Fly agaric – geoffspages.blog

Wednesday: We’re walking the track of the Tackeroo today. The reason for the name is lost in obscurity; the track is that of the WW1 military railway built to serve camps on Cannock Chase – lifted soon after the war ended. Substantial parts of the network of lines remain as very pleasant footpaths across the moorland – along one stretch, there seem to be regular indents at right angles to the path, about as far apart as the line’s sleepers would have been. Surely not, after nearly 100 years?

Today’s weather is dull – grey and hazy – and the colours in the leaves have yet to develop. The Tackeroo toadstools are doing really well though, especially the fly agaric (“Flying Eric”, as my nephew once misheard). Sadly, many beside the path have been kicked and broken – whoever would want to do that?

Can you see the little door in the stem?

Glacial Boulder - and water tank foundations

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=398595&Y=318041&A=Y&Z=120

It didn’t feel too autumnal – warm sunshine from a mostly-clear blue sky. The air was fairly cool, but with little wind, it was a great afternoon for these hills. I would say “lonely hills”, but they weren’t lonely today. There were two coaches in the Bog car park. There were quite a few people about on the main Stiperstones ridge, past the Devil’s Chair, but far fewer on the lower lane, and the southern ridge by Nipstone and The Rock. In the woods there are toadstools galore! – including a huge colony (at least 50 specimens) of “Flying Eric” (the psychoactive mushroom more commonly, but perhaps not more appropriately, known as fly agaric – which they were until my then-young nephew misheard or misremembered…).

Sadly, the Bog Centre was packed – the coaches were still there – no tea and cake after this walk.