is hit and miss, with the breeders keeping rather quiet, and the water levels 207076, Scotland no. This section of the marsh was then developed for the disposal of domestic and industrial waste between the 1940s and 1960s. Peak conditions occur CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS POSTED DAILY,TWITCHES AND MORE! Once we returned to Pickerings Pasture we were shocked to see the number of cars and people that had turned up since we left a few hours ago. (December-February) is a productive time for searching the saltmarsh and interesting that Hale has attracted not only Paul McCartney but also Sir J Betjemen : the Manor House looks lovely but I bet its expensive to upkeep. Can be awkward for bikes & wheel chair users. View all posts by Joe the Cocker's Hikes. looked relatively interesting (which turned out to be Carr Lane Pools) - in Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. Just a short drive away is Pickerings Pasture Nature Reserve where we enjoyed lunch overlooking the Mersey, and with the tide going out, we noticed a small sand bank held at least 2 Shag mingling with the Cormorants. The Friends of Pickerings Pasture and Hale Duck Decoy are a volunteer group who work with Halton Borough Council to support, protect, develop and promote these nature reserves. drive away. We were planning to walk on to Speke Hall but, due to this unintentional diversion we ran out of time. There There is a Facebook group called Save Oglet Shoreline who are holding a meeting tonight Wednesday 27th June 18 in the Childe of Hale pub at 7 pm if youre reading this in time. The decoy is also part of the Mersey Estuary that is designated for its nature value, and International Ramsar site and SSSI for its safe feeding and roosting area for large numbers of wading birds and ducks. Another great days birding which was finished off at Marbury park with Malc looking for the Bittern but no show! The worn gravestone is still there, inscribed Hyre lyes ye childe of Hale. Starting from Sherdley Park this ride takes us out past The Dream to Widnes where we pick up the River Mersey coastal paths and head to the picturesque village of Hale; a visit to The Childe of Hale (John Myddleton's) statue and resting place, the lighthouse and Pickerings' Pasture with magnificent views over the River Mersey. I was always able to take my bike and in five minutes Id be in quite deep countryside. In the village itself, a bird friendly garden gave us good views of Goldcrest and Redwing, whilst walking down the path to the lighthouse, high tide ensured that some of the fields had good numbers of Curlew. Working in Nether Alderley I've started spending my dinner hour birding the local sand quarries which are only a stones throw from wh COVID-19: Please adhere to current government advice and do not travel to see a bird. as the Ibis Pools following a couple of records in 2016) on the west side of have some great memories as young boy walking down dungeon lane to oglet shore me &my brother used to walk to Garston docks & back in the 50s &60s great fun . Next port of call was Hale village for a history lesson.John middleton lived in Hale from 1578-1623 and was an english giant who was 9 feet 3 inches tall according to legend.He was that tall he slept with his feet out his cottage window! Intend to continue this Mersey Path when the new bridge is completed. The scrape is surrounded by Pickerings Pasture: See how it is - See 104 traveller reviews, 23 candid photos, and great deals for Widnes, UK, at Tripadvisor. Explore a complete list of bird species observations in this area. I have watched some Good area to stroll round. Schoolboy error! Lots of work has obviously gone on here. The sun was low over the distant shoreline of the Mersey Estuary and produced a grey silhouetted skyline of a predominately industrial nature. The salt works closed in the late 1840s, and the quay was then used by a firm of ship breakers. The walk officially starts from a point on the A57 at Swithen Hill Wood. Birds of prey seen hunting over the estuary/marsh, peregrine, merlin, sparrowhawk, buzzard, kestrel, marsh harrier and the rarer hen harrier. Feeding ducks included a few Wigeon and the usual skulking Teal. 31/12/2016). Although the scrape is largely fresh water, it occasionally suffers Walking the Mersey: Dungeon to HalePoint, Malick Sidib at Somerset House: the photographer who captured a youthful, joyous Mali, How the light gets in: an imperfect introduction, Paul Nash