alfie's snow walk

Come on dad i said move them old bones, and get that toy thingy that ya carry everytime we go on a walk

So pulling on my walking boots, and dressing like a eskimo i picked up my camera and took the little sod for a walk, well with a little luck i may loose him in all this white stuff... some chance.

So jumping into our car with Harvey our older lab, we set off for our local wood for a nice 1-2 mile walk in the nice winter wonderland... well on the main roads the car was ok and driveable but getting up the country lane was a differance thing together.

At last we got there and pulled up in the layby near the Hall, i got outta the car and let the dogs out to much barking from the little devil, he does love his walks...

We started our walk by walking up the lane to our left passing the old graveyard towards Benthall Edge Farm, this farm was in fact out nearist neighbour when we lived around the corner in spout lane during the 60's - early 70's and indeed the farm became our play ground during them long hot summers we used to have at the time, summers only a person of a certain age would remember.

Passing the farm we containue to walk on up the lane and we get our first view across the fields toward the Shropshire Hills in the distance 30 miles away. This is a view i did see very morning when i woke up and draw the certains from my bedroom window when i was a young kid growing up in Broseley wood, but enought of that now.....

Moving on we follow the lane as its sweeps down toward Benthall edge wood themself, theses woods are as old as the nearby Ironbridge if not older and is home to a wide range of wildlife from the large Roe Deer to the tiny Dormouse, if ya happen to know when and where to look you will find it...

Moving through the gate we continue along the path passing the white Game keepers Cottage, what a place to live this cottage is, 3/4 mile away from anyone right on the edge of the woods with only the wildlife as ya neighbour boy would i love it

Turning left we walk along old country pathways that are as old as the woods themself, the very same paths used 100's of years ago by the limeklin men and boys who would work the nearby workings and transport the limestone alond theses pathways down to the nearby River Steven from where it would be shipped down River to the bigger citys.

The woods are mostly made up of Oak, Ash, and beech trees, but other trees can be found mainly Hawthorn,Hazelnut, and birch and is managed by the (shropshire wildlife trust) who carries out a planned cropping of theses trees in the wood to allow wildflowers to grow like the bluebells , and wood animone in the spring and a vest collection of summer flowers such as orchids and ferns. Stepping over the gate hung across the path we carry on along the path between rolling fields where during summer kestrals, Swallows and skylark fly over wildflowers meadows grazed by horses and sheep and where the lone Barn owl hunts on warm balmy evenings towards the kissing gate where we turn right to cross fields sown of wheat under the ever watchful eyes of the buzzard looking down on us from atop the old elm tree.
walking on we pass in front of the beauiful Benthall Hall and the church of St Barlowmews the Hall stands over looking the Ironbridge Gorge and is home to Edward and Sally Benthall as we return

( This is an earlier picture)

through the gateway to the lane and our car.

ho by the way anyone seen a white Highland Terrier Dog answers to name Alfie last seen playing in the snow in Shropshire

i hope that you have enjoyed my walk and that you will return to read of my others walks in the country of shropshire... Please feel free to leave comments on any of my walks and ask for more information and advice if needed be..

walk

Dawn Chorus in Benthall Woods Shropshire
Here we are up bright and early to enjoy a dawn walk through the woodland surrounding Benthall and Ironbridge in Shropshire, the walk will cover about one and a half to two miles and last roughly about two hours, walking over bridleways and woodlands paths. Most of the walk will be over old ground which we have cover before as we listen to the sounds of the Dawn Chorus as this old woodland comes alive to the sounds of the local Birds that inhabit theses woods at this time of the year. This walk will start on the Broseley side of the River Steven at Ironbridge in the Station Hotel Car park( this is a pay and display car park so please remember to buy your ticket from the machine nearby) taking in some of the views from this beautiful area Shaped by the Industrial Revolution many years ago.Starting out by following the track on our left from the car park we start walking along and old railway line, this line used to run from Bridgenorth in the south alongside the river towards Shrewsbury carrying all the coal, limestone and other goods to the bigger city's, passing under the old brick bridge and the Steven picnic area on the right hand side. The side of the track here is home for numerous ferns and wildflowers ranging from the delightful Wood Anemone and Traveller's Joy to the more common Garlic Mustard, Violet, and Red and White Campion's, while you'll also find Early purple Orchids and Yellow Pimpernel hiding amongst the Ferns growing on the left hand bank one of which is the Hart's-Tongue and the Maidenhair spleenwort both beautiful ferns will worth discovering.

