This month’s issue includes: Forthcoming walks Footpath news Planning and Environment issues Walk to Work Week Training for walk leaders Lucca and Umbria What we did on our holidays: the Lake District and the Three Castles Walk Forthcoming walks On 8 May, Tony Parsons will be leading an easier A walk at Penarth. Note that this walk, and the B walk on the same day, appear out of sequence in the published programme. Tony’s walk starts near Cardiff Bay railway station, and crosses the Cardiff Bay barrage to take the road up to Penarth Head, with occasional sea views. It then descends through a park to Penarth Pier, and follows the coast path (initially the promenade) to the lunch stop at Sully. At Sully, there is an island which can be reached, via a causeway, at low tide. The return to Penarth is inland, through Cosmeston Country Park where there are lakes and a medieval village. Gwyneth Littlejohn is leading the B walk on 15 May, at Uley Bury in the Cotswolds. The walk has three good hills and two long inclines. The rewards for the steep bits are the views. Lunch, weather permitting, will be taken sitting on top of Uley Bury overlooking Uley prior to a short walk down to Uley pub. Note: the meeting point for the A and B walks on 15 May are at the Water Tower on the Downs, because of the Bristol 10k race. Stephen Draper will lead the A walk on 31 May. ‘We start from the NT car park to the south of Brecon and climb directly to the top of Penyfan up its north face. This is a great way to the top since after a last easy scramble you pop out onto the top just yards from the summit cairn. We then descend and climb Cribben before following the old Roman Road to the Neuadd Reservoir. From there is a steep ascent to the ridge to the West which we then follow north to Corn Du. From here it is all downhill to the Tommy Jones memorial and then back to the car park which we find by contouring round on a path apparent on the ground but not marked on the map - should be fun’. Footpath news Peter Gould reports good news on Dundry Hill. The path at Hill Farm, East Dundry is now open. This was a longstanding problem, caused by an error on the Definitive Map. Technically, the error still has to be corrected but a new landowner has removed the obstructions on the ground. Planning and Environment issues Bristol City Council’s draft walking strategy is said to be just about ready to be released for consultation. More news in the next issue. The City Council’s Public Rights of Way and Greens Committee is also consulting on a new process for determining applications to register land as a town and village green. The proposal is to, in most cases, rely on officer advice rather than using independent inspectors. There is concern that the reason for the proposal might be ‘to get rid of the possibility of the Council receiving inconvenient advice from an independent inspector’. The Open Spaces Society’s comments are on the Group’s website. If you would like to comment, the chair of the committee is [email protected]. Walk to Work Week Next week (9th to 13th May) is Walk to Work Week. For more information, see www.mylivingstreets.org.uk. Training for walk leaders Arrangements for a training course for walk leaders have now been finalized: Map reading and use of compass – John Wrigley, 7.30-9.30 pm on Wednesday 25 May at the Robin Hood, St Michael’s Hill Practical use of map and compass (optional) – Carew Reynell, 6.00-8.30 pm on Thursday 26 May at the Ashton Court Orienteering Course Planning a walk – Stephen Draper, 7.30-9.30 pm on Monday 30 May at the Robin Hood, St Michael’s Hill Walk practice – 10.00 am-4.00 pm on Saturday 11 June at Burrington Coombe The course is nearly fully booked, but it might be possible to squeeze in one or two late entrants. There is no charge: the quid pro quo is the hope that participants will lead walks for the Bristol Group in the future. Lucca and Umbria Martin Summerell’s trip is now full booked, but a reserve list is being kept in case of cancellations. If interested, contact [email protected]. 