Just published to Geoff’s Rail Diaries, an account – and lots of pictures – of Sunday’s visit to Newcastle-under-Lyme, to the Apedale “Swords into Ploughshares” event. Visit “Apedale 1919” – in 2019…
Northern Rail to North Lancashire
Once again, we’re travelling on a Northern Rail £10 day ranger ticket, which covers the whole Northern Rail network. On this occasion, we’re heading for the north Lancashire coast – visiting Arnside, Morecambe and Heysham. At Arnside, once we’ve dodged the rain, there are views to Grange-over-Sands and the Kent viaduct. At Morecambe, there’s the former railway station to visit. Travellers coming to this terminus, in days gone by, might have felt they’d arrived somewhere – especially when, opposite the entrance they would see the magnificent “art deco” Midland Hotel (we’ll call in later for coffee and cake). There’s little sense of arrival at today’s station. Heysham? We’ll be there for three or four minutes only, on the daily train from Lancaster and Morecambe – yes, just the one, to connect with the ferry.
For more on the rail journey – and many more photos – visit “Roaming Northern Rail” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries.
Apedale
An enjoyable day at Apedale’s “Swords to Ploughshares” event. More photos will follow on “Geoff’s Rail Diaries“, perhaps later in the week – meanwhile, here’s a taster.
Walking from Bedlam
It’s a handy place to leave the car! Too warm for energetic walks up hills – best to stay under the trees where possible, even if there aren’t many photo opportunities. If we walk downstream on the north bank, we can return to Ironbridge on the south bank, along the old railway track – and we’ll have earned an ice cream by the time we’re there. Refreshments disposed of, it’s a short walk back to Bedlam, and we can do most of it away from the road.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=368940&Y=302726&A=Y&Z=120
Erddig outdoors
The gardens and the wider estate… Ice creams needed afterwards – it’s a warm afternoon.
Erddig indoors
Thursday 27 June: Erddig Hall, near Wrexham – a very popular spot on this warm and sunny afternoon. I think we found our way into the house at the same time as a coach party – it wasn’t always easy to get around and take in everything of interest. We’ll have to go there again on a quieter day, and fill in the gaps…
Iron
The Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron is in the right place, given the dale’s place in history. The remains of Abraham Darby’s furnace are still there too – was this truly the hub of the industrial revolution?
![Success to the Brave Coal Miner's [sic]](https://i0.wp.com/geoffspages.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/11-6.jpg?w=257&h=243&ssl=1 "Success to the Brave Coal Miner's [sic]")
Wittick…
It’s spelt “Wightwick”… We’re visiting this National Trust property on the edge of Wolverhampton, home of the Mander family, with “Arts and Crafts” interiors. Quite a place!
Not so commonly spotted
There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of common spotted orchids in the scrubby woodland near Benthall Hall last year – and the year before. Perhaps they’ve been and gone again. There were lots this evening – possibly more widely scattered, but none of those big clumps of fine healthy specimens.
See Orchids Galore and Common Spotted for previous years…
Finding the Pyramids
A fine June afternoon – bright sunshine, white puffy clouds (and the chance of a shower? No, surely not?). It’s a sausage-shaped walk, where our outward route, below the crest of the Wenlock Edge, is only 100 yards or so from our return – but also lower by a similar extent. The path through the trees is very pleasant, with the sun at our backs, but the return along the ridge is more open – and here are the pyramids! They’re orchids, dozens of them, scattered here and there in the dry grass beside the path. With plentiful pink and white wild rose, honeysuckle and (as we used to call them) “dog daisies”, it’s a colourful part of the world.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359215&Y=298296&A=Y&Z=120
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