New life for pilgrimage route

The Two Saints Way, a 'pilgrimage' footpath through Staffordshire and Cheshire, has a new website.
Created only a few years ago, the route links Lichfield Cathedral to Chester Cathedral - by way of the historic Primitive Methodist Chapel at Englesea Brook.

In the background, you can see some rape fields - their custard-yellow crop is especially bright and prominent throughout the county this year

Dilapidation proves order

As someone who walks a lot I often silently thank all those farmers and organisations who keep up the county's pathways - particularly in maintaining footbridges and stiles.
The county council's Environment Department is ultimately responsible for securing footpaths, but, under-resourced as they are, they now get official help from local Ramblers' groups.

Footpaths are pretty well looked after locally (in my humble opinion) - so I was quite surprised to see this dilapidated footbridge (over a ditch) near the River Anker.  Paradoxically, this exception to the rule is a reminder about how much in order most of the network of paths is.

Still, warm canal

These May days are great for walking - still and warm.

This is the canal that goes through Shelton.  At one time, the place would have been inside a hot, steamy fog, as, on these banks was once the Shelton Ironworks.  Now, it just seems abandoned.

Flood blocks path

The constant rain of the past few weeks has not caused the same level of problems in Staffordshire as it has in the south of the country - but this photo shows how water-logged the ground has become even here.

This is my usual path across the Doxey Marshes - but, as you can see, it's flooded.  It's a foot deep at the worst; I'd have needed wading boots to get along it and still have had dry feet...

Railway colours survive

On the South Staffordshire Railway Walk, a footpath that has taken over the trackbed of the old SSR, you will still see, on the bridges over roads, these 'colours' - a mud-brown shade, with borders of yellow.
I'm guessing that these are the colours of the SSR itself.  Certainly,  the brown tint was the official colouring given to the SSR. 
The SSR was taken over by the LNWR in 1923.

Curiously, on the other side of this fencing (ie the side you can see from the road below), the colours are lavender & white...

What does it all mean?

Spring heralds the walking life

For me, the Spring Equinox opens the 'long-walks' season.
Winter is okay for walks under six miles, but, in winter's cold weather and wind-chills, I find myself yearning for the pub at the end of the walk all rather too prematurely...

However, as it is the Spring Equinox on March 20 - and so starts the time when it's just a joy to be outdoors - I can start planning longer walks.

This post was featured on the City Daily Portal 'Spring Equinox' theme

Rambling footbridge

We've had hard, frosty weather for a week now - but accompanied by bright sunshine. The clear skies have contributed to both conditions obviously.

I've always admired the efforts of volunteers who work with The Ramblers organisation. I'd guess it was they who maintain this footbridge near Winkhill.

Peak District temptation

When the weather is as pleasant as it has been today, I can’t help thinking that I’m tempted to be up on the hills.

And, as Oscar Wilde said, the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. So I went up to the Peak District.

Alton tree-sign

You have to admire the Staffordshire County’s footpaths officers – they don’t put up unnecessary signposts…

This huge fallen tree had collapsed over the top of a footpath through Alton woods; and the officers (I should guess), realising that the tree was unlikely to be going anywhere, just stuck their footpath badge right on to it!
And that seems fine to me.

Saved from the bogs

Tracks can stay very boggy, even in the Spring, especially if they are near streams or in poorly-draining areas..

Country-walkers like myself would sink in these nasty bogs if it weren't for the Ramblers Association, which builds ramps like one on the Teddesley Park Estate, to ensure footpaths remain walkable.
Kudos to them!

Link: Ramblers Association

Snow sticking

The snow is sticking in certain sheltered places, such as this woodland edge near Okeover.

Once again, thank goodness for the Ramblers’ Association, the group that is nearly always the one that maintains platforms like this one. Walking across this piece of boggy ground would be a wet and cold experience at this time of year without it – no matter how brilliant your boots.

Ugly path

Now... this just infuriates me. The land-owner here (at Cotwalton, nr Stone) has constructed this ugly long enclosure, right across the middle of a number of fields (it goes on for half a mile), in order to herd not sheep... or cattle ... or dogs, but... walkers.

It forces walkers to go in single-file, and the barbed-wire extra is just plain nasty.

I've never seen this sort of thing before. Of course, I have seen fences that shepherd walkers together, but they usually allow two-abreast at least, and don't resort to barbed-wire!

Okay, some farmers don't like 'wandering' ramblers; that's fair enough. But farmers also need to remember that they require public support, so there has to be a compromise. 
 This ugliness and this mean-spirited attitude towards walkers - who love the countryside as much as land-owners - is not helpful.