and World War One: 'I am no longer an artist, I am a messenger to those who want the war to go on for ever and may it burn their lousy souls', Only in England: photos by Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr, David Hare's Page Eight: classy television, Leonard Cohen's 'Anthem': That's how the light gets in, At Manchester Art Gallery: The Sensory War 1914-2014, Walking the ancient sandstone cliffs of the Mersey, Richard Thompson: windswept in NewBrighton, 2012: Friday Walks, Hedgerows and Broomsticks | a sense of place. Barn and short eared owl. CLICK ON LINK. As the river continues to recover from industrial pollution, the range of fish species in the estuary has increased to over 50. The rangers and friends of the pasture have put up to nestboxes to encourage breeding on site. The major redevelopment of the 1980s saw the move to the new site near to the river at Oglet, and a transfer of ownership from Liverpool City Council to Peel Holdings, the company that now owns assets on both sides of the Mersey, from Liverpool to Manchester. From this junction we followed the muddy Mersey Way along the shore towards Liverpool John Lennon Airport. However the paddocks can still often produce small numbers of. Pickerings Pasture: Pleasant walk on banks of the Mersey - See 105 traveler reviews, 23 candid photos, and great deals for Widnes, UK, at Tripadvisor. Skip to content Skip to results Cornell Lab sapsucker logo Cornell Lab of Ornithology logo eBird Menu Menu Home Submit Explore My eBird Science To build your own Itinerary, click to add an item to your Itinerary basket. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The second viewing area is from a small gated area on These are lonely, cold, windy places, the distant factories and docks dwarfed by the size of the mud banks of the river itself. Well even though I dipped the Firecrest I was glad I had visited this site and willdefinitelybe visiting again. I love this place.a great view of the merest estuary and the existing Jubilee Bridge(Runcorn Widnes bridge)beautiful pastures and glades a lovely place for walking the dogs, having picnics and enjoyment. The Romans is a stunning venue located on Otterspool promenade. From Dungeon I turned to follow the broad sweep of the bay southeast towards Hale Point. Enter date in the format dd/mm/yyyy (eg. Pickerings Pasture 4 105 #4 of 22 things to do in Widnes National Parks Nature & Wildlife Areas Parks Closed now 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Visit website Write a review What people are saying " Lovely walk " Jul 2022 Nice area for a short walk, free parking, plenty of grassed areas to explore and see the lovely wild flowers and birds. August 23, 2022 Halton is an artificial coupling, created in 1974, of two English County Boroughs - Widnes and Runcorn. Will keep you posted, (Poem) I thought that we had only been away for a few hours! " Scenic " It is essential that everybody enjoys the ride which will be at an average pace of 10-12 mph but the average speed will be determined by the overall pace of the group. Pools is the name given to a set of shallow flooded fresh water scrapes Backpacking, hiking and town walks with my human dad. We will pass under the newly built Mersey Gateway Bridge and take our break at Zenas Marina Caf at Spike Island with its fantastic views over the river to the Silver Jubilee Bridge and the nature reserve. Pickerings Pasture 4 105 #4 of 22 things to do in Widnes National Parks Nature & Wildlife Areas Parks Closed now 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Visit website Write a review What people are saying " Lovely walk " Jul 2022 Nice area for a short walk, free parking, plenty of grassed areas to explore and see the lovely wild flowers and birds. . . Salmon are probably breeding in the Mersey river system since juveniles were found in the river Goyt. Haughton could be a derivative of this and village (which is as you no doubt know is what ton signifies so its possible that Thomas of Hale could have been Thomas Haughton but its all guess work. Always remember though, we will never leave anyone behind! surrounding fields. I can honestly say not one of my favourite mammals but everyone to there own.As I carried on walking I noticed early signs of spring as Snowdrops were in full flower in the wooded areas by the river. There is a hide at the far western end of Pickerings Pasture which overlooks a scrape and Hale Marsh. The area I couldn't bear the thought of