But its not only the flowers and the views that's makes this area what it is, its also the wildlife, the old wild fox and Badgers and the Roe Deer that roam this Ancient woodland that's makes it so magical today, not forgetting the birds from the common Wood pigeons, Rooks, Crows to the Robins, Wrens and Blackbirds that live in theses woods all year round, along with the summer visiting birds like Wood Warbler's, Chiffchaff's, Blackcap's and even the Cuckoo indeed this morning we should hear all of theses and more. As we carry on along the rail track we will pass on our left the old ruins of limekiln workings, one of the many that dotted this area years ago at the height of the industrial age was in full swing, here we can hear wood warbler's and chiffchaff's along with another summer visitor that being the WhiteThroat which nest in the Bracken and other vegetation that grow around theses Kilns Ruins, while in the dark corners and the cracks and holes in the brickwork of the kilns are Bats awaiting the downing of the sun so the once again they can leave their home and go out hunting the fly and moths along the nearby river banks.

At the end of the rail track we come to a small path on our left with a little incline, with the cooling towers of the Buildwas Power station in front of use we turn left onto this woodland track and climb up this incline about 30 feet before coming to a small clearing with a gate in front of us. Here there is a bench where we will rest up as we listen to the magical sounds from the woodland Orchestra which is is fine tune before once again setting off on our walk. In front of us here there is a sign post/ way marker pointing the way upwards to patten's Rock, this is the way we are going to take this morning, so passing though the Sile at the side of the gate we now start to climb the many steps towards Patten's Rock.

While climbing theses step's we will often stop to rest and will have a chance to look over our shoulder to enjoy the views of the river up stream from Buildwas and the Steven flood plains, while under foot we can see many difference woodland plants and fungi growing among the dead and rotting wood, home to numerous tiny bugs in all shapes and sizes which in turn become food for the many baby birds that depend on then in this busy time of the year. The climb is hard and i would take a few rests before we top out where we can look over the old limestone quarry that is Patten's Rock on the edge of the gorge with beautiful views overlooking Ironbridge and the Steven Gorge all the way as far as Coalport in the distance, while the rocks themselves are home to Rooks, Crows, Jackdaws and the odd family of Peregrine Falcon's while high above can always be seen and heard the cry of the old Buzzard who live nearby. In the bottom of the quarry we can find marsh Orchids and sometimes Bee Orchids where Roe Deer and the young Rabbits hop.

Here at the top overlooking the quarry there is a bench where one can sit and enjoy a well earned rest while taking in the beauty of the surroundings.. This bench was put there in memory of a childhood friend of mine a MR JOHN JONE'S who was also a well known Rose grower in his day, John Sadly died while enjoying life and was only in his 40s when he passed away and on this bench you'll be able to read theses words...

'In memory of John Jone's He Loved This Place'

Moving on we how follow a woodland path away from the quarry, with limestone workings on our left hand side passing under old beech trees that are 100s of years old until we meet up with another path from left to right, this is the Shropshire Way and is the main pathway though theses woods, here we could turn right and follow the path up until we pass the gamekeeper cottage and Benthall Hall before passing though a gate and walking through two Fields until we again meet the Shropshire way a little way along from here but today we are turning left here passing the gate and heading towards Broseley, after about 20 yards the woodland path comes out of the woods and continue between farmland with overgrown hedges on both sides. Here Robins, wrens, wood warbler's and Yellow Hammers can all be seen or heard while overhead you'll hear and see Skylarks as they fly on warm summer days 100s of feet into the blue sky singing their heart's out in a magical moment of pure delight.On both sides of this pathway lie fields of golden buttercups, Daisy's and other summer meadow flowers untouched by modern insecticides where butterflies such as the Adonis Blue, Copper and the Dryad along with others fly safely and spotted flycatchers, Swallows and House Martins hunt the many insects needed to feed growing family's on.Walking on we soon come to a tarmacked road known as Spout Lane walking pass a number of cottages that as been build over the years we should soon see the water spout on our left.... This water spout near runs dry and comes from a underground spring with the source in the Shropshire Hills some miles away, the water is very clean and ice cold so is therefore safe to drink, indeed many walkers have in fact stopped here to enjoy a nice cold one before carrying on their walk. Walking pass the spout we come to the main road ( Ironbridge Road) turning left here cross the road and join the roadside footpath on the right hand side downhill towards Ironbridge, Please walk with care here as the road is narrow and walking two or three abreast would be very dangerous.After about 300 yards downhill on the right hand side we will pass the ruins of one of the largish water wheels in this country ( knocked down in the 1960's) this water wheel was around 70 feet high and was working right up until 1958 ( my father help to knock it down ) the wheel ended up being sold for scrap to local man named Oakley who is still in the scrap business today.Passing on we find ourselves back on the car park by the Ironbridge from where we started an hour or so ago....

