It was so good to get out in the fresh air after staying at home all day yesterday due to the awful wet weather.
We took our usual Sunday walk at Consall Nature Park where there are lots of posters around telling visitors that another administrative body are taking over the running of the reserve from Staffordshire County Council. It doesn't say which organisation willl be taking over but I've a feeling it might be the RSPB as they have events listed there in their 2018 calendar.
We walked down past the fishing lakes and through the woods to the Caldon Canal and the railway line belonging to the Churnet Valley Railway.
There were lots of people with cameras about. What were they looking for?
We didn't have to wait long to find out as, in the distance, we heard the evocative sound of rumble, chuff and toot and saw the grey/black steam of the engine.
It was fabulous to see them passing by each other in the little station.
Although two of the engines were from the USA the sounds they made and the steam they made reminded me of childhood train rides.
After speaking to one or two people taking photos and standing for a while chatting to some neighbours who live a few doors away from us and who were on their way to the canal side pub for lunch, we meandered down past the pottery to the lock and then back again towards the station.
I love the way the canal, railway and river all run at the side of each other through the valley.
Also the old stone walkway and steps. How many feet must have walked up and down these over the years?
The canal still goes up to Etruria in the centre of the city of Stoke on Trent but doesn't go to Uttoxeter any more, it stops further along the canal at Froghall where it is just s short walk from the canal to the station where the steam trains were headed on their journey from Cheddleton.
We wanted to see the third steam train which was running on the railway today and we were just in time to see it. One of the men we spoke to told us that this one was on its last journey up here before heading back to its home on the Dartmouth Steam Railway in Devon where it will undergo maintenance and refitting before it runs again.
One of my ambitions is to travel on the Dartmouth Steam Railway to visit Greenway, Agatha Christie's home near the River Dart. Maybe one day I will manage that and maybe this engine will take me there.
A link to Paul's blog for more information on the engines.
A link to Paul's blog for more information on the engines.
Steam engines, how delightful!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a beautiful day you had, to see them. And for your walk.
This change of administration of the Park, will it have any real effect on how the Park is maintained? Hope not...
It's still very wintry here, so thank you for taking me on your lovely coming-spring walk.
Glad you enjoyed the walk and the steam engines. Some areas of the park were getting a little run down, like the Visitor Cente, hopefully that will improve and be open a bit more:)
DeleteLove the light in the train steam, so atmospheric. We too headed out to make the most of dry weather. Half way round we got soaked. Looks like you were more successful with your walk. B x
ReplyDeleteOh, dear shame about the downpour on your walk we were very lucky to get dry weather on ours but it was very muddy from the rain the day before:)
DeleteI think it would be brilliant if the RSPB take over the site from SCC, that could be a very positive change. I know that they have been buying up bits of land around Coombes, essentially extending there patch, creating a bit of wildlife corridor so maybe it's all part of that.
ReplyDeleteI heard the trains tooting and chuffing all morning yesterday, the sound was really carrying!
When we've been up to Coombes Valley the wardens have mentioned walks and events down in the Churnet Valley and at Consall, I wasn't sure if they were taking over all of the reserve or if the Wildlife Trust were involved too. The visitor centre would benefit from being open for more hours. It all sounds very positive. Those toots were very loud weren't they?:)
DeleteA wonderful tour Rosie, it was a joy to see the old steam trains. I always enjoy seeing the canal and wonder what it would be like to live on one.
ReplyDeleteThank you, glad you enjoyed the tour. I'd like to try a a few day on the canal to see what it's like but don't think I could manage the locks:)
DeleteYour photos of the steam train have come out beautifully. I've been on the Dartmouth steam train, we went to Paignton. You can do a big circle using the train, bus and boat which includes Totnes but we didn't get round to that. We did go to Greenway, I'm sure you'll love it. 😊
ReplyDeleteThat sounds wonderful. Haven't been to that area for ages but we used to go to nearby Teignmouth nearly every year when I was a child. It would be great to go up to Greenway on the train and back on the old bus or the ferry:)
DeleteThanks for taking us on that walk. Just what hubby & I would love with countryside, canals & railways. Not much of that around here & can't wait to come back to UK for a holiday. Have a good week & take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan, I love the way that these places of heavy industry and transport of goods have become leisure ways now. I hope you get to visit over here again one day:)
DeleteWonderful to see the steam trains; I intend to seek some out this summer. You'll know when the RSPB take over as they'll be putting up health and safety notices all over the place. "Paths may be slippery in wet weather" that sort of earth-shaking information. My favourite was "Visitors are warned not to interfere with the hornets' nest".
ReplyDeleteOh dear!:) Priceless! But it is amazing what people will do nowadays, I read somewhere about parents sitting their child in an ancient (empty) stone tomb in a museum just to get a photo and breaking it. Did you take a photo of the warning sign for posterity?:)
DeleteWhat a super walk Rosie. So much to see :) Steam trains always remind me of my childhood too - we once went on a Santa Steam Special Ride on the Severn Valley Railway when the children were little and I've been on a few other steam trains on holiday on the Isle of Wight and Lake District. The ride to Greenways sounds a really fun way to visit the place (I haven't been either). Hope you manage to do it one day.
ReplyDeleteThankyou! We do the walk often and it is one of my favourites. I love it down in the valley and it was an added bonus to see the trains as we hadn't realised that the event was on. I love to ride on Steam trains, we've done the Llangollen, Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog ones in Wales. Also one in North Norfolk:)
DeleteIt's a lovely place, I was able to visit just over a year ago on our way to pick up my stepson from university, it was a really nice walk! (https://pampick.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/consall-nature-park.html)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pam, I've read your post and left you a comment. Looks like you enjoyed the visit:)
DeleteLooks like a lovely day out. I think we might have encountered those same trains yesterday as we drove home from the Peak District! We had a pot of tea in the Beresford Tea Room in Hartington and I thought of you - I even looked up your blog while I was there, so thank you. x
ReplyDeleteOh, bless you Mrs T, I hope you enjoyed Hartington it is a lovely village. I expect it would have been very busy it being a Sunday, we weren't very many miles from each other and you no doubt passed through either Frogall or Cheddleton on your way back if you saw the trains:)
DeleteWhat a lovely sight. It is so wonderful to see steam trains in use, rather than sitting in a museum. This is such a pretty spot, too. Marie x
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marie. It is always a thrill to see the steam trains and it is an idyllic place to walk:)
DeleteHow lovely to see the steam trains. I can't recall ever seeing one in the real but I probably did when I was very small. There is something romantic about steam trains..... x
ReplyDeleteThey are so evocative of a past,more elegant era aren't they?:)
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