Hilbre Island from Grange Hill.
Looking towards the Dee Estuary from Grange Hill
Looking towards Leasowe Lighthouse from Grange Hill.
emerging from the middle path through the sand dunes South of Red Rocks.
Walk stats: Distance: 5.6 miles. Climb: 347'.
Time: 2 hours 47 minutes. On the moe walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.1 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, Phil, Celia, Sue and Dave P.
Despite the late start, I was up early so that I could cut the whole fruit cake into appropriate sized pieces. So few people were turned up for the walk that I still have enough pieces to bring on each walk for the rest of the month.
Arriving at the Marine Lake at West Kirby, it was obvious that we couldn't go around the lake at the start of the walk, so we decided to complete the walk by heading for Grange hill first, leaving the Marine Lake to last.
All dressed for Winter walking as we set off, soon thinking we had got the dress code wrong. Warm sunshine and no wind brought a few beads of sweat on at least one person's brow.
The views from Grange hill were superb, particularly towards the Dee Estuary and Mersey Estuary.
After descending Grange hill, Sue's injured heal was playing up, so three of the group had an early exit from the walk.
We changed the walk slightly by following the footpath alongside the public golf course all the way to Hoylake station, missing out the trek in front of the club house at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course.
We decided that Red Rocks would be a good place to stop for lunch, but were met by a cool breeze, forcing us to try to find a place with a little shelter. We found this along the middle path through the sand dunes, It was only the grassy slope of the dunes that we sat on, but at least the dunes shielded us from most of the wind and the Sun was still shining.
Just after lunch, clouds mustered and before long it was raining, not a lot, but enough to be a little annoying.
Thankfully as we went round the Marine Lake the wind and rain was more on our back/side and with only a few hundred yards left before arriving back at the cars, the rain stopped and the Sun was shining.
I don't think I have seen so many people on a walk as we saw today, and most of them had at last one dog!
Birds seen or heard today included: Great crested grebe, Dunlin, Turnstone, Common redshank, Eurasian curlew, Oystercatcher and Common blackbird.
Overall a very pleasant and enjoya ble walk, and we definitely had the best of the day weather-wise!
After walk drinks were enjoyed when we got home - on this occasion just a cup of tea!
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