One of those days that demand a walk – clear blue sky, mild, autumn leaves… Perhaps there would be some deer?

The relatively level ground of this part of the Chase was home to a number of military camps in the first world war. These were linked by a railway, along which ran the “Tackeroo Express”… I realised that part of our walk – the north-western corner – was following what appeared to be a former railway track – I assumed it had been to connect to a mine or similar, and only realised its true origins when we had been home again for a little while.

And the deer? I guessed, wrongly, that we might glimpse one or two on the quieter stretches of the walk. We did see a couple though – just a few feet away from the road as we drove away across the Chase. No photos…

See http://www.staffspasttrack.org.uk/exhibit/chasecamps/default.htm for more on the military camps and the Tackeroo railway.

A circular exploration of wild country at the southern end of the Stiperstones.

I ought to be able to say “quiet” country. But it’s not. An appalling cacophony of yapping, barking and howling carries across this open landscape, detracting somewhat from the tranquillity that the boarding kennels actually use as a selling point. Add to that a background of small arms fire, sufficient to make the uninformed fear that war has broken out…

…Nevertheless, this was an excellent walk. The southern end of the Stiperstones ridge sees far fewer walkers than the better-known northern tors. On this half-term Friday, I only met two other small groups of walkers – and a red kite, wheeling high above the rocks (until an RAF jet hurtled past). After I’d descended from the last rocks, and wandered to the summit of Black Rhadley (a great spot for lunch!), I never met another walker – just one car and a cyclist on the quiet road beside the West Onny. And that satanic-looking army of black sheep who inhabit these parts…

A curious fact regarding Mucklewick Hill is that its summit is lower (by perhaps 30 feet) than the car park at The Bog; we won’t hold that against it, it’s a very pleasant spot to take in the extensive view, especially to Wales and nearby Corndon Hill.  A gentle descent to Shelve Pool follows, then the very gradual climb back to the barking and The Bog.

That’s a relief! It seems that “snap to roads” had become stuck “on” – the result being that the walk maps were being reinterpreted in an attempt to do the walks by road…

They seem to be. Route lines disappear – then reappear (sometimes), somewhat scrambled… I’ve just checked on three different PCs – Win 7, XP and Ubuntu – no joy. Seems to be unable to cope with routes that lie off the roads and tracks known to, and marked on Gmaps. Oh dear. So to anyone trying to view my walk maps – sorry! Not my fault, nothing I can do about it except wait with fingers crossed.

A short walk on a bright and breezy afternoon. Perhaps ten or a dozen deer trotted through the woods as I headed away from Wyke – impossible to photograph, just glimpes among the trees

The last few days have been cold, with a biting wind. It didn’t seem much warmer today – but the wind had dropped, making for very pleasant walking conditions. This was just a short “breath of fresh air” walk, but none the worse for it.

I’d intended the walk to be circular – up Ashes Hollow to Pole Bank, returning by Callow Hollow, or possibly the ridge just to the south. But reality wasn’t as good as the forecast – the rain started half-way through lunch, and the clouds looked heavy and threatening. So I set off back down Ashes Hollow (at first down the shorter tributary that starts near Pole Cottage). Halfway down the hollow, the sky cleared and the sun came out again…

I’d seen the ledge path, above the stream on its south side, on the map. Perhaps it would provide a slightly different return route?
– it did. Clearly a made path, but used primarily by four-legged, woolly walkers. Not for the faint-hearted, but an interesting alternative with great views down into the Ashes Hollow.

One of those days when the sky seems bigger than usual – must be the height of those huge shower clouds that were drifting about, looking ominous. We managed to miss them all – just a few spots in the wind…