The next Ramble will be on Thursday 4th April to the Douglas Valley in Parbold area.This is an 8 mile ramble over varied terrain of fields, hills, canal and lanes. The walk will be muddy so appropriate footwear is required. Lunch in the pub at the end of the walk. Car share as usual.
Meet at the Car Park Maghull Baptist Church to leave at 9:45am.
Contact Peter Willox 07899 103122                                                                                      for more details if required.

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7 Ramblers completed a 9 mile trek yesterday on part of the Sandstone trail in Cheshire. Starting from the uniquely named Copper Mines Lane we spent 4 hours walking part of the linear route which is one of Julia Bradbury’s top 100 walks. Passing through the village of Burwardsley, we negotiated paths which were ankle deep in mud to ascend to the trig point at Rawhead, the highest point of the trail, at 746 feet above sea level.In spite of the recent rain, the day was sunny with bright skies, which meant we had amazing views across the Cheshire Plain into Wales from the tops of the hills and a great view of Beeston Castle from the valley floor..The varied route took us along country lanes, woodland paths  and several steep ascents, which made everyone  (except Alan) realise how unfit we all are after the winter period when walks have been more sedate. Returning to our start point we had a quick journey to the Bickerton Poacher, where a lovely late lunch and welcome drinks were thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to Alan for the recce and the great walk. Our next ramble is on Thursday 4th April, when we will be walking in the Douglas Valley.(This is an amendment of the advertised programme) Details will be posted in due course

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Margaret Schumacher led a lovely and varied 9 mile ramble around West Kirby, Thurstaston and Caldy today. The walkers stayed dry despite setting off by train from Maghull in pouring rain, which cleared by the start point of the walk. However the rain played havoc with some of the footpaths, and called for some tricky footwork. Our leader also displayed some excellent mountaineering skills! A good day was had by all. The next ramble is on Thursday 14th March, and will be part of the Cheshire Sandstone trail. Please note re-arranged date from that previously published.

The next ramble will be on Thursday 7th February. This will be to West Kirby. Travel on 9.43 train from Maghull North, 9:46 from Maghull. Transfer at Liverpool Central to West Kirby train. 9 mile ramble to Grange Hill Beacon, Caldy Hill and Royden Park, then onwards to Thurstaston Hill, Wirral Way and West Kirby Village. Please bring a packed lunch.

For more details contact Margaret Schumacher 07960 435235.

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The first ramble of 2019 took place yesterday ably led by Alan Carr. Setting off from the lovely village of Croston, the group trekked across open countryside through to the village of Eccleston, and then onward in a circular route to complete the 8 mile ramble. Although the day was cold, it was clear, but the recent rain made the going very heavy underfoot with lots of mud in places. An encounter with a group of horses, one being very bad tempered, gave a little more excitement than we had bargained for, but the least said about that here, the better! Thanks to Alan for organising the ramble and lunch.The next ramble is on Thursday 7th February, to West Kirby. Details to follow. 

Kick start 2019 with an 8 mile circular ramble starting in the lovely village of Croston. We will use flat rural footpaths and quiet country lanes. There are 3 stiles to be negotiated and some sections could prove muddy after the rain, so appropriate footwear is essential. There will be an opportunity to have a pub lunch after the walk. Meet at 9:30 at Maghull Baptist Church to organise car share. Further details of ramble can be obtained from leader, Alan Carr 07949 379266. No need to book ,just turn up!

Eighteen intrepid walkers braved the rain today and completed a 5.5 mile walk around Burscough, trekking across muddy fields and paths before adjourning to the Hopvine for a lovely Christmas lunch. Thanks to Sue for leading the walk. Can I take the opportunity to thank all those who have recced and led walks throughout the year? Without the support of these people the group would not be able to function, and your help is very much appreciated, not only by me, but by everyone who goes on the walks. As notified the walking group takes another turn next year, when we split into Ramblers and Easy Walkers. Both groups will go out on Thursday 3rd January. Full details will be published here in the New Year.

Following discussions with members of the group it has been decided that from January 2019 there will be two distinctive walking groups. The first group will be Ramblers, who travel further afield using car share for transport and the walks will be more challenging. The second group will be Easy Walkers. This group will use public transport and will undertake shorter walks, mostly on the flat. The changes reflect the differing needs of U3A members and should accommodate the abilities of all walkers. Both groups will still walk on the first Thursday of each month.. Details of both walks will be posted on the website and on the noticeboard at the coffee morning.

Details of 2019 program can be found below.  Continue reading →

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16 of us set off from Maghull today and made the very short journey to the outskirts of Leigh where we started  our walk around Pennington Flash Country Park. This 200 hectare country park is located between Leigh and Lowton in Greater Manchester, but we could have been miles away from the urban conurbations. The 70 hectare lake at the centre of the park was formed as a result of mining subsidence and flooding. This has now created a haven for wildlife and is known as one of the UK’s premier sites for bird watching, which might be of interest to the bird watching group. There are many bird hides located throughout the park, which apparently attract over 6000 birdwatchers annually. Continue reading →