having nowhere to go birding locallythat CLICK ON LINK. If you prefer, bring a packed lunch and enjoy the views of the river and The Jubilee Bridge from the waters edge along with its abundance of bird life. Hale Park is flocks which will often contain, Spring . The name Dungeon derives from the Anglo-Saxon dunge or denge, meaning marshland, or land that adjoins a marsh (think of Dungeness in Kent), rather than having any association with castles or imprisonment. It was a pleasant, genteel interlude, a touch of quality before they walked back to their very different life among the new grey houses and hard concrete roads of the housing estate. It was constructed in the early eighties, when a thick duvet of clay was draped over the pungent industrial detritus that had been accumulating on the site . It looked as if spring had arrived while we had been away from the car as a number of clumps of snowdrops had appeared. Credit: Mary Hines. Pickerings Pasture 105 Reviews #4 of 22 things to do in Widnes Nature & Parks, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife Areas Mersey View Road, Widnes WA8 8LP, England Open today: 07:00 - 19:00 Save Beverley M Formby, United Kingdom 40 21 Walked through to Spike Island Review of Pickerings Pasture Reviewed 2 August 2015 Hale Lighthouse was built in 1906 to replace a much shorter structure protecting shipping on this dangerous headland. But this place does have some significance in Liverpools economic history, because it was here, after the discovery of rock salt in Cheshire in the 17th century, that a salt refinery was established, the remains of which are still visible in the crumbling stone work and overgrown sandstone jetty. I parked the car and set off down to the Dungeon. Hale Marsh is largely At the end of the Nature Reserve the path veered off into a patch of woodland before reaching a lane. inaccessible, but can be viewed from a number of areas. Moore Flowers Home Weather 38. (March-May)can produce typical migrants including, Summer So, I ran wild. Now Dungeon is an abandoned and neglected place where rubble, broken bricks, and the remains of a sandstone quay suggest some kind of industrial past. There were muddy puddles lined with hedgerows where small birds were hiding from me. Hale on the pools fluctuating with the weather. (March-May) doesnt normally get going until early April, but the scrub around There will be cafe stop at Zena's Cafe at West Bank Boat Club, Spike Island, Widnes, so remember to bring along some money for a 'coffee and cake'. Leaving Hale we called in at WSR recycling in Widnes where we found an Adult Yellow Legged gull amongstthe hundreds of gulls. The area is made up of mainly arable land, but the river path has Mainly flat terrain with good paths throughout. Pathways through - all very neat and tidy. Books, exhibitions, films, music, places - anything that inspires. We were visibly checked out by two police patrols as we retraced our steps. Hi Gerry this is an excellent blog . first visit to Carr Lane Pools resulted in. We return to our starting point via main roads and a short section of cycleway through Halewood Park, Enter date in the format dd/mm/yyyy (eg. ^ ^ f .o 1 *> * .V n ..V * ,G O *. The reserve has large areas of woodland and shrubbery. Lighthouse is situated at the end of Lighthouse Lane, and has a small enclosed The little village of Hale was less than two miles away, with thatched roofs, home of the giant Childe of Hale who, legend has it, was nine foot tall. Just as we did this a fighter jet roared over our heads. drinking pools which can be productive. The reserve has wide views across the River Mersey and offers great opportunities for birdwatching. provides the best opportunity to catch up with terns and, Autumn I returned to Liverpool in 2012 I hadlittle to no knowledge of where to Spring Its a big job and can only be done by degrees. Within a 30-minute drive of this hotel, guests can visit Wrexham. In addition to the parkland and woods, Clamley Park Plantation. Wigg Island 36. As fish numbers increase, so to have sightings of Cetaceans (porpoises, dolphins and whales). I have many happy memories of walking and playing at oglet and hale shore as a boy during and after the war. I remember the Dam woods, which had millions of rhododendron bushes. It is a peaceful place where people can enjoy quiet walks, picnics and wildlife watching. Wild Poppies Sandstone Quarry 41. Within Way, can be very productive for returning passage waders. Hilbre 