Dawn Chorus in Benthall Woods Shropshire

Here we are up bright and early to enjoy a dawn walk through the woodland surrounding Benthall and Ironbridge in Shropshire, the walk will cover about one and a half to two miles and last roughly about two hours, walking over bridleways and woodlands paths. Most of the walk will be over old ground which we have cover before as we listen to the sounds of the Dawn Chorus as this old woodland comes alive to the sounds of the local Birds that inhabit theses woods at this time of the year. This walk will start on the Broseley side of the River Steven at Ironbridge in the Station Hotel Car park( this is a pay and display car park so please remember to buy your ticket from the machine nearby) taking in some of the views from this beautiful area Shaped by the Industrial Revolution many years ago.
Starting out by following the track on our left from the car park we start walking along and old railway line, this line used to run from Bridgenorth in the south alongside the river towards Shrewsbury carrying all the coal, limestone and other goods to the bigger city's, passing under the old brick bridge and the Steven picnic area on the right hand side. The side of the track here is home for numerous ferns and wildflowers ranging from the delightful Wood Anemone and Traveller's Joy to the more common Garlic Mustard, Violet, and Red and White Campion's, while you'll also find Early purple Orchids and Yellow Pimpernel hiding amongst the Ferns growing on the left hand bank one of which is the Hart's-Tongue and the Maidenhair spleenwort both beautiful ferns will worth discovering.

But its not only the flowers and the views that's makes this area what it is, its also the wildlife, the old wild fox and Badgers and the Roe Deer that roam this Ancient woodland that's makes it so magical today, not forgetting the birds from the common Wood pigeons, Rooks, Crows to the Robins, Wrens and Blackbirds that live in theses woods all year round, along with the summer visiting birds like Wood Warbler's, Chiffchaff's, Blackcap's and even the Cuckoo indeed this morning we should hear all of theses and more. As we carry on along the rail track we will pass on our left the old ruins of limekiln workings, one of the many that dotted this area years ago at the height of the industrial age was in full swing, here we can hear wood warbler's and chiffchaff's along with another summer visitor that being the WhiteThroat which nest in the Bracken and other vegetation that grow around theses Kilns Ruins, while in the dark corners and the cracks and holes in the brickwork of the kilns are Bats awaiting the downing of the sun so the once again they can leave their home and go out hunting the fly and moths along the nearby river banks.

At the end of the rail track we come to a small path on our left with a little incline, with the cooling towers of the Buildwas Power station in front of use we turn left onto this woodland track and climb up this incline about 30 feet before coming to a small clearing with a gate in front of us. Here there is a bench where we will rest up as we listen to the magical sounds from the woodland Orchestra which is is fine tune before once again setting off on our walk. In front of us here there is a sign post/ way marker pointing the way upwards to patten's Rock, this is the way we are going to take this morning, so passing though the Sile at the side of the gate we now start to climb the many steps towards Patten's Rock.
While climbing theses step's we will often stop to rest and will have a chance to look over our shoulder to enjoy the views of the river up stream from Buildwas and the Steven flood plains, while under foot we can see many difference woodland plants and fungi growing among the dead and rotting wood, home to numerous tiny bugs in all shapes and sizes which in turn become food for the many baby birds that depend on then in this busy time of the year. The climb is hard and i would take a few rests before we top out where we can look over the old limestone quarry that is Patten's Rock on the edge of the gorge with beautiful views overlooking Ironbridge and the Steven Gorge all the way as far as Coalport in the distance, while the rocks themselves are home to Rooks, Crows, Jackdaws and the odd family of Peregrine Falcon's while high above can always be seen and heard the cry of the old Buzzard who live nearby. In the bottom of the quarry we can find marsh Orchids and sometimes Bee Orchids where Roe Deer graze and the young Rabbits hop.
Here at the top overlooking the quarry there is a bench where one can sit and enjoy a well earned rest while taking in the beauty of the surroundings.. This bench was put there in memory of a childhood friend of mine a MR JOHN JONE'S who was also a well known Rose grower in his day, John Sadly died while enjoying life and was only in his 40s when he passed away and on this bench you'll be able to read theses words...