27 June - 4 July Suitable for Regular `B` Walkers. Hostel Accommodation. Cost: £290, excluding Easyjet Flights Bristol>Pisa and some meals Note that this is not an official Group trip, so you will require your own insurance, etc. What we did on our holidays (1) Taking advantage of the proximity of the Easter and May Day bank holidays, the hill walkers’ annual long weekend in the Lake District was extended to a full week this year, when Nigel Andrews led a party of 16 to the western fells. The original intention was to stay in the attractive market town of Cockermouth, which was devastated by floods in 2009, but much accommodation is still being used to house people displaced by the floods and our party ended up more widely dispersed, with accommodation ranging from two cottages outside the town to a vegetarian B&B. Exceptionally dry weather in March and April meant that the fells were abnormally (and delightfully) dry underfoot, and the trip was blessed with continuing good weather. Never more so than on the Sunday for the first walk, with glorious sunshine and fabulous views. The walk, starting close to Buttermere, began with a steep ascent of Whiteside, and then took in five other Wainwrights (Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Wandope, Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale Knotts) in its 10.5 miles. (Editor: a ‘Wainwright’ is one of the 214 peaks described by Alfred Wainwright in his classic Guides to the Lakeland Fells. But you already knew that.) Day two saw the party in Wasdale for a 7 mile circuit of Buckbarrow, Seatallan and Middle Fell. Some of the party then went on to climb Lank Rigg, a relatively undistinguished grassy mound, but still important to Wainwright baggers. The descent was marked by some of our most experienced walk leaders committing the schoolboy error of striking out without taking a bearing, and ending up in the mire. Day three was also in Wasdale, for the Mosedale Horseshoe, described by Nigel as ‘the finest horseshoe walk in England’. A tough 12 mlles, starting with a wonderful scramble up Yewbarrow and continuing with lots of ascents and descents, a succession of summits (Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Steeple and Pillar) and spectacular views. The view from Pillar seemed to take in the whole of Lakeland, and the descent to Wasdale Head provided a retrospective panorama of the whole route. Most of the party then paused for a pint at the Wasdale Head Hotel. Day four was a rest day, and the weather was again spectacularly good. Ideas of what constitutes rest obviously varied, ranging from brewery tours to the harvesting of two obscure but attractive Wainwrights (Fellbarrow and Low Fell) and a circuit of the Buttermere round (eight Wainwrights, including Haystacks where AW’s ashes were scattered). Day five: another trip to Wasdale, another day of clear blue skies and beautiful sunshine. The walk started with a tough and direct 1900 foot ascent of Kirkfell, some of it on scrabbly scree. Then a sharp and enjoyable pull up Great Gable, a quick crossing to Green Gable, and a long descent in the afternoon sunshine. The day also featured three domestic hiccups. The occupants of one of the cottages woke to find themselves without water, with supplies reinstated only just before they had to set off. Nigel’s car then suffered a flat tyre among the potholes on the approach to Wasdale Head: fortunately his roadside assistance provider responded reasonably promptly when summoned at the end of the walk. And one group found, on returning to their accommodation after eating out, that they couldn’t get in because the lock was blocked by a key left on the inside. Discussion of drastic measures kept a group of local teenagers amused until one of the group resolved the matter by careful dexterity. Day six arrived all too soon. Last day, Royal Wedding. The party set off in staunchly republican fashion for a walk in the Loweswater fells. The route was designed to enable Tony Carter, Anna Kulisa and John Wrigley all to complete their collections of all 214 Wainwrights, which was done, in strong wind, on Burnbank Fell, one of the less distinguished summits. But Tony, Anna and John passed under an arch of walking poles and joy was unbounded. The celebrations started with champagne on the summit and beer (and views of passing red squirrels) at the delightful Kirkstile Inn, continued in the Crown Hotel in Cockermouth, and are no doubt still in progress. Congratulations to all three. And big thanks, as always, to Nigel for planning and leadership which combined meticulousness with imagination. Roll on 2012. Photos of the 2011 trip are on the Group’s Flickr site. What we did on our holidays (2) A number of members used the Royal Wedding bank holiday to do the Three Castles walk. Gwyneth Littlejohn reports: The 15 ramblers who started the walk comprised 1 A walker, 12 B walkers and 2 potential Ramblers. The walk took in the three Norman Castles of Skenfrith, White Castle and Grosmount.