Week 48 10/12/2014 - Weather and Stags

Photo Blog Week 48 - Wed 10 December 2014

A cold damp day threatened to be awful according to radio, TV and Internet, especially after 1PM. I did get all my waterproofs on early in the day when rain came in but I had barely finished when it stopped and it only drizzled a couple of times after that. Still, waterproofs are warm so I kept them on.
The rain coming and going meant confusion with cameras, my larger one staying in my pack some of the time and an old pocket camera with a fogged lens fitting in between. Late afternoon was beautiful with a low bright sun though the wind certainly had an edge to it. Winter is here!

route: North Face of House; Green Drive; drop down to Elmerhurst Wood; across grassland to North ladder entrance; Admissions Hut

Courtyard Christmas tree sourced from the estate

Tasteful garlands decorate the pillars in the courtyard of the house

Manchester in the sun

Mandatory shot of The Cage

Cyprus Pines are favoured in landscaped parkland over Scot's Pine due to the branches and foliage distributing along the trunk rather than just being at the top.

Nature's Artwork

Oaks in Elmerhurst Wood reaching for the skies

Remains of Rosebay Willowherb amongst the brambles.

Are they seed heads or has Santa Claus been along hear and caught his beard?

Poynton Brook meandering through grassland by Elmerhurst

Water plants abound in one tributary.

route: Admissions Hut; Reservoir Dam corner; follow Boundary Wall across back Coalpit Wood and Red Deer Sanctuary; East Lodge

Coalpit Wood and the Red Deer Sanctuary

There is no public access to these areas but a boundary check is regularly needed.

The route behind Coalpit Wood is very boggy, full of low branches and invested with flies. In summer it is a most unpleasant place but in winter at least there a few insects and less foliage to push through. The ground however is soaking and I was constantly sinking ankle deep.

A 'good' bit

A rare view of Lyme Park from back of Red Deer Sanctuary.

The Cage can be seen as a block right of centre

Dark clouds with blue background

Castellated reservoir boundary wall at back of Red Deer Sanctuary

Lantern Hill to East from East Lodge drive

route: East Lodge; drive; house; Car Park; Timberyard Cafe (lunch stop)

A quiet bright picnic area

Stag party picnic

route: Car Park; The Knott; Haze Bank; Deer Clough higher path; Paddock Cottage

View across Drinkwater Meadow from near Drive out to The Knott

Rock outcrop above Cluse Hey at far end of ridge from Paddock Cottage

120 deg panorama - Left: Deer Clough | Right: Paddock ridge.

Looking over Haze Bank to Alderley Edge in the mist

North Cheshire and Greater Manchester suburbs

Paddock Cottage across the meadow

Meadow Green contrast with Brown Bracken slopes by Paddock Cottage

A cold afternoon on the ridge by Paddock Cottage

route: Cluse Hey top wall path; Knightslow Wood (Drinwater Meadow wall edge); Drinkwater Meadow; Car Park

Gorse coming into flower

Deep Cluse Hey approaching Knightslow Wood

The 'Impossible Oak' hanging on in there on the slopes above Cluse Hey

Sun rays shining from behind grey cloud to West

Fallow Deer

Red Deer Stags in Picnic Area

Sun setting behind the house at the end of my day

Today's track and profile

7.8 miles  5 hours 

This Time Last Year

Have a look at This Time Last Year  11 Dec 2013

Week 47 03/12/2014 - First Frost

Photo Blog Week 47 - Wed 03 December 2014

First frost of the year with a bright sun greeted me this week, Beautiful haw frost on the leaves and grass and shaded ground white almost as if dusted with snow but just frosting. For walking around, the sun meant that it wasn't too cold though finger tips began to suffer late afternoon. The walling team down at Four Winds had to contend with stone that was frozen together.
On the plus side, as the ground was frozen they weren't ankle deep in mud this week.

Arrived promptly as showing a new volunteer the ropes. Result of prompt start and clear sky delaying darkness is that I was back up to a longer distance this week. A shorter walk in the morning was followed by a pass across the back of Park Moor in the afternoon. I encountered Red Stags from both the Park and Moor herds today.

Low sun greeting me by Admissions

Spiky haw frost on horse chestnut leaves

route: The House; Four Winds; The Knott; Pursefield Wood; Paddock Cottage; Drinkwater Meadow; Knightslow Wood, Drinkwater Meadow; Main Car Park; Timberyard

 

South face of Lyme Hall above a cold car park

Stags on The Knott

Darcy's Pool on Drinkwater Meadow 

(film location from BBC Pride & Prejudice production)

Route: Drinkwater Meadow; Paddock Cottage; Deer Clough; Cluse Hey; Park Moor; Bowstonegate Farm entrance

Alderley Edge escarpment outlined against the mist on the Cheshire Plain

Across the Moor from above Cluse Hey to Bowstonegate Farm on horizon

Looking down into a still frozen Cluse Hey

Blue sky over the ridge from rock outcrop

Rock outcrop from below in Cluse Hey

Cluse Hey bottom covered in frost

View back after climb out of Cluse Hey bottom

Looking back after climb to first summit on Southern boundary

Bowstonegate Farm can often be seen from Southern Greater Manchester area when the sun lights it up from the West

The spectacular ??? Stag House

Often searched for by people expecting a building due to it's indication on OS maps.

Looking down the Moor across Knightslow and Hampers Woods to the Cage

Sheep grazing in farmland adjacent to the Park over the boundary wall

route: Bowstonegate Farm entrance; Knightslow Wood; Drinkwater Meadow; Main Car Park; The Stables; Lyme Hall; Main Car Park

Pollution haze clearly visible as the afternoon temperature drops over Manchester and Cheshire

Red Deer Moor Herd

The deer thought the tractor was coming to the Winter Feed station and gathered from across the moor.  Unfortunately for them, the tractor was actually delivering fence sections to secure a boundary wall collapse and went right past.

View down Lime Avenue to the house in the late afternoon light from Knightslow Wood

Approaching edge of wood the trees at the edge of Drinkwater Meadow side lit by the low sun

Sun setting from inside Knightslow Wood

Drinkwater Meadow

Fallow Deer with their feed

Park Moor glowing with a reddish hue as the sun sets

Feeder stream and Mill Pond

Nature's Artwork: Frozen grass curls

Nature's Artwork: Frozen leaves

The last of the sun dips over Pursefield Wood in the distance

Lights in the windows of the House

Moon over the Orangary

Moon over Cage Hill as I drive out of the Park

Today's track and profile

8.9 miles  5 hr 45 mn

This Time Last Year

Have a look at This Time Last Year 4 Dec 2013  (* link fixed 08/12/2014)