'In memory of John Jone's He Loved This Place'
Moving on we how follow a woodland path away from the quarry, with limestone workings on our left hand side passing under old beech trees that are 100s of years old until we meet up with another path from left to right, this is the Shropshire Way and is the main pathway though theses woods, here we could turn right and follow the path up until we pass the gamekeeper cottage and Benthall Hall before passing though a gate and walking through two Fields until we again meet the Shropshire way a little way along from here but today we are turning left here passing the gate and heading towards Broseley, after about 20 yards the woodland path comes out of the woods and continue between farmland with overgrown hedges on both sides. Here Robins, wrens, wood warbler's and Yellow Hammers can all be seen or heard while overhead you'll hear and see Skylarks as they fly on warm summer days 100s of feet into the blue sky singing their heart's out in a magical moment of pure delight.
On both sides of this pathway lie fields of golden buttercups, Daisy's and other summer meadow flowers untouched by modern insecticides where butterflies such as the Adonis Blue, Copper and the Dryad along with others fly safely and spotted flycatchers, Swallows and House Martins hunt the many insects needed to feed growing family's on.
Walking on we soon come to a tarmacked road known as Spout Lane walking pass a number of cottages that as been build over the years we should soon see the water spout on our left.... This water spout near runs dry and comes from a underground spring with the source in the Shropshire Hills some miles away, the water is very clean and ice cold so is therefore safe to drink, indeed many walkers have in fact stopped here to enjoy a nice cold one before carrying on their walk. Walking pass the spout we come to the main road ( Ironbridge Road) turning left here cross the road and join the roadside footpath on the right hand side downhill towards Ironbridge, Please walk with care here as the road is narrow and walking two or three abreast would be very dangerous.After about 300 yards downhill on the right hand side we will pass the ruins of one of the largish water wheels in this country ( knocked down in the 1960's) this water wheel was around 70 feet high and was working right up until 1958 ( my father help to knock it down ) the wheel ended up being sold for scrap to local man named Oakley who is still in the scrap business today.Passing on we find ourselves back on the car park by the Ironbridge from where we started an hour or so ago....
I hope you have enjoyed taking part in this walk and that you'll join me again next time for another Shropshire Walk...

The Duck Pond

This walk is a short walk of about 1 mile and takes in the countryside near my home in Telford

The walk takes us through some nice countryside and is a walk that you did enjoy on a Sunday afternoon.

The walk is mostly over gravel pathways and footpaths which are well managed round two lotal ponds in Telford

We start the walk in the car park of the middle pool near Trench Lock in Telford, this pool used to be two during the 50s & 60s before the old railway line was knocked down and the area build upon with the upper valley pool and the old middle pool becoming one called the middle.

The pool is surrounded by housing and roads but has a wide mix of wildlife with geese, duck ,and other water birds being joined by swallow, house martins, chiffchaff, and other summer visiting bird as well as damselflies and Dragonflies while the trees surrounding the pool are mostly birch Gorse, Ash and Alder. The pool is stocked with freshwater fish and is fishable all year round with large head of Pike,carp,Bream, Roach, Tench giving many a good days sport.

We leave the car park and walk to our right following the gravel track as we pass the locked gate and walk round what used to be the valley pool ( the island is on our left hand side) here passing under the Ash trees we follow the gravel path as it swings around the top narrower end of the pool, we will notice the storm drain at the top end which gives us a chance to overlook the beauty of this pool as we can look down the length of the pool moving on we continue again following the gravel path around and walk with trees and bushes on both sides while on the grass side we will find Ox-eyes Daisy's, Herb Robert and other wildflowers, Look out for rabbits and the odd fox which hunts the many small birds and mammals here, after about 200 yards we come to a small clearing in the path here below us is another storm drain which feeds this pool and from here we have a chance to view the whole pool and its wildlife with the island in front of us.

