes and crossed over rough tracks to Llyn Gwernan before turning back along an ancient drove route with a number of burial cairns as well as two Iron Age hill forts. It then turned up the riverside path along the wooded River Gwynant Valley before heading back to the start.

The long walkers at the start in Cregennan Lakes car park

And the short walkers

Mawddach Estuary ...

 ... and the Barmouth Viaduct

Not wet all day

Llyn  Gwernan

Old drovers track

On Monday morning, our 6-mile walk started near Llaneltyd and climbed steeply up to the New Precipice Walk giving extensive views down the Mawddach Estuary to Barmouth. The descent to the Penmaenpool Toll Bridge across the river took us to the return path along the Mawddach Trail where we met up with some of the rest of the group who had walked along the trail.

The Remainers on Monday morning

Glen did say it was a steep climb (several times)

The New Precipice Walk ...

... is a flat track cut into the valley side on the slopes of Foel Ispri and makes use of an old tramway built to serve the long abandoned workings of the Voel Goldmine

This nearby water wheel may have been used power the tramway

Penmaenpool Toll Bridge (1879)

Penmaenpool Toll Bridge

Memorial to those lost in the 1966 ferry boat accident ...

...  near the George III Hotel.  The then hotel proprietor with his chef and barman saved many lives on the day of the disaster

Thanks to everyone for a very enjoyable weekend, including the quizmasters John and Dave, but especially to Maggie and Glen who put an enormous amount of effort into mapping out the walks.  We look forward to next year's Weekend Away in Selworthy near Exmoor.

Bardon Hill from Mount St Bernard's Abbey, 15th September 2019

Dave's 9½ mile walk took us from the Mount St Bernard's Abby to Blackbrook Reservoir and through Charley and Bardon Civil Parishes to Bardon Hill, the highest point in Leicestershire at 278m.

Mount St Bernard's Abbey, a Cistercian monastery established in 1835

Appoaching Blackbrook Reservoir

Coffee stop at St James the Greater, Oaks in Charnwood

"The view extends to over 5,000 square miles or one twelfth of England and Wales" - allegedly

Bardon Hill Quarry has been operated for over 400 years and produces three million tonnes of rock a year, 15% of UK output. It exposes rocks from a Precambrian volcano ...

... as explained here

Lunch near the trig point

Whitwick Quarry, just visible on the last leg of the walk

Walton on the Wolds, 8th September 2019

Roger's 9-mile walk started in Walton on the Wolds and took us along tracks and across fields to Burton and then through Prestwold Park to St James's Church for coffee.  Then it was across the A60 at Hoton and down to King's Brook before lunch overlooking the new Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Centre.

Incidentally, the village sign features a sheep, for the traditional local agriculture, the timber framed house known as Kings Cote and a winged man. The latter is the Rev. Bertie Bird, incumbent of the parish between 1894 and 1942, who was an amateur photographer, and created trick pictures of himself flying.

Start, outside The Anchor Inn, Walton

Prestwold Hall, for many years the seat of the Packe family and now a wedding venue

 Coffee stop at St Andrew's, a Grade II medieval parish church near Prestwold Hall

Interesting Sunday School in Hoton, probably associated with the nearby Church of St Leonard which was built in 1834 by the Packe family of Prestwold

Distant view of the recently opened Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall

Last leg(s).  It wasn't like this two weeks ago!

A diversion through the grounds of St Mary's Church, Walton