Yesterday's Walk

We hadn't been out of the house since Christmas Eve morning when we walked around the lake at Trentham so we were ready for a long walk.  We decided to follow one of our favourite walks,  with a few detours along the way, so we set off to Consall country park so that we could walk through the woodland down to the Caldon canal.  I know I've taken you on this walk many times before but I'm going to share it again.

 We walked through the woods under the bare, leafless trees in which long-tailed tits and firecrests twittered and flitted.

 Past the fishing lakes where there was one solitary fisherman braving the elements

 Down the canal towpath with its mossy lichened walls

 Past the station at Consall which last week was a hive of activity for the Santa special steam trains.

 I love these old mile stones on the canal side of course, the Caldon canal doesn't flow as far as Uttoxeter anymore but you can walk to Etruria, in the heart of the city of Stoke-on-Trent. This is where the Caldon and Trent and Mersey canals meet at the Etruria Industrial Museum.

 We crossed the canal at lock number seventeen

 and then crossed the railway - no trains today!

 and finally crossed over the river which was flowing quite quickly under the bridge on which we were standing, foaming and eddying around the rocks as it went along its way.  I love this area where the railway, river and canal all run alongside each other.

Then it was a long climb upwards along muddy, leafy steps - gosh this made my knees hurt a bit and my lungs gasp for breath - note to self for 2012 - more exercise is needed!!

 It is worth it when you reach the top of the hill - the views are spectacular.

Then we had to find our way back to the bottom of the valley, down more muddy, slippy steps - good job we'd put our wellies on.  

At the bottom we walked along the boardwalk and back through the woods to the car - it was time to return home.