From here we continue along the gravel pathway and note the path meets another from our right a little feather on you will note a tunnel pass this and carry on around to our left we are now at the bottom of the pool this is the old middle pool as there is a straight line from the car park to the second storm drain where the old rail line used to be that was used to spilt the pool in half after about 50-60 yards the path forks we take the right hand forks and now leave the middle pool behind us as we walk toward Trench on Tarmac paths we follow the path crossing the A442 road bridge until we join the road turn left here and walk down hill until we meet the old Blue Pig Pub here we continue down pass the metal gate and walk around what is now Trench pool.

Trench pool is a balancing pool has a wild mixer of wildlife as well, the fishing is better and you can enjoy a nice cold pint from the Blue pig while you await that bite, The pool has the A442 on the left hand side with houses on two of its other sides.

During the year the pool is home to large flocks of Geese,with ducks, grebes

and swans seen daily as well as kingfishers and always as a few cormorant which fish the lake for their dinner.

At the end of the Tarmac road ( before the end) we turn right onto the footpath running along side the hedge and follow this as we how walk poolside round Trench pool here the will find more wildflower during the summer as well as see damselflies and dragonflies dancing along as they hunt the many insets that live along the bank, while on our right the bank as many rocks which in turn hide mouse and (Sadly) Rats while supporting many birds with nest sites in which to breed, there is a few bushes and old elm trees along here but mostly it is bare until we get to the far corner and start to walk along the wood end of the lake in the grounds of the old Bridge school here ash trees with smaller willow, and other bushes form a safe haven for many birds and its is here where many of the water fowl nest.

Walking along the school playing field we containe untill we again meet the tarmac road with the blue pig on our right turn left and walk 50-60 yatrds untill we meet the footpath which takes you back over the A442, turn back onto the footpath and cross the A442 and follow the path untill its meets the same path we were on at the bottom of Middle pool, here turn right and walk around the Blockleys side of the middle pool untill we arrive back at the middle pool car park.

Short Wood- A Walk with flowers.

woodlands, a vital part of our living natural world also form a source of enjoyment and relaxation for all of us. Offering support and shelter for a wide range of wildlife- plants, birds, insects and mammals which in return provide us with the opportunity to appreciate and contemplate the rich diversity of wildlife right on our doorstep.

Everyone will have their own favourite season of the year, but for most people the spring and summer are a special time.

The plants on the woodland floor start to flower early in the spring racing to do so before the tree canopy overhead comes into full leaf.

At many difference points on theses walks you will find many wild flowers as you walk firstly through swathes of Bluebells and Ramsons, instantly recognisable by their while flowers and strong garlic scent.

Theses aren't the only plants as we will find the yellow-nettle like flower of the Archangel and the white flowers of the Wood Anemone,Wood Sorrel with the pink flowers of the Herb Robert along with the likes of Violets,Yellow pimpernel, Wood Avens and Bugle.

When spring moves into summer with the trees in full leaf and looking Magnificent there will be summer flowers replacing the earlier flower such as Foxglove,Dog Rose, white-flower Enchanter's Nightshade with deeply perfumed Honeysuckle.

Today's walk is around Short wood near the Ercall in Telford firstly getting there we first need to join the old A5 into Wellington heading along the A5 towards Shrewsbury ( add M54) we should come to a set of traffic lights by the side of the Cock Hotel, The Swan Pub is also on our right.

Here turn into Dawley Road heading towards Dawley cross over the M54 and pass the car sales garage on the left, after this we come to ward New Works here look for a lane on your right, Turn into this lane ( named new works lane) and park in lay by..

The Walk is mostly over woodland, field paths with one section along a road and should take no more then 1 1/2 hours.

Starting in the lay by in new works lane we walk downhill along the road before turning left to go along a track. Crossing a stile we walk diagonally right across a field, passing near the pylon and following a line of old posts.

We enter short wood at a stile and continue along a path as its dropped down into a gully carry on and passing a pond on your left carry on and walk through the farmyard at Steerway.

We now turn left and follow the track uphill keeping the field and farm on our left towards limekiln pool.

After about 200 yards we take a left hand fork leading toward limekiln pool and after 100 yards after a stile we cross a field passing the pool on our right and carrying on we cross another field before reentering short wood again after crossing another stile he we follow the path that is shared by a stream and does uphill until we past some holly bushes crossing another stile we cross another field before joining the woods again.