2 Scaup and a Snip Burton mere wetlands receives visit England welcome accolade! It's a lovely place to sit and watch the sunset over the river. An off lead dog raced through the set aside field which was annoying, but did flush a couple of Common Snipe, which we would never have seen without its help. All riders will be required to wear a helmet and carry spare inner tubes and the means to be able to repair a puncture (assistance will be provided if required). We expect all our riders to adhere to the current government guidelines with regard to social distancing and precautions needed during the current Covid pandemic. The influence of Liverpools greatness and wealth as a port is seen floating across the whole of Lancashire, Oer Mersey mud and Mersey flood, to pervade everything it touches, While near and far and far and near/ Is Liverpool baroque. It is a truly fun piece, which mirrors the brilliant playfulness demonstrated in the baroque designs of the architecture, also Betjemins nod towards the speaking clock, is particularly appealing: Rococo, says the pendulum, / Baroque, baroque, baroak. (LogOut/ Although waders are present during low Trip Report Hale Lighthouse and Pickering's Pasture 20 th November 2022. waders. (LogOut/ Winter Moore Nature Reserve 40. Pickerings Pasture: See how it is - See 104 traveler reviews, 23 candid photos, and great deals for Widnes, UK, at Tripadvisor. years flooding has also created a new set of pools (known by the local birders Salem Harbor, the second deepest harbor in Massachusetts, reached . (December-February)in the main is quiet on the pools with small numbers Rather than drive an hour or more to Snowdonia, the Lakes or the Peak District we thought that we would explore our local area again. The walk ends at Hale lighthouse (top) which stands at Hale Head. early October. In the village itself, a bird friendly garden gave us good views of Goldcrest and Redwing . It was not without danger. is relatively quiet around the main section of Pickerings Pasture, with the It also provides a good post-breeding roost of, Autumn Starting from - The Environment Centre, Halewood Park, Okell Drive, Halewood (near to Halewood Triangle).The precise location can be pinpointed on the What 3 Words app as: "allowable.lizard.sweeping", L26 7YD, This Cycle : St Helens ride is open for anyone to join. It is also advisable to carry hand sanitising gel, vinyl gloves and a mask. Clincton Wood. Winter (December-February) Transporter Bridge 37. Register to join the conversation about this ride, Subscribe me to the mailing list for advance info & the best from the blog. Glad the pics and post can be of use. profile. Hybrid year tick anyone? On leaving the car park located off The Score, Sherdley Park, St Helens WA9 5XT (what3words app: fattest.demotion.automatic), the first part of the ride is mostly on main roads till we reach the gravel cycle paths of the Sutton Manor Woodland Park around The Dream and then head out towards Widnes on the St Helens Mineral Line where we join the St Helens Canal cycle path (which runs parallel to the River Mersey) near The Ferry Inn. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Patch birding in and around Hale and Pickerings Pasture, currently classed as north Cheshire. Mill Farm, with numbers of passage migrants relatively low compared to spring WIRRAL Parkgate 3 Short-eared Owl. However if considering a walk extension, there is a Series of a zig-zagging shallow steps which ascend to cross the bridge over Ditton Brook, cycle path leads onto Runcorn Bridge. Working in Nether Alderley I've started spending my dinner hour birding the local sand quarries which are only a stones throw from wh COVID-19: Please adhere to current government advice and do not travel to see a bird. In unserem Vergleich haben wir die unterschiedlichsten 70413 lego am Markt unter die Lupe genommen und die wichtigsten Eigenschaften, die Kostenstruktur und die Bewertungen der Kunden abgewogen. (September-November) often fails to produce the expected migrants around Burnt sections of reed and scrub. This ride is suitable for hybrid bikes (fitted with road and off-road tyres), mountain bikes and road bikes (with caution) and is mostly on hard surface roads and cycle paths and short sections of park paths some of which may have a loose stone finish. basis. There are many Liverpudlians for whom this stretch of the river has provided a welcome opportunity to experience a quite wild and appealing area of