The path becomes more indistinct here and you need to try and keep to a straight line if possible, but care is needed as you walk pass the old mine workings.

After a while you should pick up a wider track and pass under some power cables and approach a gate next to the bungalow ignore the gate but cross the stile on the left and turn left along the road back to the layby.

Pattens Rock

Today's walk will see us walk over old ground to discover Patten's Rock in Benthall Woods Near Ironbridge in Shropshire, Patten's rock is an area of outstanding beauty overlooked by may people who walks the woods near Ironbridge, but to me its is just has importance as the other attractions in the Ironbridge Gorge Because the Rock are millions of years old and hold some Geological interest with Geologists visiting the Rocks from all over the world to appreaciate their significance.

The Rocks are Limestone which is found in many parts of Shropshire, and is found all along the Ironbridge Gorge area with many limekiln's and Quarries dotting the landstape from the industrial Revolution when the Ironbridge area was at the front of the new industrial age.

So lets first start our walk, firstly the walk is mostly over woodland paths and steps with a steep climb up to Pattens Rock's and should last around 1-2 hours, we start on the Broseley side of the Ironbridge parking in the car park by the Station Hotel, this is a pay and display car park costing £1.00 for the day, 50p for up to two hours there is no charge for disable blue badge holders.

From the car park we turn right and follow the old railway line/ Shropshire way passing under the brick bridge we walk along with the River Seven on our right and the Benthall woods on our left, After about 500 yards we will notice a small clearing to our left, here there is ruins of the old limekiln's that dot this area and althought just off the main path are well worth a look by following the short pathway thats leads to them.

After seeing the limekiln's we rejoin the main pathway and continue along the old railway track with wildflowers and ferns lining both sides of the path while Hazelnut, Sliver Birch,Oak and Beech trees provide shade on a warm summer evening walk until we come to the cooling Towers of the Buildwas power station which is right in front of us, The power station was build in the 1960s as a replacement for the old B power station which was also on the site ( this sadly was pulled down during the 1990s), Here passing through a sile we walk up an steep incline for about 20-40 yards untill we come to a clearing where we will find another gate and sile with a post way marker pointing the way.

From here its forward and upwards as we pass through the sile and start to climb the first of many steps leading to Patten's Rock's ( notice this is a very steep climb and there is alot of steps to climb) but the steps are new and are all in first class condition and are well managed by the woodland trust who does some great work to keep the area in top condition, While climbing we pass under many trees that make up this woodland ranging from Oaks, Beech, Ash, and Chesthut while under foot there is many Mosses and grasses filled in spring/ Summer with flowers such as wood anemone, wood sorrel, Herb Robert and violets as well as the Fox Gloves, dog roses, white flower enchanter's nightshade and perfumed honeysuckle,

Here you'll also find butterflies such as Speckled Woods, Black-Veined Whites, and large Tortoiseshell as well as summer migrant birds such as the Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, and Cockoo alongside the more common woodpeckers, pigeons, finches and Blackbirds, while in the late evening in summer you may be lucky to hear the lotal Tawny Owls.

While climbing up the step look out for some of the many differance fungi that grows on the dead wood that has fellen down as you dont know what you'll find from one day to the next as you make your way up the steps until you reach the top where we are able to look back and see over the Ironbridge Gorge and the valley of Coalbrockdale while away to our right we over look the River with Ironbridge and Madeley Bank clearly seen from the top of Patten's Rock which is in front of us, here you'll find a bench that as been placed there in memory of a Mr Dave Jones with the words 'He Loved This Place' writen onto the backrest of this bench placed over looking the rocks and the Ironbridge Gorge. Dave was a we known Broseley lad and rose Grower who lived in Broseley all is life and passed away at the age of 53 years of age, I knew Dave very well myself and I have never known a better rose grower in my 49 years he was up with the very best.