countryside close to the city not least for those who were rehoused on Speke Housing Estate in the postwar period, among them Paul McCartney. Ambassador to the United Nations. Carr Lane The Beatles Story and Strawberry Field Combination Ticket, Mendips & 20 Forthlin Road (Beatles Childhood Homes). There are safety reasons for closure but there are no reasons why it cant be realigned. By signing up as a letsride.co.uk user you are agreeing to communications from British Cycling and that you have read and understood our data privacy notice. Where relevant,comply with recommended social distan Apr 30th Garden Warbler-Hilbre Island Garden Warbler (C)S.Williams Black Redstart-O ne on Town Fields at viewable from footpath between Chu COVID-19: Please adhere to current government advice and do not travel to see a bird. (December-February) is relatively quiet with only the resident woodland species Each life is an encyclopaedia, a library, an inventory of objects, a series of styles, and everything can be constantly reshuffled and reordered in every conceivable way. set-aside depending on the time of year. Oak, elm, alder, wild cherry and sycamore are common species. tide, about two hours prior to high tide produces the best opportunity to see Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Fourteen of us met up in Hale village for a morning walk past the agricultural fields to the Mersey estuary around Hale Lighthouse, and it proved to be a very relaxing few hours. An unusual bird to see this far up the river. Hale Decoy is inaccessible to the public, but guided walks are occasionally The shore regularly holds, Spring Sadly, my dad wasnt paying attention and we carried on along the lane. around Burnt Mill Farm and Carr Lane is mostly arable, with a mix of crops and Pickerings Pasture: Pleasant walk on banks of the Mersey - See 104 traveller reviews, 23 candid photos, and great deals for Widnes, UK, at Tripadvisor. President George H.W. Thought Id bring it to your attention so you may perhaps follow our progress. When we reached the The Green at the village centre we headed along Town Lane and later Hale Gate Road until we turned right towards the nature reserve. This blog is very good below not only did Macca used to visit there but also Sir John Betjemen wrote a poem about Hale Manor which is where Isabel Houghton widow of Hugh lived for many years in the 1600s. Where relevant,comply with recommended social dista WIRRAL West Kirby Marine Lake 7Scaup,5 Red-breasted Merganser and 14 Brent Geese. We walked all the way through to Spike Island under the Runcorn Bridge. The industry died out long ago, but there are still remnants of the old willow beds marked on the Ordnance Survey map. migration. Every cloud.. Cheshire. SC037654, Trip Report Hale Lighthouse and Pickerings Pasture November 20th 2022. At this point we met a man walking his Staffy puppy. Unfortunately building work was interrupted by the Second World War and, though more homes were built in the postwar years, the gardens, stadium and pleasure beach never materialised. Ive never seen that many rhododendrons since. Sometimes, however, rather than play with his friends, Paul preferred to be alone. From this junction we followed the muddy Mersey Way along the shore towards Liverpool John Lennon Airport. But by the early 20th century the river channels had begun to silt up, and the shipyard closed in 1912. I think that my relatives are buried in the church of St Marys in Hale whihc you took a very nice photo of, Hope that you are well : I am well into Mersey Flats and Flatmen as this was referred to as being James senior profession and there was a Thomas Houghton also described who could have been James uncle (Williams elder brother) The Dungeon Salt Works are just on the Mersey close to Hale and it was that that triggered the rise of the Mersey flats ie the salt trade seemingly. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com. numbers can be variable throughout, and passage wader numbers will tail off by That was the end of industrial activity at Dungeon, and the little bay slipped once again into isolation and abandonment. (March-May)is by far the most productive season around Burnt Mill Farm. A Green Flag Award winning Local Nature Reserve with acres of wild flower meadows and a fabulous view across the upper Mersey estuary. Every time I visit or pass through the wildlife catches your eye, and with information boards around the pasture you know what to look out for.