After having a rest and taking in the beautiful views seen from the top of Patten's Rock and the Quarry we containue our walk by following the pathway leading away from the rock's into the woods passing more limestone workings along the way until the path we are on meets another running left to right ( Note the way marker post) , here we can turn left and follow the path leading to Broseley add spout lane or like we did turn right and head towards Benthall along the old Shropshire way following the path through the woods under the Oaks, and beech trees we can enjoy views over looking the Seven Gorge and Buildwas while looking down upon buildwas power station going under the power lines we turn left and walk up an incline untill we top out by the white Gamekeepers cottage, passing the cottage we follow the path/road as its swings left until we find ourselfs in the lane by Benthall edge farm passing the farm and graveyard on the right we walk untill meeting the main road leading to Benthall Hall with we can now see in front of us.

Benthall Hall was build in the 1700s by the Benthall Family and is the home of Edward and Sarah Benthall who opens the hall and gardens every Easter to late october for the public,

the home is a national trust listed building and is well worth a visit as indeed is the little white Church of St Bartholomew's along side the Hall.

Passing the Hall and entering the field through the wood gate we cross the field keeping the hall on our left untill we meet another wooden gate, here on our right we will find a avenue of 33 old chesthut trees with many well over 200 years old, theses trees look bril in late spring when covered with their white blooms from their flowers while in the early autumn every young lad from the nearby village of Benthall and Broseley would spent many an afternoon filling his pockets with bright brown conkers ready to play a game of conkers we anybody who wanted a game.

Carrying on through another gate we meet the land/path coming from Benthall woods we turn right here walking along between the fields untill the path ends and we start walking on the road down spout lane passing as we go the water spout on our left, the water spout runs all years and comes from an under ground spring, this water is pure and is safe to drink by both dogs and humans it is ice cold even in the hottest of summer months and is a very welcome drink after a walk.

Passing the water spout that give the lane its name we containue downhill untill we meet another road this is Bridge Bank turning left here containue downhill we will pass after 500 yards or so on our right in the trees the old water mill, this has a bit of history with my family as there was an write up about in the paper a few weeks ago, sadly the watermill isnt there anymore being pulled down in the 1960s by my father because it was unsafe with the metal from the wheel being sold for scrap, but it used to have the biggest water wheel in England, passing the watermill we containue down the bank with the Ironbridge in front of us untill crossing the road we find ourselfs back at the car park where we started from at the end of our walk.

The Ercall Woods

Today's walk is going to take us through the Ercall woods near the Wrekin in Telford.

The Ercall can be found by leaving the m54 at junction 7 turning right towards Little Wenlock and heading towards the Wrekin after a while passing the car park at the side of the road near the foot of the Wrekin we turn left into Ercall Lane go along this until you see sign for Ercall Nature Reserve.

Firstly a little about the area and the woods itself.

The Ercall quarries are renowned for their Geological interest with the rocks dating back some 560 million years and around 450 million years ago these rocks were 60* south of the Equator and today Geologists come from far and wide to appreciate their significance.

The grassy areas are areas where during the summer butterflies can be found theses include The Dingy Skipper,Green Hairstreak and Wall as well as being home for The brilliant Red winged Cinnabar and Burnet Moths.

On The upper slopes Tall oak trees Predominate; theses are termed sessile Oaks, as the acorns sit on the twigs without any stalks, while below the Oaks in the Acidic soil can be found such plants as Bilberry, Climbing Corydalis and Heath Bedstraw.

The Ercall woods in early spring is alive with many birds and often resound with birdsong ranging from the sweet song of the Wren to the wood pigeons and the yaffle of the Green woodpecker.

So lets us start our walk. We will be walk mostly on Woodlands Paths which are steep at first, along the top of the Ercall and then back past Ercall Quarries.

The walk should take around 1 1/2 Hours.

The Start of the walk is at the Entrance to the Ercall Nature Reserve, turn right along the road and walk pass the Buckatree Hall Hotal, 25 m later turn right along a footpath which is Gently uphill at first but does become steep later.

We follow this path up to the top of the Ercall, the path here swings left following the ridge of the hill,gradually descending.

Keep to the ridge, avoiding paths going down on the right, after a while the path will go under some large, spreading Oaks trees.

Soon the path Forks- we take the right hand fork descending from the ridge. As the sound from the nearby M54 traffic increases, but before you reach the fence in front of it, turn sharply right on to another path by the Holly trees we now follow this path going uphill a little until this path meets a wider path, here we turn left and walk downhill past the Ercall Quarries on our right. Here you will note an interpretation board and a poem on a rock which explain the Geological story of the exposed rock faces. After this we continue along the path until we are back where we started from.